Gribousine Brune de Malonne

Brewed by Brasserie La Binchoise
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Binche, Belgium

Bottle. Poured dark amber with a temporary white head. Light fruity, near cola, aroma. Medium body with firm carbonation. Flavor is spicey, but a touch medicinal. Caramel with fresh fruit, but also cooked fruit. There’s a lot going on in this. Finishes balanced, not too sweet, not too bitter. Interesting beer.

Strong fruity nose is a bit boozy with bready malt undertones. Opaque brown body is topped by a thin white head that recedes to light cover. Quite sweet flavour is strong with fruity esters and some notes of alcohol. Bitterness is subdued. Medium body with some warming and moderate carbonation. Decent, but somehow not very exciting. Tulip glass. Cellar temperature. Bottle (Bièropholie).

Bottle. Brown colour with a beige head. Aroma is apple, sweet, alcohol, orange. Flavour is sweet, apple, alcohol, orange, raspberry. Complex beer.

(Bottled) Hazy, darkish red-amber color (like a dark sahti) with a small, quickly and mostly fading head. Aroma of sweetish, caramely toffee, red currants, and hints of licorice. Sweet and malty flavor with lots of caramely malt, fruit (both dried and fresh), and red currants. Alcohol is well hidden. Becomes a bit dull with yeast. Quite thin, medium-bodied, sticky palate with fizzy carbonation. A bit Dunkelweizen-like Belgian Strong, that tastes and smells pretty ok (although sweet), but falls short on palate and head.

330ml bottle (Delirium, Brussels)
Brown. Malty aroma, fairly sweet. Taste follows that trend - pretty big on sweet maltiness. Palate, however, is pretty soft, but then I also feel it’s sticky, and yet also I feel it’s thin. Pleasant, and not half as confusing as these notes make it appear.

(330ml bottle) Purchased through the Bieropholie/SAQ private importations. Pours a small, white quick dissipating head and a slightly sediment filled, highly carbonated orange body. Nose of doughy malt, sour yeast and alcohol. Flavour of caramel malt, mild vegetable and high ABV. Okay.

Bottle [330ml] shared with HogTownHarry & garthicus -- c/o HogTownHarry. Pours a murky red-orange with a million little black floaties and an average size somewhat-lasting frothy off-white head. Aroma of caramel malt, Belgian yeast, dark fruit and a hint of sourness. Flavour’s pretty fruity along with Belgian yeast, a bit of spice and caramel malt. Medium bodied. Nothing great, just a fine beer.

In short: A problematic sweet aggressive Belgian dark ale.
How: Bottle 330ml, probably 1+ year old
The look: A short lived beige head over cloudy redish-brown body with a lot a medium size particles
In long: Aggressive fruitiness and some alcohol on the nose, like a bakery alcoholised dessert. Grainy malts, crusty bread, fruits concentrate, ripe fruits. Carbonation is way too aggressive. The beer is very sweet but without only a little caramel flavour. The strong sweetness was like what you get from a baked fruit dessert. Tasty but more annoying than anything. Dry toasted bread and dry tree leaves in the finish with a lot of cardboard. Many many problems. Thankfully it’s not brewed in California cause it’s very rare and I’d hate to see it rated over 4.