Brasserie Castelain Grand Cru Blonde Biere de Garde

As part of my August shipment from the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Brasserie Castelain Grand Cru Blonde Biere de Garde. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty foamy white colored head. The aroma consists of hay, pepper, barnyard funk, lemon, and caramel. The taste is sweet and smooth with caramel and plenty of toffee on the front end before a light peppery hop bite kicks in on the tongue. Hay, straw, and barnyard funk kick in on the finish, and a sugary after taste is left behind. The alcohol content is 7.8% ABV. I liked the flavor of this beer, although it was maybe a slight bit sweeter than I would prefer for a Biere de Garde. Either way, I would definitely drink this again.

North Coast Grand Cru

My buddy Matt opened a bottle of North Coast Grand Cru to share with some friends and me. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of banana, biscuit, pepper, agave, and pear. The taste is sweet and strong with banana and agave on the front end. There is a big alcohol burn that really has a bite before a spice of pepper comes out on the finish. The alcohol content is 12.9% ABV.  I’d say this beer had some really great flavors to it, but the alcohol presence can get in the way of really picking up the agave. However, I would be sure to drink this again.

Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu Grand Cru

I ordered a glass of Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu Grand Cru at TJ’s 8th Anniversary Party. The beer pours a dark amber color with red hues and a bubbly white head. The aroma is malty and consists of caramel, raisin, and cherry. The taste is mostly chocolate and raisin, but there is a nice sweet cherry accent that lurks in the background. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. This beer was quite delicious, but it definitely errs on the sweet side of the Grand Cru spectrum.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Grand Cru Abbey Ale

I ordered a bottle of New Belgium Lips of Faith Grand Cru Abbey Ale from France 44. The beer pours a red-tinted amber color with a bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma consists of sweet candy malts, cherry, caramel, raisin, and orange. The taste is very sweet with plenty of raisin, caramel, and malts hitting the tongue. There is a biscuit flavor that comes out with hints of cherry and orange. The finish is spiced a bit with some pepper and earthy hops. A faint hint of chocolate comes out in the after taste. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. I enjoyed the flavor of the Grand Cru Abbey Ale with it’s sweey, malty flavors and biscuity mouth feel. The finish was the best part, as the spice balanced out the sweetness.

Rodenbach Grand Cru

I had my buddy Jeff pick me up a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru so that I could try this highly recommended beer. The beer pours a a reddish dark-amber color with a thin bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of sour cherry with a sweet malty base and hints of raisins. The taste is tart and sour with vinegar right up front with lots of cherry flavor. There is a wonderful base of sweet malts with raisin, chocolate, and light grassy hops. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. While this beer is sour and tart, it is a sweet sour and tart flavor that is overly enjoyable. I fell in love with this beer as soon as I drank it, and I’m glad I have another bottle.

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Brewer's Choice Grand Cru

I ordered a glass of Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Brewer's Choice Grand Cru while at Bocktown in Pittsburgh. The beer pours an amber color with a filmy white head. The aroma is sweet and malty with caramel, pineapple, and grapefruit. The taste is sweet with caramel and toffee before a dry lemon and grapefruit flavor kicks in. Hints of pineapple linger on the tongue. The after taste is dry and warming, which was perfect for a cold winter night. The alcohol content is 9.2% ABV. Of the four 30th Anniversary beers, the Brewer's Choice shot right to the top of the list with its well balanced citrus and caramel flavors. And even with the sweetness, the beer dries out on the finish and warms up your throat.

AleSmith Grand Cru

I picked up a bottle of AleSmith Grand Cru at Al's of Hampden. I enjoyed the previous AleSmith beers that I had in San Diego, so I was looking forward to trying the Grand Cru. The beer pours a reddish brown color with lofty foamy off-white colored head. The aroma is malty and sweet with dark fruit and fig and definitely can pick out alcohol in the aroma as well. The taste is is sweet and malty with a good helping of raisin and fig, orange, dried apricot, and candisugar. The alcohol bites a good bit and the beer finishes with a slight hop flavor that dries the mouth out a bit. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. I really enjoyed the amount of flavors included in the Grand Cru, especially the citrus ones. The alcohol content doesn't let you forget that this is a hefty beer, but it is completely enjoyable.

Southampton Grand Cru

I picked up a bottle of Southampton Grand Cru from Al's of Hampden. The beer pours a golden amber color with a lofty bubble white head. The aroma consists of of orange citrus and coriander with an underlying smell of cream. The taste consists of very spicy at first with coriander, but finishes smooth and sweet with an orange flavor. There is a lot of carbonation in this beer, but it does not ruin the texture or flavor. The beer has a burnt caramel finish on the back of the tongue. The alcohol content is 9.8% ABV. It is noticeable in the flavor and by the pinch on the tongue that this beer has a high alcohol content. I was thoroughly impressed with this Grand Cru. I was overwhelmed with the orange flavor and it was delicious. I will definitely seek this beer out again to purchase.

Flying Fish Grand Cru Golden Winter Ale

Another beer I ordered while out in Philadelphia was the Flying Fish Belgian Grand Cru Golden Winter Ale. The beer has a gold color with a light frothy head. The smell is full of malts and bananas. The taste is sweet, consisting of banana with hints of apple. The alcohol content is 7.2% ABV. I thought that the beer was not terrible but may be a little sweet. I thought that something might have been missing from the beer to balance out the sweetness.

Appalachian Brewing Company- Obbie's Barrel Aged Grand Cru

I stopped by Appalachian Brewing Company over the Labor Day weekend and the had Obbie's Barrel Aged Grand Crew on cask. The beer has a frothy head and is amber in color. It has a light hop aroma. The Grand Cru is creamy and very malty with a slight alcohol kick. The bourbon is definitely detectable on the front end of the taste. The beer then finishes with a vanilla and jamocha taste. There are so many flavors included in this beer that it was difficult to detect them all (The phrase tongue orgasm was muttered during the taste explosion). The bartender estimated that the alcohol content to be about 9.0% ABV. I really enjoyed the Grand Cru and all of the flavors that come with it. My only caveat is that you don't let the beer get too warm, because the bourbon will overpower all of the other flavors in the beer and it is not as enjoyable.