Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella

Description

Cantillon Bruocsella Grand Cru is a bottled old lambic released annually by Cantillon in various batches. It is one of the few examples of unadulterated lambic released in bottles by any commercial lambic producers. The lambic is matured for three years in oak barrels and bottled. Bruocsella Grand Cru is commonly available in 75cl bottles as well as 37,5cl bottles on occasion. It was also released in 1,5L magnums in early 2016 at the brewery. The beer has no carbonation at bottling and will generally remain that way; however, older bottles are known to have exhibited lively carbonation. The brewery aptly compares this vieux lambic to a fine white wine in its appearance and taste.[1] In fact, early labels for Bruocsella Grand Cru suggest serving it and storing it like a wine.

History / Other Notes

The first documented bottling of Bruocsella Grand Cru was circa 1983. Labels from the 1980's are presented in the label log, making the Grand Cru Bruocsella very old in the Cantillon lineup. The early label states that Grand Cru Bruocsella should be tasted and served in the same manner as a fine white wine. The labeling has changed slightly over time, and there are three main versions presented here. Between at least 1984-1990 a black label was used for the lambic. This version is no longer used and Bruocsella is labeled differently depending on if it is being exported to the United States or being sent to the rest of the world. The Label used in Europe is the Grand Place label, created by Raymond Goffin for the 1998 vintage. The U.S. imported version features the painting The Peasant Wedding by Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel. European-labeled Bruocsella is generally stated with a vintage date that is three years earlier than the cork date; however, many U.S versions do not contain a vintage date. To that end, one can assume that if they have a U.S. bottle with a 2004 cork date, then it is more than likely to be a circa 2001 brew date. The three year rule is only a general time-frame, as bottles of Bruocsella can show as few as two years or as many as four years between vintage date and cork date.

Cantillon Bruocsella 1983, served at the brewery June 2019

It should be pointed out that there is no difference between the U.S and European versions. The labeling differences stem from different requirements by the United States versus the European Union in calling something organic. Cantillon currently does not meet U.S standards, but notes on its website that it has used 100% organically grown grain for its lambics since 1999.

Starting with the fall 2017 bottlings of Bruocsella, the European label began using season vintages rather than millésime style vintages. For example, Bruocsella bottled in late 2017 began to read "Saison 14/15" to indicate the age of the lambic as well as during which season it was brewed, with "saison" being the French word for "season"

Origin of the Name Bruocsella

In Gueuze, Faro, et Kriek, author Raymond Buren discusses the origin of the word "Bruoc-Sela". He notes that the village of Bruoc-Sela was founded in 979 when Charles of France, Duke of Lower Lorraine established a fort on a small island in the Senne River. Indeed, the city of Brussels officially held its first millennial celebration in 1979. However, the name appears over 200 years earlier in the historical record when Saint Vindicien, Bishop of Arras and Cambai passed away in the village of Bruc-selle in 706.[2] Sociolinguist Michel de Coster notes that the word bruoc most likely derives from the Celtic word meaning a swampy or marshy place, while the word sella comes from the Latin term meaning temple, owning to the various Roman ruins in the area at the time, chamber, or dwelling.[3] Thus the area around present-day Brussels became known as Bruoc-selle or Bruoc-sella, depending on the year or text, eventually evolving into the French Bruxelles with other alternate spellings appearing over time. This is further evidenced by two other etymological developments in old Dutch wherein the word broek at one time meant brook or marsh and zele meant settlement. In the Flemish-Dutch dialect, Broekzele still exists as a rare word to refer to the Belgian capital of Brussels. In the end, Bruocsella Grand Gru is the Brussels Grand Cru.

Bottle Log

Bottle date

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Cork Date Vintage Bottle Size Label / Notes Image Link
N/A 1992 1989 375mL Imported in 1992 was sold for 900 yen in 2000 in Nagoya. Cantillon Bruocsella 1989 Japanese Import.jpg
N/A 1992 1989 750mL Black label Cantillon Bruocsella 1992 Cork.jpg
N/A 1999 1996 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding' N/A
N/A 1999 1996 750mL Black/White Euro Label N/A
N/A 2001 1998 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding' N/A
N/A 2002 1999 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place, from Akkurat N/A
N/A 2002 1999 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place, Japanese import Cantillon Bruocsella 1999 Japanese Import.jpg
N/A 2004 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding' N/A
N/A 2005 2002 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
08/22/2006 2006 2003 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
01/07/2007 2007 2003 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
01/17/2007 2007 2003 375mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place, '3' written on 75cl label to make 375ml. Cantillon Grand Cru 2007 375.jpg
01/19/2007 2007 2005 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place, Euro label with illustration of Grand Place
08/05/2007 2007 2005 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Label Cantillon Bruocsella2005.jpg
09/05/2007 2007 2005 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
09/05/2007 2007 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding' N/A
01/15/2008 2007 2005 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
10/17/2008 2008 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding' N/A
03/30/2009 2009 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding' N/A
08/28/2009 2009 2006 375mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place. Rear label in Italian states brew date of "November 2005". N/A
08/28/2009 2009 2006 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place. Rear label states brew date of "November 2005". Australian import (Phoenix Beers) N/A
08/28/2009 2009 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding' N/A
11/16/2009 2009 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding' N/A
11/16/2009 2009 2006 375mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
11/16/2009 2009 2006 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place, cork/year same N/A
11/16/2009 2010 2006 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place, bottled on year and cork year are different N/A
04/30/2010 2010 2006 375mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
04/30/2010 2010 2007 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
08/26/2010 2010 2007 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
08/28/2010 2010 2007 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place
01/27/2011 2011 2007 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
10/20/2011 2011 2008 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
10/20/2012 2012 2008 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
10/12/2012 2012 2009 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
09/07/2012 2012 2009 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
03/04/2013 2013 2010 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
03/05/2013 2013 2010 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
09/04/2013 2013 2010 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
11/25/2013 2013 2010 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
03/11/2014 2013 2010 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
09/01/2014 2014 2011 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
03/11/2014 2014 2010 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
10/06/2014 2014 2011 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
01/23/2015 2015 2011 750ml Euro label with illustration of Grand Place, Lambic from Season 2011 Cantillon GCB 23 Jan 2015 s2011.jpg
01/23/2015 2015 2012 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
04/20/2015 2015 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding' N/A
04/21/2015 2015 2012 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
08/21/2015 2015 2012 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
11/08/2015 2015 2012 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Grand Cru Bruocsella 6 Nov 2015.jpg
01/25/2016 2016 2012 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
01/25/2016 2016 2012 1.5L Euro label with illustration of Grand Place, handwritten 1,5L over 75cl rear label, for sale at brewery starting February 2016 Grand Cru Bruocsella Magnum 2016.jpg
08/22/2016 2016 2013 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Bruocsella 22 Aug 2016.jpg
10/12/2016 Season 16/17 2015 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Grand Cru 12Oct2016.jpg
10/13/2016 Season 16/17 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding'
08/25/2017 Season 16/17 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding Cantillon Bruocsella 25 August 2017.jpg
08/25/2017 Season 16/17 2015 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Bruocsella 25 August 2017.jpg
09/08/2017 Season 17/18 Saison 2014-2015 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Bruocsella 09 Sept 2017.jpg
10/10/2017 Season 17/18 Saison 2014-2015 1.5L Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Grand Cru 10Oct2017 Magnum.jpg
11/07/2017 Season 17/18 Saison 2014-2015 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
01/18/2018 Season 17/18 Saison 2014-2015 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Bruocsella 18 Jan 2018.jpeg
02/14/2018 Season 17/18 Saison 2014-2015 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Bruocsella 14 Feb 2018.jpeg
02/14/2018 Season 17/18 N/A 750mL U.S. label, Pieter Brueghel's 'Peasant Wedding Cantillon Bruocsella 14 Feb 2018 American.jpg
03/23/2018 Season 17/18 Saison 2014-2015 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place, Quebec import Cantillon Bruocsella 23 March 2018.jpg
06/04/2018 Season 18/19 Season 2014-2015 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Bruoc 04 Jun 2018 s1415.jpg
12/17/2018 Season 18/19 Season 2015-2016 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
03/01/2019 Season 18/19 Saison 2015-2016 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place. N/A
03/11/2019 Season 18/19 Saison 2015-2016 750mL Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A
05/09/2019 Season 18/19 Saison 2015-2016 1.5L Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Bruocsella 9 May 2019.jpg
10/24/2019 Season 18/19 Saison 2015-2016 750ml Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Bruoc 24 Oct 2019.jpg
01/27/2020 Saison 2016-2017 750ml Euro label with illustration of Grand Place Cantillon Bruoc 27 Jan 2020.jpeg
01/28/2020 Season 19/20 Saison 2016-2017 1.5L Euro label with illustration of Grand Place N/A

Label Log

1996 Label Text (Translated)

Cantillon Grand Cru is a still, uncarbonated beer aged three years in oak barrels and selected for its exceptional color, aroma, and taste. Ageable beer. It is advised to serve the Grand Cru in a wine glass. Beer of changing taste. Store and serve at cellar temperature (12-15deg)

2006 Label Text (Australia - Phoenix Beer Importers)
The Lambic Grand Cru Cantillon is like a cereal-based wine. It is a Lambic that has matured for three years in oak wood casks and has been selected for its unique color bouquet and aroma. It has a very long shelf life. This lambic is made with organically grown wheat (35%) and malted barley (65%), and with dried hops.

It should be served in a wine glass at a temperature of 12° - 15°C. Store in a cool cellar. Beer with taste evolution.

References

  1. https://www.cantillon.be/grand-cru-bruocsella-en Cantillon - Bruocsella Grand Cru
  2. Raymond Buren, Gueuze, Faro, et Kriek, 1992
  3. Michel de Coster, Les Enjeux du Conflit Linguistique : Le Français à l’Epreuve des Modèles Belge, Suisse et Canadien, 2007


Photos