Difference between revisions of "Cantillon"

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[[Category:Brewery Bio]]
 
 
[[Image:Cantillon.png|thumb|200px|right|Cantillon]]
 
[[Image:Cantillon.png|thumb|200px|right|Cantillon]]
 +
Cantillon Brewery (Brasserie-Brouwerij Cantillon) is a small Belgian traditional family brewery based in Anderlecht, Brussels and founded in 1900, notable for its lambic beers.
  
−
=Lambic and the spontaneous fermentation according to Cantillon=
+
==Brewing traditional lambic at Cantillon==
  
−
==Traditional Lambic is made according to the following rules: ==
+
====Ingredients:====
−
===Ingredients:===
 
 
* raw wheat 35%
 
* raw wheat 35%
 
* malted barley 65%
 
* malted barley 65%
−
* dried hops (three years old) : 5 g per liter of beer
+
* aged dried hops (2-3 years old of Noble variety) : 250-300 grams per 100 L of wort <ref name='Cantillon on the Sour Hour'>[http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/membersarchive/sourhour2015_05_wildfriendship.mp3 The Sour Hour Episode 11 with Rob Tod and Jason Perkins from Allagash, Jean Van Roy from Cantillon, and Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River]</ref> (~49 min in) (possibly this is based on a wort volume during the boil), or ~450g per 100 L of finished beer <ref name="Jean Van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio"> [http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/a/2/ea26e00136fe1638/bbr05-30-13cantillon.mp3?c_id=5723890&expiration=1443888327&hwt=8dd886677defabdd73669cdc262ef446 Jean van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio] </ref> (~43 min in). From these two references, it seems that Cantillon uses ~25 kg hops per brew and they yield on the order of 7000 L of wort into barrels, which would equate to ~350g per 100 L of finished cooled wort.
−
===Process:===
+
 
−
* brewing (from 45°c up to 72°c)
+
====Process:====
−
* collecting the wort by filtering
+
* [[Turbid Mash|Turbid mashing]]:  A multi-step infusion mash with the removal of unconverted starchy wort (multiple steps from 45°c up to 72°c).
−
* boiling and hopping in the boilers
+
* Boiling: The wort undergoes a long boil of roughly four hours where it is hopped with aged whole hops.
−
* cooling down in the cooling tun, in contact with the open air
+
* Cooling: The wort is cooled overnight in the [[coolship]] in contact with the open air. This allows natural inoculation of the wort by wild bacteria and yeasts.
−
* natural infection of the wort by wild ferments (bacteria and yeasts)
+
* The next morning the cooled wort (~18°C) is pumped into oak or chestnut [[Barrel|barrels]].
−
* pumping the wort at a temperature of 18°c into oakwood or chestnutwood barrels
+
* Spontaneous fermentation occurs in these barrels. Initial the fermentation is visibly active and may foam over out of the abrrels. A long slow fermentation and maturation with wild yeast and bacteria follows the initial visibly active fermentation. This long fermentation lasts one to three years, during which time all of the fermentable sugars and longer chain carbohydrates are consumed
−
* spontaneous fermentation, visible in the beginning, slow afterwards
+
 
−
* transformation of all the sugars within three years
+
See also: [http://www.funkfactorygeuzeria.com/2011/12/cantillon-turbid-mash.html Levi's write up of Cantillon's turbid mashing procedure].
−
==Looks of Lambic:==
 
−
Still beer, cereals wine. During the fermentation, the carbon dioxide escapes through the wood and as a result does not saturate the beer.
 
  
−
==Gravity==
+
===Appearance:===
 +
On its own lambic is still (uncarbonated) because fermentation in the oak barrels allows the CO2 to escape.
  
−
===Original Gravity===
+
====Original Gravity====
−
It is estimated that the original gravity of Cantillon Lambic is between ~1.045 and ~1.050. This information is based on known ABV% and final gravity reaching low as ~1.005 in 3 year old lambic.
+
Cantillon reports an OG of 12.5°P (~1.050)<ref>[http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/post2001/ Jean van Roy on the Brewing Network's Sunday Session]</ref>. This suggests that either the abv is above 5% or that the finishing gravity is fairly high.
  
−
===Blended Gravity===
+
====Blended Gravity====
 
Final blend of 1, 2, and 3 year old lambic in order to make a gueuze is no more than 3.5 plato or 1.014 sg.
 
Final blend of 1, 2, and 3 year old lambic in order to make a gueuze is no more than 3.5 plato or 1.014 sg.
  
−
=Fruit Ratios=
+
==Lambic Variations==
 +
 
 +
===Gueuze 100% Lambic===
 +
[[Image:CANTILLON-Classic-Gueuze.jpeg|thumb|200px|right|Cantillon Classic Gueuze]]
 +
===Blending Ratio===
 +
The Cantillon Classic Gueuze standard ratio is 17% / 33% / 50% of 3yr / 2yr / 1yr lambic.
 +
 
 +
====History====
 +
In the 18th century, a Benedictine monk, dom Pérignon, discovers the champagne method by blending different non sparkling white wines. One century later, a Brabant brewer blends different lambics and brings about a spontaneous fermentation in the bottle. The Gueuze was born.
 +
 
 +
Until the 19th century, the people from Brussels and Brabant mostly drank two beers, Lambic and Faro. The glass bottle and the discovery of Dom Perignon will bring about a revolution in the small world of the Brussels brewers. The Gueuze became the icon of the Brussels beers
 +
 
 +
[[Lambic]], which is the base for the making of [[Gueuze]], is a spontaneous fermentation beer. All beers made with Lambic are naturally sour, but some will be more sour, more bitter or "softer" than the others.  The Gueuze is the result of a well-considered blending of Lambics of different ages and with different tastes.  The Lambic beers from the Cantillon brewery, which are conserved in oak barrels, are called "young" after one year, but they will reach their full maturity after three years. The young beers contain the sugars which are necessary for the second fermentation in the bottle. The three years old beers will contribute their taste and their flavour.  The main task for the brewer, however, is tasting. He will taste about ten Lambics from different barrels in order to select five or six which will be used for the Gueuze 100% Lambic presenting the typical characteristics of the beers from the Cantillon brewery.  The bottles are closed with a cork, capped with a crown-cork. They will remain horizontally in a cellar for a year on average, in order to allow the sugars to be converted into carbon dioxide (second fermentation in the bottle). The saturation of the beer is slow and natural. When the Lambic becomes sparkling, it is called Gueuze. At that moment, this crown-jewel of the Cantillon brewery will leave the cellar of the brewery and find its way to the cellars of the lovers of the traditional Gueuze.  Every blending will produce a different Gueuze. Since it is a natural process, it is impossible to make a standard beer.  This beer is not only unique because of its brewing process, but also because it can be conserved for a long time. When kept in a good cellar, a Cantillon Gueuze will still have an exceptional taste and flavor after 20 years.  The Gueuze 100% Lambic Cantillon represents half of the production of the brewery.  The Gueuze 100% Lambic is available in 37,5 cl (1/2) or 75 cl (1/1) bottles.
 +
 
 +
===Grand Cru Bruocsella===
 +
Straight unblended 3 year old lambic.
 +
 
 +
===Fruit Lambic===
 +
* Kriek - cherry lambic
 +
* Rosé de Gambrinus - raspberry lambic
 +
* Vigneronne - Muscat grape lambic
 +
* St Lamvinus - Merlot grape lambic
 +
* Fou' Foune - apricot lambic
 +
* Lou Pepe - cherry or raspberry with 2 year old lambic
 +
* Blåbær Lambik - bilberry
 +
 
 +
'''Fruit Ratios'''
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Name !! Fruit !! Quantity !! Notes
 
! Name !! Fruit !! Quantity !! Notes
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Kriek||cherry|| 240 grams per liter = 2 pounds per US gallon||frozen whole fruits
+
| Kriek||cherry|| 200 grams per liter <ref name="Jean Van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio"> [http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/a/2/ea26e00136fe1638/bbr05-30-13cantillon.mp3?c_id=5723890&expiration=1443888327&hwt=8dd886677defabdd73669cdc262ef446 Jean van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio] </ref> (~30 min in) ||frozen whole fruits, 8 weeks - crop dependent
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Saint Laminus|| merlot and cabernet-franc grapes||240 grams per liter = 2 pounds per US gallon||Fresh, whole, and no longer than 8 weeks or acidity from the skins develop.
+
| Saint Laminus|| Merlot grapes||300 grams per liter <ref name="Jean Van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio"/> (~30 min in) ||Fresh, whole, and NO longer than 8 weeks or acidity from the skins develop.
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Rosé de Gambrinus||raspberry||300 (grams per liter) = 2.5 pounds per US gallon||frozen whole fruits
+
| Rosé de Gambrinus||raspberry||200 grams per liter <ref name="Jean Van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio"/> (~30 min in)||frozen whole fruits, 8 weeks - crop dependent
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Vigneronne || white italian grapes ||240 grams per liter = 2 pounds per US gallon||Fresh, whole, and no longer than 8 weeks or acidity from the skins develop.
+
| Vigneronne || Muscat grapes ||300 grams per liter <ref name="Jean Van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio"/> (~30 min in) ||Fresh, whole, and NO longer than 8 weeks or acidity from the skins develop.
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Fou' Foune|| Bergeron apricot||240 grams per liter = 2 pounds per US gallon||half pitted, half not pitted but sliced in half for 3 weeks. Any longer and it becomes too tannic
+
| Fou' Foune|| Bergeron apricot||300 grams per liter <ref name="Jean Van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio"/> (~30 min in) ||half pitted - half not pitted - sliced in half for 5-6 weeks. Any longer and it becomes too tannic
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Lou Pepe|| cherry or raspberry || 300 (grams per liter) = 2.5 pounds per US gallon || 2 year old lambic, whole fresh fruits, in the barrel
+
| Lou Pepe|| cherry or raspberry || 300 grams per liter <ref name="Jean Van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio"/> (~30 min in) || 2 year old lambic, whole fresh fruits in the barrel, 8 weeks - crop dependent
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Blåbær Lambik|| blueberry || 240 grams per liter = 2 pounds per US gallon || young/early/tart whole fresh in the barrel, 6 weeks
+
| Blåbær Lambik|| bilberry || 240 grams per liter = 2 pounds per US gallon || young/early/tart whole fresh in the barrel, 8 weeks - crop dependent
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
=Lambic Variations=
 
  
−
==Gueuze 100% Lambic==
+
<gallery>
−
[[Image:CANTILLON-Classic-Gueuze.jpeg|thumb|200px|right|Cantillon Classic Gueuze]]
+
File:Cantillon-kriek.jpg|Kriek
−
===Blending Ratio===
+
File:Cantillon-rose.jpg|Rosé de Gambrinus
−
The Cantillon Classic Gueuze standard ratio is 17% / 33% / 50% of 3yr / 2yr / 1yr lambic.
+
File:Cantillon-Vigneronne.jpg|Cantillon Vigneronne
 +
File:Cantillon-saint-lamvinus.jpg|St Lamvinus
 +
File:Cantillon-Fou foune.jpg|Fou' Foune
 +
File:Cantillon-Lou-Pepe.jpg|Lou Pepe
 +
File:Cantillon-blaber lambic.jpg|Blåbær Lambic
 +
</gallery>
  
−
===About===
+
==Iris==
−
In the 18th century, a Benedictine monk, dom Pérignon, discovers the champagne method by blending different non sparkling white wines. One century later, a Brabant brewer blends different lambics and brings about a spontaneous fermentation in the bottle. The Gueuze was born.
+
Iris is a completely unique beer from anything else Cantillon does. Although it is a spontaneous fermentation beer, the Iris is very different from the [[Lambic]].
  
−
Until the 19th century, the people from Brussels and Brabant mostly drank two beers, Lambic and Faro. The glass bottle and the discovery of Dom Perignon will bring about a revolution in the small world of the Brussels brewers. The Gueuze became the icon of the Brussels beers
+
[[Image:CANTILLON-Iris.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Cantillon Iris]]
−
 
+
As with Cantillon Lambic, the Original Gravity is estimated to be between ~1.045 and ~1.050.  This would be consistent with other 5% abv Cantillon beer.
−
Lambic, which is the base for the making of Gueuze, is a spontaneous fermentation beer. All beers made with Lambic are naturally sour, but some will be more sour, more bitter or "softer" than the others.  The Gueuze is the result of a well-considered blending of Lambics of different ages and with different tastes.  The Lambic beers from the Cantillon brewery, which are conserved in oakwood barrels, are called "young" after one year, but they will reach their full maturity after three years. The young beers contain the sugars which are necessary for the second fermentation in the bottle. The three years old beers will contribute their taste and their flavour.  The main task for the brewer, however, is tasting. He will taste about ten Lambics from different barrels in order to select five or six which will be used for the Gueuze 100% Lambic presenting the typical characteristics of the beers from the Cantillon brewery.  The bottles are closed with a cork, capped with a crown-cork. They will remain horizontally in a cellar for a year on average, in order to allow the sugars to be converted into carbon dioxide (second fermentation in the bottle). The saturation of the beer is slow and natural. When the Lambic becomes sparkling, it is called Gueuze. At that moment, this crown-jewel of the Cantillon brewery will leave the cellar of the brewery and find its way to the cellars of the lovers of the traditional Gueuze.  Every blending will produce a different Gueuze. Since we work according to a natural process, it is impossible to make a standard beer.  This beer is not only unique because of its brewing process, but also because it can be conserved for a long time. When kept in a good cellar, a Cantillon Gueuze will still have an exceptional taste and flavour after 20 years.  The Gueuze 100% Lambic Cantillon represents half of the production of the brewery.  The Gueuze 100% Lambic is available in 37,5 cl (1/2) or 75 cl (1/1) bottles.
 
  
−
 
+
===Ingredients===
−
==Kriek==
+
* 100% pale malt
−
[[File:Cantillon-kriek.jpg|200px|thumb|Right|Cantillon Kriek]]
+
* 50% fresh hops
 +
* 50% aged hops
  
 
===About===
 
===About===
−
The most famous among the fruit beers is without doubt the Kriek.
+
Iris is different than [[Lambic]].  It is only made with malt of the pale ale type (giving a more amber color to the beer) conserves the typical flavor of the spontaneous fermentation, the complex aromas, and the vinous taste.  The hopping is different too. Lambic is made with 100% aged hops, for the Iris they use 50% of aged hops and 50% of fresh (dried, not wet) hops. The latter cause a superb acidity, the former, due to their tannins, enable to conserve the beer while preserving all its qualities.
  
−
On a warm summer day, a lorry coming from the auction at Sint-Truiden delivers 4.000 kgs of fresh Kellery cherries to the brewery.
+
After two years in the barrel, the Iris undergoes a dry hopping with fresh (dried, not wet) hops in a linen bag for two weeks before the bottling. This "cold hopping" (or dry hopping) gives the beer a more intense flavor and makes the smell and the taste more bitter.
−
The brewery staff will then put about 150 kgs of fruits in oakwood or chestnutwood barrels which can contain 650 litres of lambic and which have been cleaned some days before.
 
  
−
These barrels are filled with healthy lambics which are more or less one and a half year old. These are not so easy to find, because many beers are still ill at that age. These "oily" beers will have to mature for some months in the main barrel. When the Kriek barrels are filled with the fruits and with the lambic (about 500 litres), the hole in the barrel is closed with a sheet of paper in order to avoid contact with impurities.
+
Iris is brewed only once every season and all the beers come from the same brewing. This is why the beer is dated. The second fermentation at bottling is obtained by adding fresh wort.
  
−
Five days later, the fermentation starts. The sugars from the lambic and from the fruits bring about the activity of the yeasts which are concentrated in the wood and in the skin of the fruits. A marvelous pink or red foam decorates the old barrels in the cellar.
+
== Interviews ==
  
−
Normally, the fermentation stops around the 10th of August. The barrels are then closed and the acid lambic begins to extract the taste and the colour from the fruits. Flies and mosquitoes haunt the cellars and are likely to provoke bad infections. Due to the presence of the home spider, however, a natural predator which is more efficient than any insecticide, the Cantillon Brewery presents a natural equilibrium which enables us to produce our beers.
+
=== Audio ===
  
−
The fermentation of the Kriek in the bottle generally starts in the beginning of October. Two barrels of Kriek from the first extraction and two from the second are pumped into a huge barrel. (The second extraction is obtained by filling the barrel for a second time in order to extract as much from the fruits as possible). It is also possible to blend a certain quantity of young lambic with the Kriek in order to obtain a second fermentation in the bottle. The Kriek goes through a natural saturation, normally after three to five months in the bottle. We recommend to drink the Kriek within one year after the bottling.
+
* [http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/a/2/ea26e00136fe1638/bbr05-30-13cantillon.mp3?c_id=5723890&expiration=1443888327&hwt=8dd886677defabdd73669cdc262ef446 Jean van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio]
 +
* [http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/membersarchive/sourhour2015_05_wildfriendship.mp3 The Sour Hour Episode 11 with Rob Tod and Jason Perkins from Allagash, Jean Van Roy from Cantillon, and Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River]
 +
* [http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/post2001/ Jean van Roy on the Brewing Network's Sunday Session]
 +
=== Video ===
  
−
The fermentation will change the primary taste of the product and the Kriek will be dominated by the character of the lambic. The red colour will change into more oily shades. This is, however, a personal point of view. Some customers conserve their Kriek for a long time and like it that way. Kriek is a traditional summer beer. It is a very thirst-quenching beer which tastes deliciously with a big slice of brown bread with white cheese, radishes, onions and chives.
+
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4i1fyYqIlM&list=PL662949708E13A207 The Lambic Summit with Jean van Roy, Armand Debelder and Frank Boon, a 20 video series]
 +
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAgUL9RvK4 JVR explains his position on HORAL and the use of the term "Oud"]
 +
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDCoSJzP_18 Making filters at Cantillon - Shelton Brothers]
 +
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_OJv5O8YL8 Video interview with Jean van Roy by Cerve TV]
  
−
Years ago, people who drank Kriek in a pub were also given two lumps of sugar and a "stoemper" on a small plate. With the "stoemper", the customer could crush the sugar on the bottom of his glass and sweeten it in a natural way in order to eliminate the sour taste.
+
==References==
 +
<references/>
  
−
The Kriek 100% Lambic is available in 37, 5cl (1/2) and 75 cl (1/1) bottles.
+
[[Category:Brewery Bio]]
−
 
 
−
==Rosé de Gambrinus==
 
−
 
 
−
==Grand Cru Bruocsella==
 
−
 
 
−
==Vigneronne==
 
−
 
 
−
==St Lamvinus==
 
−
 
 
−
==Fou' Foune==
 
−
 
 
−
==Lou Pepe==
 
−
 
 
−
=Other=
 
−
==Iris==
 
−
[[Image:CANTILLON-Iris.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Cantillon Iris]]
 
−
===Ingredients===
 
−
* 100% pale malt
 
−
* 50% fresh hops
 
−
* 50% aged hops
 
−
 
 
−
===About===
 
−
The Cantillon brewery is closely linked to Brussels, a city which has the iris as its symbol. As the name indicates, the "marsh iris" is a plant growing in humid areas. The historical center of Brussels is built on swamps where this flower used to grow abundantly.
 
−
 
 
−
In 1998, the Brussels Museum of the Gueuze celebrated its 20th anniversary. The Cantillon brewery decided to make a new spontaneous fermentation beer for this occasion, named after this symbolic flower.  It is a completely original beer which, contrary to the other products of the Brewery, is not brewed with 35% of wheat. The Iris, which is only made with malt of the pale ale type (giving a more amber colour to the beer) conserves the typical flavour of the spontaneous fermentation, the complex aromas and the vinous taste.  The hopping is different too. Lambic is made with 100% dried hops, for the Iris we use 50% of dried hops and 50% of fresh hops. The latter cause a superb acidity, the former, due to their tannins, enable to conserve the beer while preserving all its qualities.
 
−
 
 
−
After two years in the barrel, the Iris undergoes a second fresh hopping two weeks before the bottling. A linen bag, filled with hops, is soaked in the beer for two weeks. This technique, called "cold hopping", gives the beer a more intense savour and makes the smell and the taste more bitter.
 
−
 
 
−
Iris is brewed only once every season and all the beers come from the same brewing. This is why the beer is dated. The second fermentation is obtained by adding liquor.  Although it is a spontaneous fermentation beer, the Iris is very different from the Lambic. The amber colour and the bitter and slightly caramelized taste make it a complex beer.  Iris Cantillon is available in 75 cl (1/1) bottles.
 

Latest revision as of 12:23, 15 June 2021

Cantillon

Cantillon Brewery (Brasserie-Brouwerij Cantillon) is a small Belgian traditional family brewery based in Anderlecht, Brussels and founded in 1900, notable for its lambic beers.

Brewing traditional lambic at Cantillon

Ingredients:

  • raw wheat 35%
  • malted barley 65%
  • aged dried hops (2-3 years old of Noble variety) : 250-300 grams per 100 L of wort [1] (~49 min in) (possibly this is based on a wort volume during the boil), or ~450g per 100 L of finished beer [2] (~43 min in). From these two references, it seems that Cantillon uses ~25 kg hops per brew and they yield on the order of 7000 L of wort into barrels, which would equate to ~350g per 100 L of finished cooled wort.

Process:

  • Turbid mashing: A multi-step infusion mash with the removal of unconverted starchy wort (multiple steps from 45°c up to 72°c).
  • Boiling: The wort undergoes a long boil of roughly four hours where it is hopped with aged whole hops.
  • Cooling: The wort is cooled overnight in the coolship in contact with the open air. This allows natural inoculation of the wort by wild bacteria and yeasts.
  • The next morning the cooled wort (~18°C) is pumped into oak or chestnut barrels.
  • Spontaneous fermentation occurs in these barrels. Initial the fermentation is visibly active and may foam over out of the abrrels. A long slow fermentation and maturation with wild yeast and bacteria follows the initial visibly active fermentation. This long fermentation lasts one to three years, during which time all of the fermentable sugars and longer chain carbohydrates are consumed

See also: Levi's write up of Cantillon's turbid mashing procedure.

Appearance:

On its own lambic is still (uncarbonated) because fermentation in the oak barrels allows the CO2 to escape.

Original Gravity

Cantillon reports an OG of 12.5°P (~1.050)[3]. This suggests that either the abv is above 5% or that the finishing gravity is fairly high.

Blended Gravity

Final blend of 1, 2, and 3 year old lambic in order to make a gueuze is no more than 3.5 plato or 1.014 sg.

Lambic Variations

Gueuze 100% Lambic

Cantillon Classic Gueuze

Blending Ratio

The Cantillon Classic Gueuze standard ratio is 17% / 33% / 50% of 3yr / 2yr / 1yr lambic.

History

In the 18th century, a Benedictine monk, dom Pérignon, discovers the champagne method by blending different non sparkling white wines. One century later, a Brabant brewer blends different lambics and brings about a spontaneous fermentation in the bottle. The Gueuze was born.

Until the 19th century, the people from Brussels and Brabant mostly drank two beers, Lambic and Faro. The glass bottle and the discovery of Dom Perignon will bring about a revolution in the small world of the Brussels brewers. The Gueuze became the icon of the Brussels beers

Lambic, which is the base for the making of Gueuze, is a spontaneous fermentation beer. All beers made with Lambic are naturally sour, but some will be more sour, more bitter or "softer" than the others. The Gueuze is the result of a well-considered blending of Lambics of different ages and with different tastes. The Lambic beers from the Cantillon brewery, which are conserved in oak barrels, are called "young" after one year, but they will reach their full maturity after three years. The young beers contain the sugars which are necessary for the second fermentation in the bottle. The three years old beers will contribute their taste and their flavour. The main task for the brewer, however, is tasting. He will taste about ten Lambics from different barrels in order to select five or six which will be used for the Gueuze 100% Lambic presenting the typical characteristics of the beers from the Cantillon brewery. The bottles are closed with a cork, capped with a crown-cork. They will remain horizontally in a cellar for a year on average, in order to allow the sugars to be converted into carbon dioxide (second fermentation in the bottle). The saturation of the beer is slow and natural. When the Lambic becomes sparkling, it is called Gueuze. At that moment, this crown-jewel of the Cantillon brewery will leave the cellar of the brewery and find its way to the cellars of the lovers of the traditional Gueuze. Every blending will produce a different Gueuze. Since it is a natural process, it is impossible to make a standard beer. This beer is not only unique because of its brewing process, but also because it can be conserved for a long time. When kept in a good cellar, a Cantillon Gueuze will still have an exceptional taste and flavor after 20 years. The Gueuze 100% Lambic Cantillon represents half of the production of the brewery. The Gueuze 100% Lambic is available in 37,5 cl (1/2) or 75 cl (1/1) bottles.

Grand Cru Bruocsella

Straight unblended 3 year old lambic.

Fruit Lambic

  • Kriek - cherry lambic
  • Rosé de Gambrinus - raspberry lambic
  • Vigneronne - Muscat grape lambic
  • St Lamvinus - Merlot grape lambic
  • Fou' Foune - apricot lambic
  • Lou Pepe - cherry or raspberry with 2 year old lambic
  • Blåbær Lambik - bilberry

Fruit Ratios

Name Fruit Quantity Notes
Kriek cherry 200 grams per liter [2] (~30 min in) frozen whole fruits, 8 weeks - crop dependent
Saint Laminus Merlot grapes 300 grams per liter [2] (~30 min in) Fresh, whole, and NO longer than 8 weeks or acidity from the skins develop.
Rosé de Gambrinus raspberry 200 grams per liter [2] (~30 min in) frozen whole fruits, 8 weeks - crop dependent
Vigneronne Muscat grapes 300 grams per liter [2] (~30 min in) Fresh, whole, and NO longer than 8 weeks or acidity from the skins develop.
Fou' Foune Bergeron apricot 300 grams per liter [2] (~30 min in) half pitted - half not pitted - sliced in half for 5-6 weeks. Any longer and it becomes too tannic
Lou Pepe cherry or raspberry 300 grams per liter [2] (~30 min in) 2 year old lambic, whole fresh fruits in the barrel, 8 weeks - crop dependent
Blåbær Lambik bilberry 240 grams per liter = 2 pounds per US gallon young/early/tart whole fresh in the barrel, 8 weeks - crop dependent


  • Kriek

  • Rosé de Gambrinus

  • Cantillon Vigneronne

  • St Lamvinus

  • Fou' Foune

  • Lou Pepe

  • Blåbær Lambic

Iris

Iris is a completely unique beer from anything else Cantillon does. Although it is a spontaneous fermentation beer, the Iris is very different from the Lambic.

Cantillon Iris

As with Cantillon Lambic, the Original Gravity is estimated to be between ~1.045 and ~1.050. This would be consistent with other 5% abv Cantillon beer.

Ingredients

  • 100% pale malt
  • 50% fresh hops
  • 50% aged hops

About

Iris is different than Lambic. It is only made with malt of the pale ale type (giving a more amber color to the beer) conserves the typical flavor of the spontaneous fermentation, the complex aromas, and the vinous taste. The hopping is different too. Lambic is made with 100% aged hops, for the Iris they use 50% of aged hops and 50% of fresh (dried, not wet) hops. The latter cause a superb acidity, the former, due to their tannins, enable to conserve the beer while preserving all its qualities.

After two years in the barrel, the Iris undergoes a dry hopping with fresh (dried, not wet) hops in a linen bag for two weeks before the bottling. This "cold hopping" (or dry hopping) gives the beer a more intense flavor and makes the smell and the taste more bitter.

Iris is brewed only once every season and all the beers come from the same brewing. This is why the beer is dated. The second fermentation at bottling is obtained by adding fresh wort.

Interviews

Audio

Video

References

  1. ↑ The Sour Hour Episode 11 with Rob Tod and Jason Perkins from Allagash, Jean Van Roy from Cantillon, and Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Jean van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio
  3. ↑ Jean van Roy on the Brewing Network's Sunday Session
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