Great Divide Grand Cru

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Denver, Colorado USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle, shared by Evan at Carrboro Beverage Co. Pours a transparent ruby amber with a small off-white head. I had to stick my nose in it 4-5 times bfore I knew for sure the aroma I was smelling. Grape soda, or maybe purple drink. I love that drink, that is purple. It’s some good drink. But anyway. The flavor was not as interesting as the dranky aroma, but its solid. 11% woh. never would have guessed. Weird beer.

The pour is a clear?, dark ruby color with a beige, moderately full, pillowy head which is only somewhat lasting and leaves some lace fingers. The nose is very fruity with spicy phenols, an obvious orange peel addition (or apparent), clove, mild earthiness, light cranberry, and a faint dark chocolate presence. The flavor has the potential to be nice but the intense candi sweetness is completely dominating leaving other complexities hidden; behind the light candi sugar dominance there is orange, black pepper, dark chocolate, toffee, faint cranberry, and cake. The palate is thin for most 11% dark BSA but seemed like it could work with a medium body, soft to lively, and round mouthfeel. The finish is more earthy bringing some relief from the intense sweetness, still orangey, lightly peppery, and a dark chocolate presence still sticking around. I still am waiting for GD to put together a nice Belgian beer; with so many American beers they do incredibly well, they have not figured out Belgian styles. That said, this one had potential to be nice but the intense candi sweetness really covered up what could have be a decent dark BSA; I am not sure if it from the candi sugar or an overwhelming amount of crystal-type malts or maybe just a lack of bitterness present. And for someone who usually tend to enjoy the sweeter, fruitier quad-types, this one was just too unbalanced and lacking the complexities of the better examples.

This beer pours a bit darker than a cola with a rich tan head that slowly fades. The aroma gave rich malt, sorghum, yeast, and light funk. A very nice smooth feel. The flavor is quite pleasant. Dark fruit, over ripe fruit, alcohol, malt, yeast, and plenty of sugar. There was more sweetness than one would hope for. The alcohol was noted but was not over powering. This was a tasty beer and one that was dangerously easy to drink.

22oz bottle. Small beige head atop clear garnet body. Aroma is sweet, raisin, caramel, some bittersweet chocolate. light orange. Taste is very sweet, candi sugar, raisin, light Belgian yeast/spicy, cherry. Sticky full body.

22 oz. bottle, pours dark amber. Dry dark fruits on the nose with a vinous quality. Flavour reveals this vinous complexity, with dark dry fruits, some slight candied sugar and apple. Very good.

Blah..a very subpar and obviously American Belgian beer. Aroma was dark sweet malt and yeast. Pour was a boring bubbleless dark amber/brown with no head. Taste was way too sweet. Strong candi sugar, sweet malt and a heavy yeasty bite. The sweetness stays on the top of the mouth after the alcohol burn subsides. Very light carbonation. Too sticky.

Pours a dark brown with some reddish hue. Tan head with nice lacing. Aroma of brown sugar, citrus, dark fruit, cinnamon, and maybe some friut cake. Taste is cola, brown sugar, molasses, and ripe fruit. Moderately sticky texture. Overall a good ale.

bomber. Got it as a free sample from a distributor at work. Pours deep ruby color, almost brown, with thin layer of brown bubbles into trappist glass. Nose includes soft sour cherry, brown sugar, burnt sugar, candied plum. Full bodied mouth feel, thick, chewy, very slight booziness to the finish although most of the abv is covered. Flavor is somewhat fruity, raisin, fig, with a slight tartness. Lightly spiced, with the spices appearing on the finish, along with burnt sugar. I thought this was pretty nice, but I’d bet it would be better with a year or two in the cellar. The yeast is not doing as much as you would expect in a belgian and it drinks almost like a malt heavy american strong, or a barelywine. Still, it is a quality brew and I can’t complain about having it, especially on the -10 degree denver night.

22oz bottle poured into a Trappist glass at 43°. Color is a seep ruby with good carbonation and a thin tight off white head. Aroma of caramel, raisin and alcohol. Medium body with a light clean mouth feel. Flavor is light with a sweet fruity taste followed by toasted toffee that gives a mellow roasted taste and the lightest bitterness. In the after taste the alcohol comes out of the sweetness and somehow finishes with a slightly dry feel. Overall I really like it, but it has almost not Belgian character and as it warms it becomes almost candy sweet.

On tap at my house poured a clear reddish brown with a small lingering tan head. Aromas of burnt carmel, toffee, d ark fruit and a hint of earthiness. Palte was medium bodied and smooth with a lightly dry finish. Flavors of burnt carmel, toffee, candi sugar and light fruittiness with a smooth lingering lightly sweet carmel finish.