Bottle, 96 from the dungeons of lord Pattyn
This beer clearly wants to come out of the bottle - after the top comes off beer bubbles out of the pores of the cork. Pours a golden amber, light pearling carbonation, initially frothy, later layering tanned head. Leathery, herbal, light metallic dry grape aroma. Leathery and wooden base flavor, citrus fruits, earthy notes, grassy bits, hints of cherries and raspberries. Elegant blend of flavors - if there ever were sharp edges they are rounded off now. Light cork notes round it off - the cork was untarnished though. Quite dry mouthfeel, no residual sugar, light pearling on the palate. Thank you so much Joris!

375mL bottle brewed in 2002 and consumed on 12/22/2005 among the very enjoyable company of Rastacouere and Siroy. Thanks to Juha (bogdi1) for his always generous trades and this most rare of treats.
Typical cantillon gueuze pour with some age on it yields a hazy goldenrod and straw colored yellow, with perhaps a light tint of copper? Head is white and moderate to full at first, but quickly begins its descent to a light covering and eventually a ring, while light lacing is left behind. The aroma begins sulphury, quite barnyardy, but yet light and soothing with an old, musty, bretty perfuminess to it, coupled with the usual sun-baked leather tannins and sour lacto/pedio suggestions. The redcurrant, not surprisingly, does not emerge, (or at least, I can not detect it, in the nose). Taking my first sip, I find myself (at first) disappointed that I can find the red currant neither in the flavor. Just a strong dose of your typical Cantillon gueuze flavors, farmy, funky, quite cheesy and moderately acidic, wtih a quenching sourness. BUT, to my extreme delight, the red currant readily makes its way out on the finish, growing very tart, as if chewing on the very skins of the red currants. Ever so subtley done, almost so well done, that you wonder if Mr. Van Roy could have possibly controlled it this well to his liking (implying that much of it was luck). Whatever the case, you get a brilliantly aged, fully yeasty and complex cantillon gueuze up front, followed by a tart, fruity, crisp and lightly acidic red currant flavor that is elegant and understated. The lambic is of course fully attenuated, while the carbonation firm and tight, yet softened by time somewhat, so as to offer a gentleness that a younger gueuze would not have. Very noble and wise old lambic.