“The first of our Lambic-inspired ales and a collaboration with our good friends at Sierra Nevada. Fortune Favors The Funk is an Ale fermented and aged in oak barrels and dry hopped with ex-598 hops.” 

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Uncaged, uncorked and presenting a deep golden-yellow to bronze-ish colour. It manages a wispy overlay which quickly forms a collar. Laced well considering the lack of head/retention.

Aroma: Hitting those conventional Belgian lambic characteristics nicely. Sour apple, sour grapes, lime zest, kinda nutty/almond-esque, distinct yet mellow lacto sourness, sweaty funk, apple cider vinegar and freshly sliced pear. The oak barrels display a lovely toasted wood and subtle vanilla aspect. Hints at a bit of sauna room as well. It’s all coming together nicely.

Flavour: Quite dry and musty. The oak barrels clearly putting more of a stamp on the flavour profile. Acetic citrus fruits like yellow grapefruit, sour grapes and green apple. Apple cider vinegar, fresh herbs such as coriander and lemongrass. Warm baking spices, peppercorn etc tailing in late. We feel, although it’s good, it needs a bit of malt sweetness to balance out the dry, sharp and acidic flavours.

Mouthfeel: Dry, crisp, light on. It’s a 2019 vintage so the 7 years its had in the cellar has softened the Co2. Light-moderate body and an at times noticeable 6.4% ABV.

Overall: We’d like to know how much of a hand Sierra Nevada had in this beer as there’s little info on that. As a whole it was a decent lambic. No where near as streamlined as its Belgian counterparts but good enough to enjoy.

“Spontaneous beer brewed in the traditional “Methode de Lembeek.” Cave aged in oak 1-2 years.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Bright and glowing orange complexion with no head formation. A very fine collar around the rim is as much froth as we’ll get. Some dotty lace here and there but it’s pretty much absent. As to be expected.

Aroma: Brewed in the Lambic tradition and it’s immediately apparent as the strong wafts of sour apple, lime juice, horse blanket/barnyard, black peppercorn and a sweaty funk meets the olfactory’s. There are some milder wheat grains, orchard fruit and apricot accents but it’s mostly about that brilliant musty and sweaty funk it has going on.

Flavour: Oh yeah…the sourness punches hard upfront. For a 5yo Sour it still packs a lot of heat – sharp citric acidity, sour grapes, vinegar, manky/sweaty funk and barnyard with hints of woody tannin, apricot and bretty earthiness in support. Excellent carriage into the grainy, white wine-like finish which goes the distance.

Mouthfeel: Light on, acetic, crisp and mineraly. Mild-moderate body and a nicely disguised 7.5% ABV.

Overall: Wow! Who the hell are these guys and how have we only just heard of them? This was our first entry from these Oregonian masters of wild ferment. As good as any Lambic you’d get from Belgium. Very impressive.

“The lambic in foeder no. 31 aged for four and a half years before it became this Oude Geuze. It’s typified by its fine carbonation and pleasant cognac-like nose. The fluent and mellow but strong aroma with hints of apricots and walnuts is supported by a clear oak character.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Hazy deep pastel orange with two fingers of fizzy yet well retained foam perched on top. Poor lacing considering the good retention though.

Aroma: Oh wow…that unmistakable scent of a traditional Belgian Lambic  It displays a magnificent fusion of zesty lemon/lime juice, white grapes, unripened peach, green apple, candied citrus, hay/straw, a healthy barnyard funk and raw almonds. Just a flutter of funky yoghurt and cheese cave getting a look in as well. It’s doing all the right things!

Flavour: We were expecting a sharp lacto sourness to pucker up but much to our surprise it’s quite well contained. Subtle tart lemon juice and white wine vinegar blends beautifully with the musty oak, hay/straw and unripened stonefruits and apricot. It’s amazing how much it smooths out as it shifts into the kinda dry, vinous and oaky finish. Good length on it too.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat creamy, a hint of sharpness and minerality. Finely carbed, mild-moderate body. The 8.5% ABV adds some warmth but it’s nicely positioned.

Overall: We’re always entertained at how long the shelf life is on these beers…this one says 2040! We could only manage a bit over a year before we cracked this 2020 vintage. Solid Lambic. No surprises there though.

“As big fans of geuze-style beers, we wanted to give our own spontaneous fermentation beer a go. To our own surprise, with success. Aside from our own Spierelambiek – our spontaneously fermented beer named after a tiny river that runs near the brewery – we use two traditional lambieks from the valley of the Senne (close to Brussels) to make a blend. One, two and three year old lambieks are used in Mirakel, our own miracle.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Slightly hazy deep golden yellow complexion. Pours with almost no head and ultra flat carbonation. Pretty standard for the style though.

Aroma: It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic Gueuze; oodles of dry musty oak, acetic lemon and lime, raw apricot, wheat grains, white wine/ vinegar and sour green apple. It’s a blend of one, two and three year old Lambic so it has that brilliant depth and complexity in spades. As it settles a delicate sweetness opens up and brings hints of honey and unripened rockmelon. Superb aroma. Up there with the best.

Flavour: Really flat, we’re used to a bit more Co2 than this. Musty oak, tart lemon and gooseberry greet the taste buds initially. Fairly funky, catty and dry/peppery, lots of white wine qualities; sour apple, unripened pear, green grapes, subtle tannins and grapefruit also getting amongst it. Definitely picking up a raw almond flavour late in the piece as it finishes rather dull and inconspicuously.

Mouthfeel: As we’ve mentioned already it’s a bit too flat for our liking. Still, it has a nice light, crisp and mineraly texture. Mild-medium body. 5.5% ABV is spot on.

Overall: It probably didn’t finish off the way we’d hoped. Couldn’t fault the aroma but the flavour profile (although good) and the texture/Co2 wasn’t enough to propel it up amongst the likes of Cantillon, 3F etc. Not a bad crack though.

“For this bottling of the old geuze mega blend 2019, 8 different breweries and studs have mixed lambic together. This mega blend was specially made for the 12th edition of Tour de Geuze and will have matured in the bottle for more than 6 months on the day of the Tour de Geuze 2019. The mixture contains Lambic that was 1, 2 and 3 years old when filling the bottles. Featuring a mix of lambics from 8 producers: 3 Fonteinen, Boon, De Oude Cam, De Troch, Hanssens, Lindemans, Oud Beersel, Tilquin and Timmermans. HORAL is the High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers a non-profit organisation that represents gueuze producers in the Payottenland and the Valley of the Senne in Belgium.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Just a forewarning…open slowly! The caging was literally the only thing keeping the cork in the bottle! It pours a bold amber hue with a fizzy thumb of head. Steady reduction and minimal lace as we imbibe.

Aroma: As classic as traditional Lambic could be…ultra funked up, sour apple/cider, lemon juice, white vinegar, stanky cheese cave, unripened peach, white grapes and what we can only describe as pure lactic acid. Some floral perfumes also getting amongst it. Getting that crystalized sugary sweetness which reminds us of lemon sherbet. Big love!

Flavour: Oh wow the sourness is much more restrained than we anticipated…it’s actually more funky than it is sour. We get horse blanket, cheese cave, yeast esters, crisp sour apple and or cider front and center. Unripened stonefruit i.e nectarine, peach skins along with lemon sherbet as a customary late arrival to finish.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, frothy, light on. It’s very highly carbonated, akin to champagne at times. The 7% ABV goes largely unnoticed. Pucker rating…hhmm…a 3/5 we reckon.

Overall: The idea that 8 of the worlds best Lambic producers would get together to brew one amazing beer is enough to wet out pants. The fact that it (expectedly) comes through is even better. We have one question though…where the hell is Cantillon?!

“For this Artista Zynergia project – we went to work with Hanssens Artisanaal. Hanses is one of the last remaining lambic blender in Belgium. Oudilis is our interpretation of a “Belgian style Gueuze” with a slight tweak. No two blends will taste the same!“

Glassware: Teku

Appearance: Golden yellow complexion and a heavy haze. Minimal head and what’s produced quickly collapsed. Hardly any lace as we go.

Aroma: There’s one major difference between the 2 best Lambic brewing countries in the world – Belgium and USA – with the latter being slightly more boisterous. The classic stonefruits jump out initially i.e peach, apricot and green mango along with strong notes of oak, candied lemon, sour apple and white grape. Quite a strong funky-ness happening as well. Brilliant.

Flavour: She comes on pretty sour. Some white vinegar and acidic lemon with the gorgeous peach and apricot in the back seat. Candied lemon and lime, white grape, French oak and then sherbet late in the piece. Real zingy finish with plenty of funk and wheat grains on the outer.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, sharp, acidic. Mild-medium body. The pucker rating gets an easy 4/5. Only 5.2% ABV as Lambic’s traditionally are.

Overall: That’s a damn fine drop, and quite a complex one too. The bottle says it’s a blend of 2 year old Lambic and Berliner Weisse aged in Chardonnay barrels for 8 months. We get every bit of it. Outstanding.

“Made with 30% raspberries from the Payottenland, and 5% sour cherries. In commemoration of the late Gaston Debelder, founder of 3 Fonteinen.”

Glassware: Teku

Appearance: Murky, light claret with a wispy head which quickly retreats to the rim. Minimal lace as it subsides.

Aroma: Smells absolutely incredible. Sour cherry eat your heart out! Pronounced raspberry tartness, strong vinegar and acetic lemon/lime juice, medicinal berry notes, damp oak, peach skins and earthy apricot. There’s a bit of a tannic quality coming through as well. Dead set that is world class. Phenomenal aroma.

Flavour: Hot damn she’s sour! The young Lambic base is throwing up some decent sweetness to counteract it though. Tonnes of sour cherry and raspberry (among other berries), red wine vinegar, tannins, zesty lemon/lime, subtle wheat grains and hay/straw. Not a whole lot of barrel character as it finishes with lots of old fruit and plenty of funk!

Mouthfeel: Quite sharp and acetic. Fairly light on. The pucker rating gets a well deserved 4/5. Mineraly texture. Co2 is bang on target.

Overall: Very impressive. We’ve come to the realization that 3F are as good (if not better than) Cantillon. Maybe because it’s much more readily available it doesn’t enjoy the rarity factor that Cantillon has. Anywho, this is a bloody corker.

“The De Troch Lambics are brewed by age-od methods which depend on spontaneous fermentation. The wort is cooled in shallow, open-air vats (coolships) which exposes the brew to micro-organisms giving Lambic its unique flavour. After this process the ale is aged in casks for at least a year completing the spontaneous fermentation process.”

 Glassware: Teku

Appearance: Reasonably clear golden amber with little head formation. Loose bubble sits at the rim yet still manages a frosted lace down the glass.

Aroma: Intense lemon peel, sour apple and white wine vinegar. Some white pepper, musty barrels and cider-like tartness also coming through. Earthy notes here and there…kinda feeding in to the farmyard funk, grainy wheat and straw at the same time. A hint of stonefruit too – melon, apricot and peach. Top shelf stuff.

Flavour: Kicks off with vigorous salty sourness. Sour lemon, white wine vinegar, yellow grapefruit/rind and sweaty/Brett funk. The musty barrels mix with a bit of crusty white bread midway which leads to a mildly acidic finish with a hint of pink peppercorns and yeasty apple/pear on the close.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry and acidic with moderate tannins. Pretty light on. Flat-ish Co2. Pucker rating hits a decent 3.5/5.

Overall: As much as we loved the aroma the palate was a little unbalanced. Quite sharp and at times astringent…brought on even more by the strong peppery finish. Would have liked a bit more spritz too just a tad too flat for our liking. Not bad.

“Oud Beersel Oude Geuze is one of nature’s miracles. Oude Geuze is a blend of lambic from different years. One year old lambic is still readily fermentable. Two year old and three year old lambic main contribution is to the taste. Blending the lambic produces a sparkling beer that is made in accordance with time-honoured traditions. Oud Beersel Oude Geuze notable hop and fruit character is much appreciated by beer fans.”

Glassware: Teku

Appearance: Amber with a soft haze. It forms a short head which snaps back to the rim. Reasonable lace as it ebbs.

Aroma: Totally on point. Reeks of sour apple, lemon peel, peach skins, unripened apricot/kumquat, sweaty funk, acidic lacto sourness and brilliantly blended barrel complexity. It has that lemon warhead quality which means two things: these guys know what they’re doing and the first sip is gonna be sour AF! Bring it on.

Flavour: Yep…sour AF! All of the same elements as the nose – sharp and acidic lacto sourness, lemon peel, sour apple, unripened stonefruits and sweaty barnyard funk. Getting hints of that manky cheese as well. Lime juice also rocking up late. Nice and fruity roll on in to the finish which provides faint sour fruits for days.

Mouthfeel: Sharp and acidic with plenty of bite. Lifted Co2. Pucker rating gets a well deserved 4/5. 6.5% ABV certainly adds to the feisty texture.

Overall: That has hit the spot! We were in need of a hard hitting Lambic and it has come through big time. This is our first crack at Oud Beersel too. Impressed!

“A golden peach lambic with a sparkling appearance and fruity taste.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Translucent amber complexion with a short fizzy head. It gradually reduced to a halo with patchy lace in its wake.

Aroma: Peach city! And not a whole lot else really. As it settles it broadens out a bit and yields hints of ripe mango, apricot and rockmelon. Maybe a flutter of papaya and lychee creeping in as well. Much like the Kriek and Framboise in that there’s very minimal sourness with a faint oak note buried deep. Smells a bit like those peach flavoured soda’s by Bundaberg.

Flavour: Tell ya what if we were parched and got handed one of these we’d be having a tough time not skulling the whole bottle. The peach tastes fresh as and that super mild sourness balances out the sweetness of the fruit. The peach turns a bit candied late in the piece and finishes with an array of stonefruit – peach, melon, mango etc.

Mouthfeel: Light on with a beautifully spritzy Co2. Mild body but enough to keep it from being watery.

Overall: This would go perfectly as a digestif after a really rich meal. The lightly sour, spritzy and sweet nature would also reset the palate nicely (and even bring on a belch or two!). Not bad.

“A clean natural tasting brew with undertones of fresh raspberries and a wonderful aroma.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Kinda hard to call it. It’s a deep purple-ish sangria looking number with a wispy deep pink coloured head. Some spotty lace sticks as we imbibe.

Aroma: Smells almost exactly the same as the Kriek we reviewed last week. Apple and blackcurrant juice with lashings of raspberry pulp, macerated cherry, strawberry and dry woody oak. Very delicate hints of vanilla, Ribena and even a trace of red grape juice in the mix. Very interesting beers these Belgian fruited Lambics.

Flavour: We’d have to admit this is pretty delicious…in a slightly sour, slightly boozy fire engine sense. It’s just straight up raspberry juice with a very faint sourness which all but disappears by the mid palate. Faint oak characters, mixed berries and currants too but it practically finishes how it starts… raspberry and more raspberry.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, a little frothy but ultimately light and refreshing. Only 2.5% so you could drink 6 of these and still be good to drive!

Overall: If we had to choose between this and the Kriek we’d be reaching for this. It seems to have more going on plus there was a bit more of a finish to it. Good for the novelty factor but we can’t see ourselves returning any time soon.

“Framboise Boon is a traditional Belgian Lambic fruit-beer. It is brewed according to the traditional Lambic style of spontaneous fermentation. Only fresh raspberries (25%) and wildcherries (5%)are used for this Lambic beer. Framboise Boon is the missing link between beer and wine and is served chilled in flute glasses. NO artificial sweeteners, flavourings, preservatives or colouring agents. Brewed in Lembeek, the village that gave Lambic its name.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Really intriguing…kind of looks like Ribena but cloudier and slightly darker. It forms a wispy off white head which falls away quite quickly. Leaves a wavy lace as it subsides.

Aroma: Ridiculously juicy. Smells a bit like apple and blackcurrant juice but less sugary and more pulpy. The Lambic component is very delicate, maybe a very mild lacto sourness but it’s buried real deep. The mess of raspberry, cherry, blackcurrant and strawberry is totally dominant although there is a flutter of oak coming through too. Very interesting.

Flavour: More of a fruit beer than a Lambic. There’s a very mild sourness initially but it fades in to tart and sweet berries – mostly raspberry with a touch of cherry and blackcurrant. Certainly pick up a bit more barrel character on the palate with its dry and slightly aged notes. Then it all literally drops off a cliff with barely even a flavour on the back palate.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth, light on and shy on the sourness. Pucker rating gets a measly 1.5/5. Flat-ish Co2. 5% ABV is traditionally on point.

Overall: It’s funny how Cantillon and 3F’s Framboise are super sour but Boon’s is much more of a fruit beer. We’d have to admit we could almost drink this as breakfast juice. It needs that sharper sourness in our opinion.

“Blend of lambics aged 18 to 20 months and of Bergeron apricots. Very fragrant gourmet beer which perfectly brings across the flavours of Bergeron apricots.”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Golden amber with a mild haze. It whips up a frothy white head which swells to a cm before it settles to a wispy overlay. Excellent lace as we go.

Aroma: One word pops in to our head…exquisite! The apricots stand out but it’s nicely balanced by a strong musty oak and light floral perfumes. The sourness has been really well disguised – softened by the subtle earthy notes, candied lemon and tart white grapes which give it a champagne-like character. Hints of brown leather, peach and aniseed deep down in there too. Absolutely superb!

Flavour: It kicks off with quite a dry lactic sourness…displaying lots of barrel character along with the hallmark white wine and sour apple. The somewhat sweet yet tart apricots constantly there in the background. Peach and other unripened stonefruits then carry a lovely barnyard funk in to the dry, spicy and oaky finish.

Mouthfeel: Sparkling texture…boosted by a vibrant co2 and a relatively lean body. Nicely balanced acidity so the pucker rating sits at a doable 3/5. It’s a rather approachable number!

Overall: Well Fou certainly carries on the Cantillon tradition of faultless sours. Once again displaying feature fruits with pin point precision. Top shelf stuff.

“Vintage lambic. All the beers are from the same brewing season and mature in barrels for three years. Beer with a highly complex structure that has a wine-like and somewhat oxidised taste, the slightly acidic structures mingling with more mellow aspects. Powerful yet elegant, Bruocsella can be considered the missing link between the worlds of wine and beer. Since there is no secondary fermentation in the bottle Bruocsella is a flat, non-sparkling beer.”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Clear amber colour with minimal head and scarce lace as we go. It actually looks like apple juice in the glass.

Aroma: Tangy and slightly acidic apple cider-like notes with buttery chardonnay, sugar crusted apricots, candied lime and sour apple. Very mild hints of vinegar and barnyard working through the subtle woody oak. A flutter of that good old manky cheese getting amongst it too. Brilliant depth to this nose.

Flavour: Tart citrus i.e lemon and lime, straw and other farmyard grains, white wine and a soft peppery spice. It develops a bit of yeast derived esters such as apple and pear which set up for a kind of funky fruity finish with woody spice and manky cheese drawing out on the back palate.

Mouthfeel: Light on, dry, musty, mineraly….even a tad watery at times. It’s flat as a tack as well! Only 5% AbV. Almost wine-like.

Overall: It’s basically a sour wine. The concept itself is very intriguing…somewhat blurring the lines between wine and beer. We’d love to have a cellar full of this just to see how it would age as well as how it would pair with white wine loving dishes like shellfish, other seafood and white meats.

“Blend of rhubarb with one and two year-old Lambic. Beer with a tangy and fruity taste. A slight astringency accentuates its subtlety and its end note. Long conservation beer, with an evolving taste.”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Peachy gold with a healthy cover of dense foam. The head holds together well and decorates the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: Smells magnificent! Full of acetic lemon, stonefruit, white wine barrels, soft spicy notes and yeasty funk. The rhubarb is pretty subtle but still offers a bit of its distinct tart citrus and herbal characters. Also getting a cucumber and or unripened honeydew tone as well. It just keeps on evolving! We could go on for days as there’s a new scent every time we take a whiff.

Flavour: Holy moly it does everything we want it to do…nice gentle sourness upfront rolling in to ripe grapefruit and lemon, straw, white grapes and apple. Hardly any manky funk to it…maybe a hint of yeasty spice and horse blanket but it finishes rather clean and somewhat grassy with a delicate dryness.

Mouthfeel: Light on, spritzy, mineraly. Super refreshing! 5.5% AbV is spot on. Mild-moderate body.

Overall: So it’s said that this beer is the head brewers wife’s favourite beer. Her name is Nathalie and she’s a kindergarten teacher (hence the children’s drawing on the label). We could only imagine being the kid who drew it…what a claim to fame! He’ll be the envy of his mates when they’re all of drinking age! Anywho, that’s a brilliant drop.

“Blend of lambics aged on average 16 to 18 months and of Muscat grapes. Muscat grapes make Vigneronne a delicate and very refreshing beer that, due to the fructose, is slightly less acidic than other Cantillon beers.”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Hazy golden orange complexion. It forms a short head which quickly retreats to the rim. Some patchy lace as we indulge.

Aroma: One word…brilliant. we love how they’ve blurred the lines between beer and wine here. On one hand it’s like a slightly dry Moscato then the punchy lemon, oak and apricot arrives. Just a hint of white vinegar, barnyard funk and a bit of that manky old dirty sock character. So wrong yet so right!

Flavour: Very interesting. Certainly isn’t as sour as the rest of their range. There’s a quick cameo of acetic lemon and lacto funk initially but it’s quickly enveloped by freshly squeezed white grape juice, pear/apple and dry musty farmyard grain/spices. Lots of adjunct flavours on the palate as it finishes crisp and light with a mild lingering tartness.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat dry, tannic, spritzy. Well balanced acidity to sweetness. Nicely concealed AbV of 6.5% too we might add. It just exudes class.

Overall: These guys are just simply in tune with what they’re brewing and the six-pointed star on the strip confirms it. They describe each point of the star as a representation of the brewing process – fire (mash tun), earth (cereals), air (yeasts) and water. They just friggen love what they do which makes them so easy to love back!

“Blend of lambics produced during different years. Beer with a slightly acidic and fruity taste, delicate and woody fragrance and a dry finish that lingers on the palate. Beer with taste evolution that will keep for a long time in a good cellar.”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Lovely golden orange display. It forms a wispy head which manages a decent lace considering the lack of retention.

Aroma: We’re getting lots of candied lemon, dry musty funk, oak, straw and other farmyard grains. Quite zingy actually – lime zest, grapefruit and white grapes really make it pop. It certainly isn’t short on manky-ness either…cheese cave, subtle sweaty notes and horse blanket all here as well. Classic Cantillon!

Flavour: Offers good levels of acidity with a gentle puckering sourness. Tart lemons, straw and earthy farmyard are supported by a light woody oak character. Hints of peppery spice albeit very subtle moving in to the well balanced finish of tart lemon, oak and white grapes. Fairly good length to it as well.

Mouthfeel: Rather light on. Nicely rounded though and extremely well poised on the palate. Mild co2.

Overall: There’s one thing that it isn’t…and that’s too sour! It’s actually quite an approachable gueuze. Whether that has anything to do with this being the 2016 vintage we’re unsure but it really is a smooth and pleasant drop.

“Blend of 1, 2, and 3 year old lambics. A true Geuze – a blend of 1, 2, and 3 year-old lambic, unfiltered and unpasteurized, and aged in the bottle for at least a year after blending. Refermentation in the bottle gives this Geuze its famous champagne-like spritziness. The lambic that goes into it is brewed only with 60% barley malt, 40% unmalted wheat, aged hops, and water, spontaneously fermented by wild yeasts, and matured in oak casks.”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Bold amber with a lacto haze. It constructs a thumb of white head which persists and leaves a healthy lace trail as we hook in.

Aroma: It’s mostly a mix of freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice, candied orange and tangerine with shades of mandarin and grapefruit also getting a look in. The funky notes start to take shape as it settles – we get a rubbery note along with musty oak, tangy esters and a herbal spice…lemongrass or mint perhaps? Funktastic!

Flavour: It opens with a burst of acetic lemon and lime, grapefruit, grainy malts and musty oak. Remains dry through the mid…thought we may have picked up a hint of Northwest American hop flavour and bitterness there as well. There’s a late injection of this citrusy herb-like character which leads in to the dry, musty, woody and citric finish.

Mouthfeel: Bone dry with a vibrant effervescence. Quite light on actually. The 6% AbV comes in and out intermittently.

Overall: Not as overcome by it as we had anticipated. In all honesty we’re still fairly new to the geuze game and at this point we’d say we fancy the juicy, fruit-driven Lambic and kriek styles over this. We’re not saying it’s bad one bit it’s just not our preferred type of sour.

“Spontaneous fermentation beer produced using only pale-ale type malt. Iris brings together two elements that were very present in our beers until the middle of the 20th century : the acidity produced by spontaneous fermentation and the bitterness resulting from the use of fresh hops followed by cold hopping.”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Slightly hazy amber with a cm of finely beaded foam perched on top. The head fades to a wispy film which leaves a wet lace drag as it ebbs.

Aroma: Dry, musty and a little spicy. A fair bit of acetic lemon, candied citrus, unripened stonefruit, apricot and woody oak tannins balanced by slightly earthy funk and subtle caramel sweetness. Picking up a very unique scent of cheese and crackers…we say unique because somehow it incorporates both! Hops are rather herbal and certainly coming through a lot more than previous Cantillon beers we’ve had.

Flavour: Again quite dry and musty, acetic and grainy with a hint of alcohol warmth coming through. White grape juice, woody oak, barnyard funk and peppery spice moving in to bitter grapefruit, lemon peel and green apple late in the piece. The finish is dry, herbal and woody with excellent length on the rear.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and drying but much smoother than previous styles. Moderate co2 with a slightly higher and more pronounced AbV (6.5%). Medium acidity.

Overall: Easily the driest and most hoppy beer we’ve had from Cantillon. This could certainly have something to do with its maturity though – it was bottled this year and could do with some aging. That said though it’s still a highly enjoyable, balanced and refreshing drop.

“Mortal wood represents the continued efforts of Phantom Carriage to craft and hone its sour, barrel-aged beer program. This beer is a melange of aged lambic-style ales that were finished in white wine barrels and then blended to give a complex and layered flavour profile.”

Glassware: Stemmed Tulip.

Appearance: Pale gold with a light haze. The pour generates a thumb of fizzy white head which quickly snaps back to the edges. Very minimal lace as we tuck in.

Aroma: Smells of old and musty wine barrels, white grape juice, peppery spice, candied lemon peel and aged white vinegar. Hints of dried apricot and unripe peach also coming through. Loving how the sour/cheesy funk is very well tempered and nicely offset by the complex barrel characters. Fine aroma.

Flavour: Pleasantly follows the nose with musty wine barrels and a slightly heavier pronunciation on pithy lime juice and lemon rind. Dry peppery spice and very subtle vinegar through the mid shifts in to the bone dry finish which offers candied citrus, pear and white grapes on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Very champagne-like with its delicate sparkle and light dry texture. Mild-medium body. 6%AbV.

Overall: We found this to be a fairly approachable sour, easily our favourite Phantom Carriage beer so far. Well structured, balanced and effortless over the tongue. Solid drop.