Augustijn Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ertvelde, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Had to pour this one very slowly into glass. It was making a head as soon as I popped the top and took some time pouring it to keep the massive head from going over. Smells of alcohol and candy. Tastes like some sweet malts with a shot of liquor in it. It is not bad but not something I would want to spend the higher cost for.

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 7/20/2011. Pours slightly cloudy golden amber color with a nice 2 finger foamy and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big apple, lemon, pear, grape, banana, floral, clove, pepper, honey, candi sugar, bread, light bubblegum, and yeast earthiness. Excellent aromas with great balance, strength, and complexity of fruity/spicy ester notes with moderate malt balance. Taste of big apple, lemon, pear, grape, banana, clove, honey, floral, candi sugar, light bubblegum, bread, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of light fruits, banana, clove, pepper, honey, candi sugar, bread, light bubblegum and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice balance and complexity of fruity/spicy ester flavors; with a moderate malt balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a slick and lightly prickly mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent Belgian strong pale ale! All around great complexity and balance of fruity/spicy esters with moderate malt sweetness; and very smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

33cl bottle. APPEARANCE: gold yellow beer, nice stable white head. NOSE: yeast, dry nose, some wood? oranges, somewhat burned even, quite a strange nose... TASTE: again the strange taste... don’t really like it... quite dry and some alcohol.

Poured from 330mL bottle. Slightly hazy golden yellow with small white head. Aroma is predominantly pear and yeast with some mild lemon. Some pear on the taste with resin. Quick finish that leaves a bitter slightly metallic aftertaste. A little grass like.

Bottle at Staminee de Garre, Brugge. It pours golden yellow with a thick white head. The nose is pear drops, melon, sherbet, hay, pear skin and honey. The taste is hay, spice, earth, warming alcohol, sherbet, pear, melon, icing sugar, light toast and white grape with a dry finish. Medium-full body, moderate carbonation and velvety mouth-feel. Decent all-round.

330ml bottle. Appearance: golden, hazy, rocky head, white foam. Taste:,very bitter, medium sourness. Palate: medium body, thin feel, lively carbonation, bitter finish.

330 ml bottle. Pours a clear gold with big head that dissipates quickly. Aromas of rubber,ginger, toasted malts, and light lemons. Flavors of banana chips, resin, spice, earth, and rubber. Sharp and unique but the rubber notes are a major negative.

(tasted side by site with augustijn blond) pours almost clear bright yellow with a frothy and creamy white head, very good retention and lacing. chewy and doughy honeyed malts, bready, floral, spicy and yeasty - ginger and honey. a tad too sweet and boozy. bright carbonation, medium body - oily, very nice grassy-spicy finish. from my standpoint, we’re not far from a triple. whatever.. quite nice brew, but slightly inferior than grand cru.

Bright, slightly hazy, medium lasting head, very strong fruity aroma, medium body sweet taste with a bit of acidity.

Bottle. Deep gold with a large fluffy short lived head. Aroma is yeasty. Flavour is spicy malt, dry citrus and bread finish. No hint of alcohol