Michigan Brewing Celis Grand Cru

Brewed by Michigan Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Webberville, Michigan USA

12oz bottle. This bottle is from the Austin, Tx brewery with a best before 11/01. I know I know, I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to rate it if it was bad but it’s really good and I will try and get a newer bottle and re-rate. pours hazy orange with creamy white head. nose is slightly soured with a sweet chocolate presence like a tootsie roll pop, and some orange citrus notes. weird but nice. flavor has aged into a real sweet and sour thing going on and i’m not sure where the artificial chocolate flavor is coming from but its there, there’s some spice and citrus finish to it. this is almost like a berliner weisse but not really. i’m sure this tastes nothing like it did fresh but i dig it.

Typical Belgian ale aroma - spice and fruit. Good golden color with a decent, though ephemeral, white head. Full bodied with mild creamy carbonation. The flavor is a bit sticky candi, with exotic light fruit esters. Like pineapple and banana. The finish is sweet (not sticky) with fruit and spice, and some floral hop notes. It has some bitter to balance the sweet. It is really very well put together.

Paler than Pilsener w/ absolutely no haze. Head of small bubbles dissapates quickly. Nose is Belgian cloves and banana fruitcake--maybe a bit much for my tastes. Lack of bitterness makes it come across slightly sweet but fine carbonation keeps it from coming across as sticky.

golden color with small white head. Spicy aroma with a prominent coriander component. Flavor yeasty up front then spicy and warm finishing slightly bitter and of coriander.

Pours light golden with a mostly receding wispy off-white head. Aroma of bubble gum, candy, honey, vanilla, herbal and spice notes of coriander and grains of paradise. Taste is sweet, estery with lightly sticky malts. Light note of alcohol and pepper. Mouthfeel is full bodied, lightly sticky with lush carbonation. Better than expected, quite enjoyable like a nice Tripel.

Clear gold. Not much aroma as all, it’s basically mint and nothing else. Flavor is herbal, plenty of pepper.

Had this beer on 4/7/1999 when it was still brewed by the Celis brewery. The color a light gold with a faint haze to it. Carbonation is good with a thin head. Taste is bursting with flavor. It starts with light to medium body that right off shows sings of a sour white taste. This goes down with a smooth feel and the flavor of coriander coming out a bit. Finish is all over the place with flavors coming from the malt hops and spices. It’s sweet, sour and spicy all at the same time. All of this is a bit much for me but it is still a good beer.

Name: Grand Cru Ale
Date: 05/02/1996
Mode: Bottle
Source: wine rack, MD

Appearance: misty yellow, thin head and nice lace,
Aroma: sweet spicy malt aroma,
Flavor: flavor contains high alcohol esters, lots of rich spicy malt character, just a touch of hops

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Score: **4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.