Cantillon Kriek

[silky]

Finally we got our 3rd choice: Cantillon Vigneronne made with Muscat grapes. It poured with a wonderful hazy pale glow, and a thick head which dissipated with time. The aroma was not very grapey as I had expected. Quite honestly I would say the aroma was bad. There was a very forward a plasticy phenol thing, and another aroma I can only describe as dirty baby diaper. It did not have the wonderful sour/fruity aroma and horsey brett character that makes lambics so beautiful. The flavor was not so bad, but I literally had to hold my breath every time I stuck my nose in the glass for a drink! I assume this beer was not mishandled, so I am a little miffed because I think Cantillon did not do such a great job on this beer.

Damn that sucks! I had my Vigneronne on tap, maybe something bad happened with the bottle!

[Chupa LaHomebrew]

I talked to the owner of Spuyten Duvil later, who lives in the principality of Aquariumdrinker, and he seemed to think that it might have been a bottle problem. Of course he had not tried the bottle, but I sincerely hope that it was a bad bottle because I don't want to think about Cantillon brewing anything that bad!

Better luck next time right?

[Otter]

Last weekend I drove to Hilton Head, SC and stopped in at a beer store in Charleston. It was the Charleston Beer Exchange, and it looked like they had a pretty good selection. I picked up a bottle of Cantillon Kriek and the Rose de Gambrinus.

My wife and I tried the Kriek, and it was super sour. My palate hasn't quite opened up yet to the sour beers, but my wife liked it. Our first sour was La Folie, and we both liked that one.

It's nice to hear that the Gambrinus might not be one of their better beers. I looked for the Geuze, but didn't see it.

[Mylo]

We sampled some Cantillion Kriek last night at our BJCP meeting. We all agreed that it was past is prime - if you were judging it as a fruit lambic. It was still a fantastic beer - but it did not have any cherry flavor and aroma left. The bugs ate it all. I'd love to taste this one fresh. You should be able to taste and smell some fruit.

I imagine that the stuff we get over here is probably too aged and/or treated bad on the way over the pond. This substyle is probably not one that benefits from age.

We tasted the Cantillion Gueze, too. That one was fresher and still had a tiny bit of sweetness left from the young lambic. It was f-ing sublime. Makes me want to finally start on a gueze project.... oh man... 2012.... now that is patience....


Mylo

[Dubba_Brew]

Makes me want to finally start on a gueze project.... oh man... 2012.... now that is patience....

I hear you... my wife has been bugging me to make some sours. I'm just not sure that I've got the patience to wait or to listen to her ask me... "is it done yet?"

[Otter]

We sampled some Cantillion Kriek last night at our BJCP meeting. We all agreed that it was past is prime

Mylo

I think the Kriek I tried was from 2004, at least that was the date on the bottle. How old was the one you tried?

[Mylo]

No idea. Sorry. I had one about 3 weeks ago that was the same. That just might be the way that they roll. They might hold onto bottles after packaging and release them when they think it's ready.


Mylo