Open the door of the 56 rue Gheude. Cantillon ? That’s the time machine. You’ll leave the modern civilization, goodbye to the noise, goodbye to the world.
"But where are we ?", you will ask yourself. Well, you are in a family brewery where Lambic, Gueuze, Faro and Kriek are made and where nothing has changed since 1900 when it was founded. The Van Roy-Cantillon family welcomes you and invites you to discover a fabulous world. Beers, tools and brewing process are still the same as in the beginning.
Red copper containers, barrels, some of them more than 100 years old, and walls of bottles constitute the scenery for your visit.
Maybe you’ll be lucky to see the brewing or the bottling, maybe you ’ll see how barrels are cleaned or how fruit beers are made in summer. Maybe you’ll be lucky to see the brewing or the bottling, maybe you ’ll see how barrels are cleaned or how fruit beers are made in summer. Anyway, you’ll be able to taste a real traditional Gueuze-Lambic and if you would like to know more about the Kriek or the Framboise, just ask the brewer.
Hazy orange in colour. White head that disappears quickly. Aroma is tart and a little sweet from grapes. Some hints of grapefruit in the aroma aswell. Tart flavor with hints of grapefruit and rhubarb. Has a vinous and a warming aftertaste. Very nice!
Rosé golden colour with no head. Nice barnyard aroma with lactic acid notes, andsweet wine. In mouth, faintly sweet due to added sugars, but not overbearing, some nice sourness, but this is not as impressive as other offerings. Should have been served at beginning of tour. Sampled at Quintessence Cantillon 2005.
Hazy golden lambic with a thin white head. Pleasant apricot aroma with horseblanket and cheesey notes. Good fresh apricot pulp in mouth, with some sour cherry notes, and lactic points. Excellent ! Sampled at Quintessence Cantillon 2005.
Rosé orange lambic with a thin white head. Fresh cherries in aroma with notes of horseblanket, barnyard. Sour cherries in mouth with lactic acid notes, very restrained and pleasant, an excellent balance. Medium bodied. Sampled at Quintessence Cantillon 2005.
(Fresh from the tap, unblended) Deep cherry red with light cherry head. Light fresh sweet cherries in aroma. Ever puckering sourness, with fresh cherries in mouth, but a bit light bodied. (7-4-7-3-13). Aged bottled version was more intense on the cherries in aroma, more tart, due to blending with gueuze. Excellent (8-4-8-4-16). Sampled at Quintessence Cantillon 2005.
2002 Bottle. Golden lambic with no head. Nice sour aroma with notes of honey. Restrained sourness in mouth, with light horseblanket notes. Light bodied. Nice puckering effect. Sampled at Quintessence Cantillon 2005.
2 yr old. Highly hazy golden lambic with no head. Light lactic acid and cheesey aroma, with light cherry notes. Very noce and sour, but lacking in complexity of the others tatsed. Light astringence. Sampled at Quintessence Cantillon 2005.
Hazy blonde lambic with a thick white head. Nice fresh white grape aroma with sour apples. Sweet white wine in mouth, with pleasant sourness and light bodied. Tart and fruity offering. Sampled at Quintessence Cantillon 2005.
Rosé lambic with a light cherry and lactic acid aroma. Dry cherries in mouth with strong sour notes, very puckering and definitely classic. Rich and complex, with cheese-like qualities. Medium bodied. Sampled at Quintessence Cantillon 2005.
Bottle. Very nice sour aroma, powerful and earthy. Cloudy golden colour, small white head. Sour flavour, and a little sweetness, ending rather mildly. Not as uncompromising as other Cantillon beers.