De Graal Speciale

Brewed by De Graal
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Brakel, Belgium

A dark brown body that showed a deep garnet when held to light. the aroma is light caramel and leather. There was also some pleasant peach fruitiness. The taste was rich toffee and raisins. There was also some light dark chocolate in the finish. A silky smooth mouthfeel and light carbonation made this very drinkable. Nicely done.

Just read "Foucault’s Pendulum" and felt I needed to go on a grail quest of my own. Mine also erupted upon opening, like a baking soda & vinegar volcano. Pours dark brown with a thick tan head that recedes after about a minute. Classic fruity Belgian aroma, with a bit more citrus than other Belgians. Thin, watery mouthfeel, with a smokey, oaky, vaguely metallic taste. The "middle frequencies" of the flavor spectrum, which are usually so strong in Belgians like Leffe and Duvel, are conspicuously low in the mix. Neither great nor horrible - this was one of the cheapest Belgian 750s at the store, and that’s pretty much what it tastes like. Lower middle upper class. :) Would drink it over something like Pabst, if I somehow had to choose at a party, but with the variety of other great Belgian ales out there I probably won’t be buying this again.

Exploded from the bottle upon opening - surprise! Deep dark brown coloured body with a tan head that remarkably dies down immediately, once exploding from the bottle! Aroma of nuts, roasted malt, coffee, prunes, plums and other pit fruits. Medium-bodied; Strong pit fruit flavour with a good and mellow maltiness and very subtle spices. Some sweetness coming afterwards leaving a nice mouthful. Overall, a good beer - nothing truly exciting but decent to try! I sampled this 75 cL bottle purchased from Merchant’s in Dearborn, Michigan on 03-August-2008, sampled on 13-September-2008 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Pours deep brown into a trappist glass. Offwhite head quickly recedes to mottle surface. Pit fruit aromas. Dry and slightly sour from front to back. Soft with a slight bitter finish.

dark brown under a small off-white head. woody, red grape, wine-like ,yuck aroma. flavor of dry wood, raw coffee bean, hints of toasty malts. light bodied. nothing is really coming together here. not diggin it.

750mL bottle, courtesy of argo0. Thanks, Aaron! Dark brown, tan creamy head. Soft dark fruit and licorice aromas ride hints of musty chocolate. Herbal grape and chocolate plum flavors round to a soft bitterness. Light to medium bodied and thin, soft carbonation, semi-sweet, dark fruit finish. Not really a fan..

750mL bottle, courtesy of argo0. Thanks, Aaron! Gusher. Pours dark amber, fizzy head, hazy. Aroma is dark fruit, peach grape. Flavor is similar, with a sharp bitter finish. Candi sugar, spice, light mouth feel, tingly.

(750ml bottle) Slow gusher, beige head atop hazy copper body. Aroma is moderately sweet, bubblegum, some alcohol/estery, banana, clove. Taste is moderately sweet, bubblegum, raisin, some banana, light chocolate. Soft medium body, light effervescence.