Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Boulder, Colorado USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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UPDATED: APR 6, 2011 Batch 1 - May 2, 2004
Deep brown with a small tan head. Big aroma of grapes, sweet malts, chocolate and caramel, with some big hops showing up as well... this has a really nice hop aroma, but it’s a bit weak early on. More plums, chocolate covered cherries, burnt licorice and sweet apricots. Thick and sticky, a little fizzy, and stunning the mouth with a carbonated shot of alcohol and yeast. The finish coats the mouth with burnt malts, dark chocolate, cherries, plums, butterscotch and more alcohol. Burning throat has a coating of chocolate to sooth it a little bit. Big time acidity throughout the drink... musty bananas, clove, toffee, etc. Stinging bitterness accompanies the alcohol, making this one a great fireside drink. I like it.
9/4/8/5/17

Batch 2 - Nov 2, 2004
I’ve heard a lot about batch 2 being hot and young (heh heh), that is tastes and smells like fuel and whatnot. Well I cracked my bottle anyway, as an election night sipper. I admit I’m surprised that it doesn’t resemble fuel at all, considering how many bad reviews the new batch has. The color seems lighter than I remember from batch 1, and the nose is full of honey, molasses, pineapple, some sweet, resiny citrus hops, scotch, butter, brown sugar, brown ale malts, with a huge, nose-sticky concoction of malts that just explode up the nose. But seriously, there’s not much alcohol to notice in the aroma, and taste-wise I would guess that batch 2 is about 11-12% ABV, not 18%. Big belgian yeast and candy sugar flavor, a light burn on the back of the throat, with a frothy coating covering the mouth. Sweet, stinging alcohol burn, but that’s something that scores points with this one... don’t drink it as a beer, sip it as winter warmer. Good stuff still, though I prefer batch 1.
9/4/8/4/16

35,5 cl bottle vintage 2007 (16,42%) @ Olutravintola Konttori. Rated on 14.01.2011
Aroma is rather sweet on malt, also some ripe fruits. Flavour is very sweet with shitloads of malt, some ripe fruits and warming alcohol. Four years and this is still 10/10 on my scale of sweetness – I wonder how long would I need to age this?

2007 bottle, batch 5. A sweet, malty hot mess, even five years in. This must have been undrinkable hot when fresh. Still, I’m enjoying, but slowly at over 16% abv

Super sweet and malty. A bit sweet for my taste. The hop blend adds a nice element, but still cloying. Deep red color - very pretty, with little head.

A big beer that is not for the faint of heart or the beginner. Honestly how could you resist buying this thing look at that bottle.

Pours a cloudy reddish brown with a small head. First taste is like drinking a sweet brandy liqueur but definitely more alcohol. I am now halfway through the bottle and Buckwheat honey comes to mind but it's quickly mixed with a resinous, malty flavor and a slight hop bitterness at the edges of the tongue. It is a bit complex but each sip hits generally the same (yeah I know I contradicted myself but like I said, I'm half way through the bottle so cut me some slack!) making me wonder if I shouldn't have stirred up the yeast. I might try it again and decant the beer without the sediment. Either way it is a worthy beer and worth the effort! I hope that helps. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Batch 6 (thanks to mikem409). Bottle to tulip. Looks okay; brown and opaque with very little head. Smells pretty good; sweet and BOOZY! Tastes a little too strong for my liking. It’s like a BB barleywine that is lacking balance. Mouthfeel is average, even for the high abv. Overall, I’m glad I got to try it, but I wouldn’t seek it out again.

Drank from 2006 bottle. Aroma is awesome. So pleasant some chocolate caramel and just all around sweet. First sip is heavenly, it’s like dessert in a bottle. Cherries with other dark fruit, some raisins but cherries are prominent. Rich chocolate flavor. Very candy like, toffee, caramel, black licorice and a bit of a butterscotch sweetness. It’s got a bit of a spice to it. Maybe some soy sauce can’t quite tell. A bit medicinal sweet at times. No hops detectable. Very complex but cant quite pick out everything going on. Awesome mouthfeel, very thick. Definitely a sipper. This is for sure one to try but too much to finish on my own. Unfortunately left an inch or two in the bottle. The sweetness made me sick. Nonetheless an awesome beer. If you’re into really rich sweet beer this is for you.

2007 bottle - pours amber with off-white head. Nose is alcohol and rye. Flavor is caramel and rye/barley. Sweet with bitter finish.

The first time I had this was in ’09 and I was immediately impressed by its body and ability to handle such a high alcohol content. I’ve been less impressed since. The sweetness of caramel and deep plum has seemed overwhelming on later tastings. A beer to share...in small amounts.

2006 Bottling, 14.6%ABV
Tasted on 3/15/12 from a 12oz bottle purchased at Sun Devil. Pours dark cola brown with an average tan head that slowly recedes to a nice ring of lace. The nose is massively intense, and fairly complex, with tons of sweet raisin, date, and fig, showing some hints of nutty oxidation, vanilla, chocolate, and just a touch of savory soy sauce that I get on older beers from time to time. The flavor is sweet dates and dessert wine raisin, with the same nuttiness from the nose, tons of caramel and chocolate, and fig cake. The body is full with light carbonation, a syrup texture, and a super long sweet dried fruit finish.