AleSmith Grand Cru

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

UPDATED: NOV 19, 2010 2010-11-13. Ruby brown body with a modest tan head that fades. 3+ Flavour is lovely, sweet base of malt, dark sugary notes, dark fruity accents and just a kiss of balancing bitterness. 7+ Aroma is moderately alcoholic, with sweet fruity character. 7+ Smooth average plus bodied palate. Rather enjoyable. I had originally said that it needed some rounding out when young, but my memory of it is that it was just a littler richer all around when fresh. 7/4/7/3/16 - 3.7 2007 Vintage Bottle shared by HogTownHarry

August 2005. Unknown vintage (2004/2005?) thanks Harry’s Sister! Brown body, small khaki head. Sweet malt with some interesting fruitiness in the aroma. Flavour of alcoholic candy sugar, dry fruitiness with not quite brown sugar, very very mild sour quality to the sugary notes. Medium to full bodied. More pronounced flavours than the Abbaye De Rocs Grand Cru sampled prior but it lacks the well rounded character of its predecessor. 8/3/8/4/16

Pours brownish red with no head or lacing. Aroma is plum, orange peel, alcohol, and currants. taste is plum, clove, grape and currants. finish is boozy and sweet. a lovely beer that I can imagine aging well.

Bottled:
Dark orangey amber colour. Large head. Sweet and malty caramel aroma with notes of oranges. Sweet, thick and oily mouthfeel. Flavour is sweet caramel, cherries and alcohol. Harsh finish. Just a little bit too sweet and boozy for me.

Bottle. dark red brown colour with a beige head. Aroma is roasted malt, berries, caramel. Flavour is is sweet and sour, roasted malt, licorice, caramel, berries, alcohol, dried fruits. Full body. Very nice beer.

Pours cloudy orangish brown with a great tan head. Head is smooth like well steamed latte milk with good retention. Yeast, barnyard funk and dark sugar on the nose. Taste is rich and smooth, with rich caramel, candy, yeast, hint of vanilla and a little citrus-like tartness. Med carbonation. Full bodied. After taste is rich sweet with some dry hops and alcohol. Interesting ale, a little on the sweet side, but very good.

Coppery amber in color with a huge foamy tannish head. Wine-like, with a tartness and a sour sweetness tempered with caramel like malt flavors. Fizzy and carbonated with a lot of deep fruit, the alcohol is definitely there.

Pour clear red/dark orange, with a huge creamy white head. Aroma of plums, prunes, caramel, Belgian yeasty funkiness. Also some brown sugar, bread, and perhaps some unripe cherries/berries, to ad some sourness

Pour clear red/dark orange, with a huge creamy white head. Aroma of plums, prunes, caramel, Belgian yeasty funkiness. Also some brown sugar, bread, and perhaps some unripe cherries/berries, to ad some sourness. Taste is sweet, with some sour notes. Medium body, with plenty of fizzy carbonation. Rather dry finish on this one.

Thanks to Deuane for bringing this ’06 bottle to Stakem’s Fish Fry. A - Pours murky brown with a half finger tall off-white head leaving small trails of lace down some of the glass. S - Smells of sweet caramel malt, brown sugar, toffee, dark fruits, figs, some cherries and a bit of spicy/sweet belgian yeast. The booze is all but gone from the nose. T - Starts off with a bunch of sweetness - mostly made up of toffee, brown sugar and caramel malt - slowly giving way to hints of dark fruits, cherries, vanilla and some spicy yeast. Only a tiny bit of booze creeps as it warms up, warming the end of each sip. Finish has some sweetness, lingering on the pallet long after consumption. M - Big body with a creamy sweet feel and moderate carbonation. The flavors are fairly sweet throughout with very little booze detectable. O - I liked this one. The flavors worked well and it was surprisingly easy to drink. It appears to be at its peak now, maybe beginning to slide a little bit.

Bomber from Andy--what a treat! pours a dark ruby. generally sweet, lots of dark fruit to it, cherry and plum, and a nice alcohol warming at the end. Good beer.

750ml bottle, shared with friends. Thin off-white head, fading to minimal. Clear red color. Dry texture. Lighter, smoother carbonation. Nice, sweet belgian-candy taste. Nice, rich dark fruit aroma. Some [complex lemony] notes. Friends liked this better than the AleSmith Wee Heavy (which I shared just before this bottle).