Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella

[sacrelicio]

A friend of mine brought back some Loons for me, including the Grand Cru Bruocsella. I looked it up on Cantillon's website and they recommended aging it, and that it would take on white wine flavors, similar to a white Burgundy or a vintage champagne. I like it fresh, but I'd love to see what it does over time. Anyone have experience aging this?

 

[tehzachatak]

SeaWatchman

 

[HenrikO]

In my limited experience it does take on a more vinous character when aged, yes. A year should do it, what happens after that is anybody's or SeaWatchman's guess.

 

[SeaWatchman]

I'm mobile right now but will try to type up an actual response later today.

 

[drgarage1]

I had a 6-year-old bottle not long ago. It definitely had some oaky Chardonnay character. If anything, it was far less sour than when new.

 

[mrk_d]

Curious to hear more about this subject - I've only had one bottle of GCB but it was a top 3 Cantillon for me at a pretty young age. Wonder if I should hang onto an incoming bottle for a while to see it develop these vinous characteristics...

 

[Dunt1]

Don't drink it short of 10 years. Sers.

 

[sacrelicio]

Don't drink it short of 10 years. Sers.

Yeah, I'll hang onto it, and maybe try to get more so I can try it at different intervals.

 

[sacrelicio]

Curious to hear more about this subject - I've only had one bottle of GCB but it was a top 3 Cantillon for me at a pretty young age. Wonder if I should hang onto an incoming bottle for a while to see it develop these vinous characteristics...

I'm surprised how low the ratings are and how little demand there is for it...I think it's awesome, but then again I prefer sour beers that aren't crazy sour and this fits the bill nicely. Unfortunately my buddy who went to Cantillon opened his only bottle on Friday so he can't experiment.

 

[tinypyramids1]

I'm surprised how low the ratings are and how little demand there is for it...I think it's awesome, but then again I prefer sour beers that aren't crazy sour and this fits the bill nicely. Unfortunately my buddy who went to Cantillon opened his only bottle on Friday so he can't experiment.

i think a lot of it is the lack of carb. flat lambic, while true to style, isn't exactly an easy drinker.

i'm sitting on a bottle i picked up in around 2011 and i'm not sure when i'll open it.

 

[SeaWatchman]

So... Bruocsella. I developed a weird obsession with this beer after Forgetfu and I opened a 1996 vintage (1999 cork) dated bottle a couple years ago at a pre-Zwanze Day tasting. My experience with Bruocsella up to that point had been the same as pretty much everyone else: WTF. The flat, often minimally soured, sometimes watery lambic inside is tough to get through if you're used to super carbonated gueuzes. It definitely does have a lot of oakiness to it when it's fresh, but it's still really developing IMO. That 1996/99 bottle we opened up was nothing short of amazing and probably one of the best lambics I've ever had. It was completely carbonated (not to the point of gueuze, but definitely noticeable) and had a really deep oaky, cereal, faintly funky note to it. I've since opened up a few older bottles that were starting to develop the same characteristics. So while I do enjoy this beer fresh, I am sitting on about 20 bottles from various years and bottling dates for a long time. The oldest I currently have is a 2003 cork that when shake up shows a ton of carbonation. It does come off a bit Chardonnay like I suppose, so I can see where people get that.

 

[xscottypx]

your obsession may have triggered mine. i have had it a few times, last was a 2007 bottle a few years ago. it was heavy, dank, and young. i loved it though. i thought it was vastly underrated. so now i have been attempting to stock up on some.

 

[sacrelicio]

i think a lot of it is the lack of carb. flat lambic, while true to style, isn't exactly an easy drinker.

i'm sitting on a bottle i picked up in around 2011 and i'm not sure when i'll open it.

I think it's easier to drink since it's not so sour. I can see hardcore lambic heads not liking it as much, but I'd think the average craft beer drinker or wine aficionado would dig it.

 

[xscottypx]

i have a thing for straight lambic, the depth to it is so amazing.

 

[SeaWatchman]

i have a thing for straight lambic, the depth to it is so amazing.

I gained a new appreciation for unblended lambic going to Toer de Geuze last year

 

[JoeBacillus]

We just opened an '07, it was awful

 

[SeaWatchman]

We just opened an '07, it was awful

 

[HeadytheElder]

I just drank one fresh recently and loved it. So complex and flavorful. The lack of carbonation didn't bother me, but I was expecting it to not be carbed.

If I had to guess, I'd say a lot of the lower reviews have to do with people being taken aback by the lack of carbonation.

I'm looking forward to aging one.

 

[wyatt1]

i had a 2013 two weeks ago and it was one of my favorite beer of all time. i prefer it over fou and st lam.

i happen to get one a few days ago and i plan to cellar it for many years to see what happens.

 

[sacrelicio]

I just drank one fresh recently and loved it. So complex and flavorful. The lack of carbonation didn't bother me, but I was expecting it to not be carbed.

If I had to guess, I'd say a lot of the lower reviews have to do with people being taken aback by the lack of carbonation.

I'm looking forward to aging one.

I think I have another coming so bombs away on aging

 

[ASUBeer]

I love grand cu with food. The flatness makes it drink like a wine.

Damn I need more grand Cru in my life.

 

[Ray1]

I love grand cu with food. The flatness makes it drink like a wine.

Damn I need more grand Cru in my life.

What does it usually take to trade for one? Do they ever make it to the states for purchase, or only available overseas?

 

[wyatt1]

I picked up a bottle last week. This is the first time in 5 years I have seen it in the states and I have seen Fou about 4 times.

 

[tinypyramids1]

What does it usually take to trade for one? Do they ever make it to the states for purchase, or only available overseas?

it makes it stateside. it's a strange bottle in that it's not especially rare, but there's really only two kinds of people that have it:

1) real lambic heads that know exactly what they have and are purposely aging it for flavour development for a long time. without a stupid offer, you're not likely to pry it from these people.
2) people who saw 'hey, a cantillon!' and pick it up, expecting to pull whales. i would expect GCB to actually trade from these people for something like HF growlers, or, really, anything a 'shelf' loon trades for.

 

[HeadytheElder]

What does it usually take to trade for one? Do they ever make it to the states for purchase, or only available overseas?

There was definitely a shipment that just made it to the states within the past few weeks. It was the first time I've ever seen it.

According to the database of Cantillon bottles ( http://tinyurl.com/CantillonBottleList ), it appears 2009 may have been the last time it was officially sent to the US.

 

[Dsal891]

Oldest I have is a 2009 cork and on up to the most recent vintage. Still need a 2008 label vintage

 

[Podunkparte]

Bottleworks in Seattle recently had 2001 bottles for sale. $165 IIRC.

Pass

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

Bottleworks in Seattle recently had 2001 bottles for sale. $165 IIRC.

Pass

From everything I have read their cellar is magical. As in you place a bottle in there for a one or several years and the price magically jumps anywhere from 3-10 times original cost.

 

[ASUBeer]

Bottleworks in Seattle recently had 2001 bottles for sale. $165 IIRC.

Pass

That's pricey but I'm pretty sure I'd buy a bottle to tick/share. I'd rather spend that amount of money on 14 year old lambic than brand new Framboos.

 

[tinypyramids1]

That's pricey but I'm pretty sure I'd buy a bottle to tick/share. I'd rather spend that amount of money on 14 year old lambic than brand new Framboos.

i would do the exact same thing, maybe splitting one to help with the sting.

 

[wyatt1]

This is the most / only underrated Cantillon.

 

[drgarage1]

This is the most / only underrated Cantillon.

Largely because it tastes so long to taste good. I've had bottles six years past cork date that were clearly not yet ready.

 

[wyatt1]

Oh yeah. My bad. It is terrible.

 

[kevanb]

it makes it stateside. it's a strange bottle in that it's not especially rare, but there's really only two kinds of people that have it:

1) real lambic heads that know exactly what they have and are purposely aging it for flavour development for a long time. without a stupid offer, you're not likely to pry it from these people.
2) people who saw 'hey, a cantillon!' and pick it up, expecting to pull whales. i would expect GCB to actually trade from these people for something like HF growlers, or, really, anything a 'shelf' loon trades for.

I traded a fresh one for a Bligh's Barleywine once, no ragrets