Brasserie Cantillion - Another View

- by Rob Thomas (thomasr@ezrz1.vmsmail.ethz.ch)


Cantillon Visit, With Mike and Sheri Sharp. 8/April/1995.

Part 1: The Brewery

After a circuitous trip from the hotel we arrived at the Rue de Geude justfive minutes late (2:05). We were met by Yrene Van Roy as well as Jean-Pierre. After a glass of gueuze their son Jean arrived to give us the brewery tour. He has been working in the brewery for a few years now. His special job is to climb in the mash tub wearing boots and overalls and to shovel the spent grains out (at 60degC!). We saw the superannuated hops, which still had a mild but present fresh aroma, though they were almost completely dry. These were in the original packing and in the original state of compression. I can't believe that any oxidation had occured under these conditions. Arriving at the cool ship we were told of the "religious" trip there after every brew, to "breath" the wort. At this point, the tour became exceptional. Jean, steel bucket and hammer in hand, led from a 3 week old cask to a 1 year old and then a 2 year old, alowing us to taste the various ages (and spraying himself liberally with them). The fourth and last cask to be tasted was a retired Port barrel. This was in use for thefirst time, and the contents were to pick up Port-like aromas and flavours, and to go on to be the major component of the "Broucsella" gueuze. The barrel is scrubbed before and after use (as usual) and will be unable to be used twice for this purpose.

On returning to the foyer, we had many unanswered questions for Jean-Pierre. over heated discussion around the wood-fired stove (being fed with barrel staves!) we tasted an unblended kriek from the cask, made solely from SchaarBeek cherries. For side by side comparison we had a newlybottled kriek made from these and less "nobel" fruit. Then came the tasting by J.-P. of Mike's framboise against the Cantillon product.

A change of step was the tasting of the newest Van Roy experiment involving St. Emillion grapes to produce a beautiful red liquid, tasting like lambic when cold, and wine when warm - two drinks in one bottle!

The question of aging effects, and the joviality of the group were rewarded by a quick trip by Van Roy to a back room, where, we discovered on his return, he had collected a 17 year old gueuze for us to sample. This was presented in a thistle glass (like a wine tasting glass) with a remarkably stable head extending to the top of the glass.

It was now nearly six. We needed to get to 't Spinnekopke, where Yrene had got us a table in the name of Cantillon (!) despite the restaurant being full. Jean Pierre was begining to feel the effects of the previous night and had to go to the office (to sleep). But before leaving, we had one more for the road, and were invited to dinner the following night at the Van Roys'.

We ate at 't Spinnekopke (Mike and Sheri having the obligatory inedible quantity of moules). The evening ended with a Belle Vue gueuze which failed miserably to compete against the days events. Heads swimming from the day, we retired to happy dreams of gueuze-lambic brewing.


Part 2: The Beers

Before I start, I am not a Certified (or certifiable) Beer Judge, and I may be able to answer further questions, but techno-judge-speak is out of my league, and I'll point you in Sheri or Mike's direction for that!

So, to beer. Here is the list of what we had:

1. Cantillon gueuze


This was the typical (and in this session the benchmark) brew. An initial lactic and mild acetic acidity led nicely into a warm (not alcoholic) flavour, well blended with earthy and sweaty Brett tastes. This rich taste lasted very well, and developed into a long Brett after taste mixed with the acidity. The completeness of this flavour development would have matched well with a brew of far higher final gravity, but for the complete lack of sweetness.

2. 3 week old barrel.

Hop bitterness was evident but low. There was no hop aroma. The beer was working hard, with a yeasty and sweet taste. The overall homebrewers assessment was a half fermented Wit beer (about 1.5 to 2 days in my case). The sweetness was a richer maltiness that straight wort (maybe fewer monosacch.?).

3. 1 and 2 year olds

These to my taste buds were very similar to each other. Neither had the Cantillon sourness, but were a rather less sweet version of a Morte Subite (sur lie or on tap versions at least). the progressing dryness was evident from one to the next, but I would be hard put to identify them blind. They both lacked the complexity and balance of the bottled stuff.

4. 1 year old from a Port barrel

This was much more recognisable as a Cantillon product. Its acidity was very much in evidence. this was combined with a deeper colour anda grape skin aroma. The taste also showed the presence of a grape tannin influence as well as a mild but evident port taste. This is the sort of lambic that if discovered in my barrel at home would be bottled immediately (preferably under forced carbonation so i could immediately drink it my self!)

5. this season's brew of shaarbeek Cherries

This is very difficult to describe for me. However, I'll try! Certainly it was a kriek, however, above and beyond this simple description it had a taste and smell all its own. These cherries really do give a completely different flavour to any others I've tasted. They have an intensity that can't be match (I think) even by higher addition rates of normal fruit. Jean-Pierre assured me that these cherries are not "Edelfaul" that is not like the grapes of the same name (AKA "noble rot").

6. Mike's framboise vs. Cantillon (fresh bottling)

I have a preference here, that is neither instructive or inobvious. Firstly, J-P liked it. There is a political reason why he should evengive a beer from so far from Payottenland a chance, but he also had comments and questions. His first and continual question was "is this spontaneously fermented?". We covered the legistical difficulties, as well as the natural advantages he has. His comments on our attempts (and Mike's framboise) were very positive. His major negative comment was the tannin. This he attributed to too much fruit. The rational being that the pits would add the tannin. In retrospect it is most likely the barrel Mike was using. I personally felt there was a presence in the nose and mouth of what I can only describe as "Strawberry pit". This had the effect of cutting the flavour development short. Just as the flavour was begining to develop in the mouth, it stopped.

7. St. Emilion experiment

This is unfortunate in that I remember little of it I didn't scrawl in notes after the visit. This should not be taken as a negative point. The brew was excellent. As I said before, this was essentially alambic-gueuze in the cold, warming into a splendid wine. However, with so much water under the bridge (and lambic under the belt!) I can't do justice to it here.

8. 17 year old gueuze

This was a real treat. Unlike Jackson's descriptions of old gueuze, this was certainly not flat. It had a beautiful tight white head that, appart from colour would have been perfect on a guiness! It was still spritzy in the mouth, but had mellowed. The acidity was still present, but far less up front than the youngsters. It was perhaps a little darker than the new gueuzes. I think it may have benefited being another 10 to 20 years old. This is the kind of drink to lay down for your childrens' 21st birthday (along with the thomas hardy). It had thrown a crusty sediment rather like an old wine (or a drie fontainen kriek). Any oxidation that might have occured was not really in evidence.

That's it for my trip report. I apologise for the sometimes very sketchy descriptions of the beers! When I get time I'll drop in a few comments and notes, more on the politics and philosophy of lambic than on the brew itself.

Cheers, Rob


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