The Waterfall

Jim

Light, delicate carbonation. Big cognac. Subtle, almost creamy acidity is eclipsed by the barrel, hopefully will develop a bit more with time. A little more funk wouldn’t hurt, either. Not my favorite vintage, still good.

Jim

Complex, light fruit. Big horse blanket finish that fades into the grapes. 4.6

Jim

Not bad, but needs more acidity. Fun with the paired wine.

Jim

A touch more acidity developing over the last 3 years. Still a lovely, funky port flavor dominates. Very light carbonation, dry finish, especially by Cantillon standards. A real gem that is only going to get better with more time.

Jim

Couple of 4.5s from friends on this had me curious. Maybe a bad bottle, but this sucks hard. Very artificial maple that unpleasantly lingers. Coffee has that green taste you get in overaged coffee stouts. Thank god I just got a single. Drain pour.

Jim

Just shy of 9 years old. Better than the last bottle I opened about a year ago. Lively carbonation, acidity balances more with the funk as it opens up. Fruit is still there. 4.4

Jim

I’ve given up on Founders for the most part, but credit where credit is due. Much better as it warms and the blueberry doesn’t dominate so much. Fruit is a little artificial, but solid mouthfeel & a nice mocha flavor lingers. Could use more barrel. 4.1

Jim

Needs a lot more time. Acidity dominates, funk developing more will help a lot. Much better after some decanting, helps the grapes pop & dissipates the vinegar note that was present right after opening.

Jim

Lots of roasty coffee, hard to tell where it ends and the roast from the base starts. Just a kiss of maple, was hoping for more. It is smooth for the abv, but roast flavor dominates so much more than I’d prefer. Body is on the thin side, too. 3.65

Jim

Finally found a place selling singles. So much smoother than the base. Using fresh barrels gives it a ton of Utopia flavor that dominates. Lingering bitterness reminds you that it’s 120 min. Unique, need another to age.

Jim

Subtle barrel. Light acidity. Goes down real well on a hot day. Should age nicely. 4.3

Jim

Subtle grape, reminds me of a less acidic Vigneronne. Awesome. 4.6

Jim

Not the best vintage. Got better after decanting for a bit. Right out of the bottle, it was almost all funk. Brightened up with a little more acidity coming through over time. 3.9

Jim

So acidic before it opened up. Definitely decant these, if possible. Some time to breathe really made it more balanced with the funk. Still plenty of fruit, too. More of a dry finish than I typically would associate with RdG.

Jim

Has developed a little more acidity with time. Still a lot of barrel, but it’s more balanced now. Glad I have a few more, only going to get better with more time. A little more funk and this is going to be damn near perfect. 4.7

Jim

Still on the shelves all over. Show me a better $7 lambic.

Jim

Bitter finish is out of place, more like an old ale. Thin bodied for a 10% BA beer. Still, surprisingly not bad. It’s almost like there was a better beer here and it was watered down to bottle more. Wish Avery had BA’d The Kaiser back in the day.

Jim

Not my favorite. Surprisingly enjoying the wine pairing better. Needs a little more acidity, creamy floral note that I am not a huge fan of. Love the label, though. 3.9

Jim

Ali’s favorite to celebrate the 10th anniversary of buying our house. This makes 2 years in a row of being back to the Fou I remember pre-2015. Not quite as much fruit as last year, nose is straight apricot. Acidity is mostly balanced by the funk.

Jim

Best fresh-ish St.Lam I have opened in awhile. Subtle acidity, lots of red wine. Big, barnyard funk that dissipated some as it opened into more balance. Definitely one to decant for the best experience. 4.65

Jim

Even better 20 months since I last had it. Soft fruit, balanced funk and acidity. Bit of a creamy finish that I associate with my favorite lambics. Glad I have a few more, but this is a vintage worth seeking out more, too. 4.85

Jim

Damn, this aged nicely. Out of the gate, I remember being less than impressed after how good 2014 was. 6 years on, it’s somehow more juicy and the acidity has mostly overtaken the funk. 8/10 acidity, pushing too much, but went well the Turkey.

Jim

Still stupid underrated.

Jim

This developed some strong funk, more than typical by quite a bit. Strong barnyard/feet with a little sulfer that overwhelms the fruit & acidity. Was a bottle from a trade, prob not stored the best before I got my hands on it. Bummer.

Jim

Still feel like this is the best vintage in years, prob since 2014. Much more fruit to balance the funk. Damn good. 4.8

Jim

Fun comparison after the 2005. Less acidity, way more funk. Surprisingly less grape, too. Still super drinkable on a beautiful day on the patio with friends.

Jim

Oops, missed the best by for fruity taste date by a few years. Not quite as good as the previous time around, but damn good. Still a lot of grape, not overly acidic, but tart of sure. Funk lingers nicely.

Jim

Still stupid underrated.

Jim

Such a soft, delicate carbonation. Lingering cognac mixed with Cantillon funk. Quite dry. Low acidity, wish there was a little more. Very likely get better with more time, but quite nice fresh.

Jim

Surprisingly quite acidic out of the wine fridge, tempered more by the funk that came out as it got closer to room temperature. Still so much fruit. 4.4

Jim

Best vintage in a long time. Finally has that early 2010 really bright fruit again. Delicate funk, lower acidity than recent vintages, too. Posited perfectly with Thanksgiving dinner, think this is going to be a new tradition. 4.8

Jim

Coffee dominates what little barrel there is as I have come to expect from KBS. Body is better than usual, though. Full, yet light mouthfeel. Bitter fudge. Minimal maple, not nearly as much as CBS. Could use more. Solid & enjoyable all the same. 4.05

Jim

Cherry comes off a bit artificial, otherwise good.