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AleSmith Grand Cru

AleSmith Grand Cru

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 Percentile 
98
overall
A Belgian Strong Ale brewed by
AleSmith Brewing Company

San Diego, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
5183.91/5.03.91/5.0Winter10.6%94.8 Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler P  Stats

Commercial Description:
Bottle conditioned.
AleSmith Grand Cru really needs to be tasted to be truly appreciated. Toasty, caramelly flavors, as well as flavors imparted by the Belgian yeast strain, predominate over a tapestry of subtle nuances. Winner of the blue ribbon at the 1999 California State Fair, it is a thing of beauty. It is available in 750 ml. champagne bottles. Appearance: Crystal clear (when served properly), with a toast-brown color. Flavor: Starts with the tangy flavor of our championship Belgian yeast, then fades to a medium-light flavor of vanilla, caramel and chocolate. Finishes dry and well-balanced with a slightly toasty flavor. Aroma: Vanilla and chocolate aromas predominate, along with the Belgian yeast characteristics. Mouthfeel (body/texture): Clean and crisp, medium-bodied. Warmth from the high alcohol content makes it feel like a fine wine.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 Goodgrief (1020), Middletown, Delaware, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/59/104/517/20

Feb 16, 2008  
Nov. 2006 - Beer poured really red amber, very little head or lacing. Aroma was strong and rum-like with cherries and banana. Flavor was caramel, cherries and candied sugar. Really hot alcohol flavor was not overly bothersome. Odd mouthfeel which almost seemed to cut the flavor short at the end as bubbly carbonation overwhelms the tongue. Another enjoyable beer from AleSmith, though not my favorite of their offerings. Rerate 2007. This is much better than I remember it last year. Lots of floaty chunky yeasties. Flavor was all of the above, but less hot alcohol and even a touch of earthy coffee roast in it. Wonderfully sweet and wonderfully complex. I love me some AleSmith..

Swolf3 (30), Elkton, Maryland, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/104/518/20
Sep 2, 2008  
Poured a dark brown color with not a lot of head. Smell was raspberry, chocolate, and a hint of fruits. taste was caramel, raspberry and yeast. Went down very smooth.


 GMCC2181 (366), Bear, Delaware, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/517/20
Sep 2, 2008  
750ml Bottle shared by swolf3, thanks wolf. Muddy brown color, small head. Aroma of raison, dried fruit and yeasty. Taste is raison, raspberry, dried fruit, yeasty characteristics, chocolate and a little caramel. Very smooth. Average texture and carbonation. Good brew!


 JCB (1009), Durham, North Carolina, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/56/103/516/20
Aug 26, 2008  
750ml from HiTime Wine. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve not had especially good luck with either the Horny Devil or the Grand Cru from Alesmith. Clearly the aim here is to produce a rich, wine-dark quad, and it’s clearly got the rich and complex aroma of that style. It’s complemented by some of the features of the original Decadence, too - toffee, chocolate, a hint of tobacco. But the problem I just can’t avoid is that it’s almost completely uncarbonated, resulting in a thin body that does the brew no service whatsoever. Still a very well crafted, complex, and flavorful beer, but not top shelf.


PaulHegedus (64), Brampton, Ontario, Canada
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/516/20
Aug 26, 2008  
Bottle, vintage 2006. Opened August 2008. Wow, this thing is complex, has a surprisingly low carbonation. Aromas are not strong, but there’s some caramel and vanilla. The flavour is more like dark fruit, raisin, with maybe a bit of caramel. This reminds me quite strongly of Thomas Hardy’s barleywine. I will open a bottle and compare it soon! Was wonderful with a strong cocoa (86%?)dark chocolate bar!


 grant (760), Martinez, California, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/57/104/516/20
Aug 22, 2008  
Shared by DYCSoccer17, thanks! Hazy garnet, light head formation. Bold aroma of caramel, dank hops, complex malts with dates and figs, ocean. Not many belgian yeast characteristics apparent in the aroma, but still delicious-smelling. Sweet, churled chocolatey flavor, vague background of estery yeastiness. Rounded malts, lightly toasty with some hazelnut. Finishes quite sweet and very smooth. It doesn’t seem very belgian-influenced to me but it is a very good beer.




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