Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:03 am
I really like Cantillon Gueuze, and I enjoy a lot of sour beers. Like all beer styles there are good and bad sour beers on the market. I think some sour beer fans are a little too quick to worship anything that is sour. No offense here guys, I just think that it's important to taste these beers somewhat critically, just as you would any other beer style.
So last night was my birthday and after a great meal of BBQ, beers and bourbon at Fette Sau in Brooklyn, Aquariumdrinker, my girlfriend and I went across the street to Spuyten Duyvil. They never erase the beers that they don't actually have, so you have to ask for like 3 things before you actually find a beer they have in stock.
Finally we got our 3rd choice: Cantillon Vigneronne made with Muscat grapes. It poured with a wonderful hazy pale glow, and a thick head which dissipated with time. The aroma was not very grapey as I had expected. Quite honestly I would say the aroma was bad. There was a very forward a plasticy phenol thing, and another aroma I can only describe as dirty baby diaper. It did not have the wonderful sour/fruity aroma and horsey brett character that makes lambics so beautiful. The flavor was not so bad, but I literally had to hold my breath every time I stuck my nose in the glass for a drink! I assume this beer was not mishandled, so I am a little miffed because I think Cantillon did not do such a great job on this beer.
Sorry for bitching, but I just wanted to say that while I enjoy sour beers, and I understand what they are supposed to taste like, I don't think they are all worth their weight in gold, and I personally didn't enjoy this one.