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.
Beer Ratings and Reviews:
[1] Review by Phishpond417 from Madtown, Wisc, USA who has tried this beer once. (9/13/2008 11:32:59 AM)
"This was worth all $6: Pours a cloudy orange with a huge white head. Lots of carbonation, spritzy in the mouthfeel. Tart, lemon, citrusy flavors. Aroma is of fermented apples, hops and wet hay. Taste is dry, with sour fruits, grass, short bursts of hops and raisins. It was definately unique. "
Aroma:
7/10
Appearance:
8/10
Mouthfeel:
8/10
Flavor:
8/10
Overall:
8/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(3.9)
Sampled: Forced Draught Sample Size: 16oz @ $6 Unit Cost: $6 per Pint
[2] Review by Mingo51 from Mingo Jct, OH, USA who has tried this beer once. (3/22/2008 11:48:09 PM)
"Vintage 2005 This beer poured with a cloudy dark orange body topped off by a towering slightly off white head that went down quickly while still leaving a small amount of lace down the sides of the glass. The aroma is very woody with some nuts, funk, sour apple, and hoppy tones coming through as well. Mouthfeel is medium bodied tart and slightly oily. The flavor starts off with a suprisingly strong woody flavor which then leads into intense sour apple and tart citrus flavors with a musty earthy tone and hoppy flavor lasting through out. A very interesting beer worth the hefty pricetage."
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
8/10
Mouthfeel:
7/10
Flavor:
9/10
Overall:
8/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4)
Sampled: Bottle Sample Size: 25.4oz @ $16.99 Unit Cost: $10.7 per Pint
[3] Review by cheapdark from Monacatootha, PA, USA who has tried this beer once. (1/16/2008 5:31:20 PM)
"Just got this from hopscotch, THANKS! Big Green champagne 2005 corked bottle with a cork that was difficult to remove. My first blended lambic. Lambic beers symbolize the epitome of the beer world, the original style beer is still the best style. As far as looks go, this is some what like cloudy pink brown yellow reminiscent of raspberry gingerale. The smell is a tart aroma, which I think I can smell it even before the slowly moving cork is totally removed. Raw unrefined odors abound. With the first taste I notice perfect amounts of tingle on the palate. Taste is beautiful tartness that is tempered by a goodly amount of what I dare to say is grapefruit rinds. However, it is not the medicinal dull bitterness of typical hops, it is more rough and simple, or possibly the word I’m looking for is basic. Overall, I’m surprised lambics can be so hoppy, I rather didn’t expect such bitterness in a sour beer. Left me with the impression of coarse fresh grapefruit juice from grapefruits that were not really ripe. The hoppiness distracted me a bit from the real sour tart attributes I desire and this kept me from rating it really high. Even tho this was a big bottle, I got to the bottom of it with very little effort, it was gone and I was sad.
"
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
9/10
Mouthfeel:
9/10
Flavor:
7/10
Overall:
9/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4.2)
Value of this beer for its style: Not Sure Compared to this brewer's other beers: Not Sure
[4] Review by lenusik from Toronto, Canada who has tried this beer once. (12/1/2007 11:27:17 PM)
"I tried this with a friend around Hallowe'en. He had been saving this bottle since 2005. The beer was a hazy orange colour. The bouquet was amazing. A little of this, a little of that. Very tantalizing. Hops providing a floral bouquet that was balanced out with citrusy notes. The flavour was a balance between the bitterness of the hops and citrus tones. The finish was rather unpleasant. "
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
7/10
Mouthfeel:
5/10
Flavor:
5/10
Overall:
5/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(3)
Sampled: Bottle
Value of this beer for its style: Not Sure
[5] Review by oh6gdx from Vaasa, Finland who has tried this beer once. (3/30/2007 1:06:32 AM)
"A bit hazy, orange colour with small white head. Sour fruits in aroma with some nutty hints. Flavour is quite the same. A quite wellbalanced Cantillon. Finally I managed to find an unblended lambic, this has been the final missing beer style for a while ..."
Aroma:
7/10
Appearance:
6/10
Mouthfeel:
8/10
Flavor:
7/10
Overall:
7/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(3.5)
Sampled: Bottle
Value of this beer for its style: Not Sure
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Review this Beer:
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(3.9)
