Cantillon Zwanze 2019
Description
Cantillon Zwanze 2019 is the 12th release in the Zwanze series of beers. This series has been released every year since 2008, and beginning in 2011, with a coordinated celebration around the world at various beer bars, breweries, and restaurants. The 2019 edition is a two year old lambic brewed with a portion of smoked malts.
History / Other Notes
A typical Cantillon lambic brew is approximately 35% unmalted wheat with 65% malted barley. For this brew, 15% of the malted barely was replaced with smoked malt. The brew took place on March 1st, 2016.
According to the brewery:
"Historically, grains used for brewing were dried over a wood-burning, and so in all probability many beers would have had a slight smokiness to them a few centuries ago. Could this be the case of the precursor to Lambic? Maybe, and it’s this possibility that inspired us to dream up the beer. We only used a small quantity of smoked malt because we wanted to keep the flavor of the beer balanced – we didn’t want the smoked malt to overpower the traditional characteristics of the Lambic. The beer was blended after two years of barrel aging, on January 26, 2018. After 20 months of bottle conditioning, this beer has developed the classic flavors and aromas typical of a Gueuze, a subtle woodiness, a slight fruitiness and a dry finish with a fine acidity. The delicate smokiness principally on the palate, brings a touch more complexity to this beer, without smothering the typical character of our Lambic. So, have we reproduced this ancient style of beer which existed during the time when wood-smoked malts were commonplace ? Nobody can know for sure, but what we do know is that the delicate smokiness of this year’s Zwanze marries well with the specific aromas and favors of Lambic."
Label
The label for the 2019 Zwanze was designed by Brussels artist Ammo and is a remake of the famous "Gueuze Kot" dragon mirror that hangs in the brewery's tasting room.
