Atomium Premier Grand Cru

sampled at blind "Better Know a Style: Belgian Strong Ale" tasting 07. poured a yellow big white head. nose is peppery, perfumey, cheesey, and hay and straw. flavor is peppery, vinegar, crisp and refreshing. palate is a tad watery with lively carbination.

11.2 oz bottle served in a Duvel tulip glass. A delicate pour of only half the beer results in a 5-finger head with coarse bubbles that slowly breaks down into a sticky spiderweb of foam, leaving a soapy lacing stuck to the sides of the glass. Color is pale apricot, somewhat unclear. A yeasty aroma dominates, hiding a hint of alcohol. Medium bodied mouthfeel, yet most of the initial uproar of carbonation is spent. The flavor pretty much follows the aroma profile, yeasty with a little lemon character, somewhat dry. Vaguely reminiscent of a Duvel, but lacking some of the character.

Bottle at Heorot in Muncie, IN. Poured a hazy amber color with a large fizzy white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate tart citrus and yeast aroma. Medium body with a sticky texture. Medium balanced citrus flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration.

Draught at The Map Room. Pours clear yellow-orange with an average fizzy off-white head, mostly lasting, good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (hay, straw, meal), average hops (herbs), average yeast (cheese, meat) with notes of peach. Medium bodied, creamy texture, soft carbonation and an astringent finish. Average duration, moderate sweetness, light acidity and bitterness.

Yellowish color. Smell of yeast, malt, dirt, grass, citrus, spice and apples. Taste of malt, yeast, ginger, cinnamon, clove, citrus, gas and sugar. I like this one a lot. Not a lot of yeast overpowering this one. I had a big white head on it as I poured it, but it tasted flat.

Serving size: 2 x 11.2 ounce bottles. Best before dated 3/20/08 Appearance: The Van Steenberge Atomium Grand Cru pours impressively into a Corsendonk Christmas Ale glass, a semi-transparent lemon-yellow brew producing a pillowy 1/2 inch head of snow-white bubbles. The head diminishes slowly to a thick skim, depositing thick, sticky sheets of gorgeous lace upon the glass. Very appealing glass of beer indeed. Aroma: Lemon zest with a lovely undertow of funky, bretty farmhouse ass. Magnificent aroma. Flavor: Essentially mirrors the aroma. Puckering grated lemon zest tartness, fresh grass and weeds, dry and gently weedy-bitter. A bit fizzy and slightly overcarbonated, this beer appears to have the potential to develop into something truly extraordinary. Almost Orvalesque in the dry, bitter, weedy-medicinal qualities. Sahara Desert dry. Fantastic. Palate: Medium body. A bit fizzy at first. Slightly overcarbonated, vastly improved with just a bit of warming and settling time in the glass. Overall: Superb. I couldn’t help but think of Russian River beers while drinking this Atomium Grand Cru. A real nice change-of-pace Belgian beer from the usual (for me) Dubbels and Quads. I’m seriously thinking of buying a case to cellar. Recommended.

Pours a dense, vermillion/amber with festive, steady effervescence gently manipulating a snowglobe of tiny yeast particulate. A white head holds forever as a thick skin. Sticky lace holds firm after thick legs drop. Aroma finds rich banana bread with esters that approach medicinal alongside a fruity vinousness and a lactic sweetness. Fluffiness disperses flavors while a stickiness pulls them back together. Alcohol heat is palpable and palatable. Balanced complexity highlights malts, yeast and alcohol in the flavor profile. Finishes quick and dry... or should I say too quick and too dry...

<font size=-4>Purchased months ago at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=4360>Mainstreet Wine & Spirits, Countryside, IL 60525</font>

For a belgian strong, this was definitely a bit on the weak side. Lighter in color More like a belgian white but more alcoholic. I was expecting a belgian strong, and that’s not exactly what I found. For that reason, I was a bit disappointed. That being said, this was an acceptable beer. Hazy-light yellow in color, it poured thick with an unrelenting head. Fruit flavors have a strong presence throughout with increasing intensity near the end.