Session # 175
Cantillon | Classic Gueuze
Gueuze | Brussels, Belgium | 5% ABV

One year ago: Lost Abbey Angel’s Share (Bourbon)

There are lots of sours out there, and there are lots of sub-styles of sours. The most intense of them is the Gueuze, a blend of three different years of Lambics. For those who love the sourest of sours, this style epitomizes greatness. Today’s beer from Cantillon called Classic Gueuze is just that – classic. The name even says so. It was a beautiful straw yellow color out of the glass with virtually perfect clarity. The soft soapy white head disappeared within seconds before filling the room with a sour lemon and funky character. It was soon followed by some green apple and a touch of oak. I could describe the flavor as the exact same characters, so I will. While I didn’t enjoy it as much as the Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze, this was definitely a classic Gueuze and one you should find if you want to truly understand what the style is like. Rating: 93/100

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Listening To: Dead Meadow “That Old Temple”



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Welcome back peoples! This week we will be focusing on one of my favorite berries – the raspberry. As I was looking at my beer collection one night trying to come up with a new idea for this week, I noticed that I had a few beers that had raspberry in them. Seemed like a pretty fun thing to have on the show, mainly because the three I’ve chosen are all very different in style and flavor (though all have a raspberry focus). I’m also excited about the next three sessions because the weather has just been phenomenal, and what better time to celebrate raspberries? First up is a Fruit Lambic called Rosé De Gambrinus from the one and only Cantillon. They are probably the most recognizable brewery making Lambic beers today. I also seem to get requests to review them fairly regularly. So here it is — a beautiful beer with an even more amazing label. Yes I’m a sucker for labels and packaging. As soon as the first drop hits the glass you are met with the most beautiful raspberry color and very nice light pink head. But what you don’t know is that it smells nothing like what you’d expect. This one is Cantillon through and through. It’s tart, funky, and has only a faint touch of raspberry. The flavor is also exactly as you’d expect. In fact, this tastes a lot like the other Cantillon beers. What you’re not going to find, however, is a bunch of sugary sweetness. This is not a Lindeman’s Framboise or raspberry wheat beer meant to be consumed by the masses; it’s definitely for the diehard Lambic folks. In the end I feel this is a very strong way to start raspberry week on The Hopry. My advice on this one is to buy a couple and hide one in the basement for a few years to see what happens. That’s what I’ll be doing…

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Wilco “Country Disappeared”



Brewery: Cantillon
Beer: Rosé de Gambrinus
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Location: Brussels, Belgium
ABV: 5%
Rating: 94/100

You may or may not know this, but the city of Brussels, Belgium uses the Iris as its symbol. You may or may not know this, also, that one of my twin daughters is named Iris. Well both are true and this episode is dedicated to her. Guess I’ll now go pick up that bottle of Baladin Nora I saw not too long ago and review it for my daughter, Nora. But this specific bottle of Cantillon, in particular, was actually a surprise for me. Gueuze, somewhat similar to a lambic, are typically a blend of one, two, and three year old beers, and present some pretty funky and sour flavor profiles. This is because they are produced by spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts like lactobacillus, pediococcus, and brettanomyces. Iris, however, is not a blend like the traditional gueuze. In fact, it is brewed and then aged in oak barrels for two years before bottling. Just before bottling, there is a second round of hops that are added to give this beer a touch more bitterness and flavor, which I am quite fond of to be honest with you. It seems to take the “punch” off the sourness. If you’ve not had a lambic before, I can’t tell you I highly recommend them. They are a different breed altogether. Unless of course you are someone who likes to be adventurous with beer. If that’s the case, you may just be a fan. If not, at least you can say you tried. Anyway, I love you, Iris!!!

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Vivian Girls

Brewery: Cantillon
Beer: Iris (2007 Vintage)
Style: Lambic – Unblended
Location: Brussels, Belgium
ABV: 5%
Rating: 90/100