Cantillon Loerik
A Loerik ("lazy" in Brussel dialect) is a blend of Lambics that is intended to be Gueuze (so usually 1-2-3 year blend), but for some reason takes longer than normal to ferment in the bottle or doesn't ferment at all. Similar to 3 Fonteinen's Doesjel.
4.1
190 reviews
Brussels, Belgium
Community reviews
@ A day to sink all seasheppards, Thnx for sharing !!! Pours unclear blonde, very small ring of white foam. Smell is super intense on funk and oak. taste is intense, funk, oak, brett. Typical cantillon, in all the foog ways. Funky grainyness, but in a super-complex balance. Good MF . Has gotten soft carbo at this time. Very nice !
Pours a nice golden straw color and most bottles I’ve had have been nicely carbonated. It’s an interesting beer and is quite different from a regular gueuze. Worth tracking this one down but there is definitely some bottle variation at this point.
Bottle @ Pat’s. Thanks, Jer! Hazed golden-orange pour with a white head. Really citric and lemony. Funky mushroom and library books. Some damp straw, orange peel, and golden apple. Nice sourness to the flavor. A slight sweetness of orange marmalade and apple. Sour lemon and green grapes. A sort of musty funkiness and slight earthy quality. Sort of zesty.
Bottle thanks to Lulu, Shelton label. A very elegant beer. Nose is complex although a little oxidized. Beer the same.
This beer is so moderately acidic, and i dont find that in old lambic if it is not Cantillon. Perhaps above all on should speak of the elegance in the sourness that only comes with old Cantillon! An oxidation that makes one think of dusty cellar! The taste of green apple peel but a flavor the meat from red apples, complex is the least one can say!
Danke Lulu. Musky aroma with nice sourness. Slight oxidation which gives depth and keeps aromas of citrus and hay. Really an aroma you want to come back to and sit and smell for a while. Lovely complex flavor, simple but wow what a mouthfeel, in the beginning. Apples, citrus and lots of murky barnyard cellars. Long finish with a sour almost bitter finish. Although there is something in the after taste I dont really dig.
Considering Cantillon’s quality, it would be a shame to throw away geuze bottles that show a fermentation going to slowly, so those bottles were cleverly marketed as ’Loerik’, meaning something like ’lazybones’. A geuze Cantillon "in development", so to speak. Due to the slower than expected refermentation, this one stays softer and ’flatter’ than the fully developed geuze Cantillon, but otherwise the main character is the same. Great, in other words. Which probably partially explains why this has become something of a ’white whale’ now that it is no longer produced, I suppose.
Sampled at Denver Ghost Tasting, 10/13.. Clean bottle sourced from an old Belgian cellar- 1998 Cork -an extremely well preserved cork at that. Pours with a tinge of carbonation and a bright golden presence in my tulip. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Aromas of hay, grass and barnyard, along with some lemon rind dominate. Small head, minimal lacing, watered down oily presence in glass. Looks like perfection, and tastes even moreso like it. Its amazing- supreme balance of tartness and oak, along with a delicate subtle hint of oxidation. This bottle appears to have been aged under optimal, even near-perfect cellaring conditions. Not much tops this in terms of non-fruited Cantillon offerings, this is the pinnacle.
(backlog) Bottle. Golden pour with tan head. Big tart sour aroma, some funkiness, yeast and citrus tones. Flavor follows and has a smooth finish and after taste.
Bottle thanks to Matt, decanted and then poured into a Cantillon tulip. Pour is a mostly clear bright straw orange, with a finger of frothy eggshell head. Some lacing. Smell is bright, juicy lemon and a well balanced hay funk. Some earthiness. Taste is much of the same, with bright juicy lemon, mango, and peaches. Some cheese and a nice dose of minerally funk. Incredibly drinkable, with a nice tart lactic acid aspect. Finishes impeccably clean for a geuze this old. This was a great bottle, and lived up to its reputation
Wow, thank you Eric and God rest your soul Walt. Pours thick unclear amber orangish in color with a sandy colored head, ironically there is a head. Aroma and flavor both bring some sweet and tangy Belgian yeast with a decently dry ending bringing citrus puckering on the palate.
Bottle poured into a cantillon taster on 4/20/2013. I have been waiting a long time for this day to come. One of my biggest white whales has been beached..
Appearance. Bottle poured a hazy orange color with a thin line of head. good carbonation... its awake!
Nose- lemons and peach, with a moldy funky cheese, notes of soccer cleats but in a good way(dont know how that is possible but it is) grass funk & hay. One of the best smelling beers i have ever had
Taste- citrus notes mixed with barnyard funk. grapefruit and cheese. Lactic acid combined with a suttle earthiness probably attributed from the age of this fine geuze.
Overall- this totally lived up to the hype. One of the best beers, and beer experiences shared with some great guys!
Originally rated on 06-24-12. I’ve had this beer twice in the last month...yeah, that doesn’t suck. Both 750ml bottles into my go-to Narke tulip.
Pours a mirky golden yellow color, white fizzy head, wisps. Nose is mellow funky citrus, light mineral notes, oak, and hay. Smells like an old Gueuze, but if you’ve never had one, you don’t know what I’m talking about. Musk, barn, and light acidic notes on the end. Flavor really reminds me of the Cantillon Gueuze I had from 1996, perhaps a bit more nuanced and delicate. Citrus, funk, tart, hay, musk. There’s a mineral character on the finish mixed with the citrus and tart notes that I contribute to the age. Doesn’t detract, but I think it could eventually build to hamper the taste. Light body, light carbonation, refreshing, dry finish.
So, both bottles were extremely delicious. I would say this is one of the top Gueuze’s I’ve ever had, and probably one of the best sours as well. Really good stuff...want more...plz? Until we meet again.
Bottle into my cantillion glass. Huge thanks to Tom for sharing this. Dark gold/brownish pour. Huge funk on the nose. Unlike any cantillion funk I’ve had before. Infinately complex funky aroma with horse blanket, barn, hay, sweat, soil and must. The flavor really caught me off guard with the large mixed citrus flavor (lemon, orange and grapefruit) seemlessly integrated with the complex funk. I was quite surprised how amazing this tasted. Creamy mouthfeel and the carbonation just exploded all the citrus and funk across my palate. The best geuze that I’ve ever had.
Shared by ygtbsm94 at our insane sour and wild ale tasting on April 14, 2012. Thanks Brad!
The beer is straw yellow color with a soft, fluffy white head.
The aroma is fantastic. Citrus, funk, hay, farm scents, oak, earth. Wow. I kept an ounce in my glass and set it aside so I could return to its scent periodically, until I finally gave in a pounded it.
The flavor is just phenomenal. Way more citrus than I was expecting. Orange and lemon flavors balanced to perfection. Just the right amount of funk. A simple beer, really. I can’t imagine a smoother, more delicious gueuze.
The feel was perhaps the best I have ever experienced in a lambic. To say that Loerik is smooth does not do this beer justice.
Overall, a stellar beverage. My highest recommendation.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 04-22-2012
Thanks to Paul for this epic treat! Funny story about this, I was suppose to sample this over the upcoming weekend and found out I could no longer go. So as you can imagine, I am beyond excited to be seeing this tonight.
Brownish orange in color with a small head of small, tight white bubbles. Nose is incredible, apricot, lemon rind, oak, and just straight funk....it’s beautiful. Flavor is bright lemon, oak, must, and some cobwebs. Light mouthfeel, pretty still actually, moderate acidity, and a nice long finish. The most incredible gueuze I have ever consumed hands down. Not much else to say.
1998 bottle, thanks so much to jacob for dropping this off in pilsen, sampled xmas day 2011 with mowbeer and skykob, alongside some homemade gravlax. thick and hazy dark and rusty golden; aroma of capers, olive brine, oak, merlot, more capers; amazingly lively for such a vintage beer; all sorts of stuff going on flavour-wise - rose’s lime cordial, foie gras with poached pear, garbage juice and, of course, more capers. a pretty good way to kick off an excellent xmas tasting session
Bottle at the DC Lambic & Sour Tasting on April 14, 2012. Served in a Cantillon old-school "Gueuze & Kriek" gueuze tumbler.
Huge, huge thanks to Brad for pulling this one out. This one stole the show for me.
1998 cork
Poured a fairly-clear golden color with a short white head that was pretty fizzy and didn’t last for too long, though that was okay, as this was far and away the worst aspect of the beer; everything else about it was as damn near close to perfection as you could reasonably find in a beer.
The nose carried some heavy earthy barnyard notes full of stables filled with horse blankets. Over the top of that was fresh lemon rind and citric acid. It’s incredible the amount of citrus this carried through, which is quite unlike many other aged gueuzes that I’ve had.
The flavor was incredibly smooth and crisp with notes of lemon and citrus, followed by heavy funk with notes of light earth and a touch of leather. Long, long flavor duration with a moderate-to-heavy acid presence. Pretty heavy funk on a light body with average carbonation. Very dry finish. Slightly puckering.
Overall, it really couldn’t get much better than this. This bottles has absolutely aged out fantastically. It’s only damn flaw is that I’ll likely never have it again.
(Bottle) Pours hazy golden with a medium sized head. The aroma is fantastic with tons of brett - sweaty horse, barnyard, mould and dirt. Undertones of cheese, grapefruity citrus, smoke, dusty wood, green leaves, tart rhubarb, cracker-like malt and nice phenols. The flavour is super dry and near heavily acidic with no bitterness. Citric, dirty, funky and fabulous. Good balance between the brett and lacto. The mouthfeel is tart, flat and light watery. Maybe a touch of carbonation. Citric and dirty brett finish. Near medium bodied. Fantastic, but the mouthfeel have probably seen better days.
Drank next to the 98 classic gueuze amongst many other. pour is a deep golden amber, mostly opaque with tons of pure white creamy head. the nose has a nice funk to it up front, rubbyer plastic and musky cellar notes are subtle. Strong peach notes, grapefruit, and the evidence of sourness in the nose. The taste is even better, brighter peaches and a more dusty funk with a great level of sourness in back. light body, creamy feel, soft palate, low carbonation in a good way and dry finish. the fruity flavors are extremely bright and the dry funk is integrated so well with a great drinkable sourness.
Bottled-Christmas tasting 2011-cloudy,capers,olive brine,old car leather,basement,old church,oak,vinegar,lime,old wood floor,mothballs,varnish,band-aid, and much more!!!Excellent beer!
Drank next to Cantillon Classic ’98 and a hoard of other lambics. Murky gold pour with a decent white head that recedes to a small ring and wisps. Citrus crushes the nose, bit sweet in the grapefruit, then some egg, sweat, and stable, way more than in the Classic ’98. Flavor is super-integrated, normal Cantillon brett bringing leather and citrus, then some white grape that lingers through the finish alongside light cobeweb and more grapefruit. Very balanced and uniquely expressive for a Cantillon geuze, especially in the grape and low-brett levels, it shares more similarities with Drie Fonteinen than any other Cantillon I’ve had. No surprise then that it’s my favorite geuze I’ve ever had from Cantillon.
Bottle @ Akkurat. Pours hazy golden with a small bubbly off white head. Sour, fruity, earthy, cellar and sweet honey aroma. Very sour, tart geuze, earth, cellar mellow flavor. Finishes with a nice lean sour and tart aftertaste.
750mL 1998 black foil. The pour out of the basket yields a hazy, glowing orange topped with a thin, white head. Apparently after this many years, the Loerik has come alive! Aroma is without a doubt the best aroma from just about any material derived from organic matter in the universe: incredible smack your face fresh white grapefruit, extremely fresh and fleshy/juicy Valencia oranges, white pepper, moldy citrus peels, rich peach yogurt, fleshy and overripe juicy peach, salty funk, light-fresh grapefruit heavy Brett. Literally 11/10 for aroma. The taste gives you almost a similar reward with heavy lactic sourness, fresh tropical fruits, earth, spice, leather, soft peach, maybe a hint of eggy sulfur. I sort of stopped taking notes on this one because it was obvious this would become a Top 5 beer of all time for me. Palate is perfection: wickedly lactic and yogurt heavy. It’s actually a bit unbelievable: insane amount of leather, bitterness, soft tartness, and fresh juiciness. Extremely long, cobwebby finish. Just ridiculous. It really makes Yellow Bus look a bit silly. 11/4/9/5/18 --> 10/4/9/5/19=4.7
One of the reasons I think this geuze is so outstanding is not because it is the Loerik, but simply because it is 1998 Cantillon gueuze, which I have had and loved. The Loerik certainly adds more complexity and fruitiness, but the base lambic from that year is clearly a superlative. Actually, this geuze has a lot more room to age. If you have a bottle or have access to a bottle, I would urge you to keep it for another 5 years or more and you will probably end up with the best liquid beverage ever created by man.
Pours a hazy light amber with a tiny with head. Tart and clean sour lambic. Lots of grape fruit aromas. Medium to full bodied. Soft carbonation.
ygtbsm84 has been talking about this one for years, so I just had to seek it out. It was worth the effort. Cloudy golden color, plenty of carbonation. Aroma of cobwebs, dust, pepper, summer fruit. Taste was dry and powdery, dried grapefruit, dried peach, pepper. Great stuff.
750ml bottle, drank into a Cantillon glass, 1998, obtained at Akkurat.
Pours a light peach, kinda of murky, light white head rises about a finger, good lacing...The aroma is awesome, just the right amount of earthy funk a little horse blanket all balanced by a touch of sweetness in the form of apricots....The taste is equally amazing, the best gueze I’ve ever had. Perfect balance of funk and sweetness that gives you the best of both worlds, the funk you are seeking and the drinkability to crush the whole bottle.
This is a white whale well worth acquiring. Its simply amazing and I cannot say enough good things about it. If you like sour you will love this beer.
Consumed August 17, 2010 at Akkurat in Stockholm with my wife.
A: Golden-straw body with just the slightest bit of cloudiness. Thin off-white head comprised of tiny, well defined bubbles. Slight lacing left behind in the tumbler after each sip.
S: Lemon-citrus, hay, and quite a bit of mustiness.
T: Quite funky, with a ton of barnyard flavors like hay, leather, and sweat. Not as much citric notes as in the nose. A bit muddled and not as complex as some other gueuzes with similar age.
M: Medium-light carbonation and a nice sour acidity. Not particularly puckering in the finish. Refreshing.
O: Given the difficulty in acquiring one of these bottles, I’d rather just get a well cared for vintage classic gueuze... but that’s not to say this wasn’t enjoyable. EDIT: Subsequent bottles have been better (ranging from 4.5 to 4.6 range).
Huge thanks to Maltzilla for this one.
A: Pours a nice golden hue with a nice tall lasting head.
S: Aromas of green apples, hay, and fresh zested citrus.
T: Barnyard funk at its finest. Wet hay and leather. The tartness is there more citrus than the apple I picked up but in a nice way.
M: Zippy carbonation, nice sourness without being too tart.
D: Good honored to have tried this one. Diego never disappoints when it comes to tastings!!
Den har en ganska mild och len doft. Smaken är också mycket snäll och har en liten syrlighet i god balans med sötma, något träaktig tyckte jag även hitta. Mycket frisk och fin, passar nog jättebra en varm sommardag. Mycket snäll utan större konstigheter.