Michigan Brewing Celis Grand Cru

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

Pours a filtered straw gold with a loose and dissipating white head. Aroma is phenolic; peppery, some fusels, lemons with a textured belgian ester character. Body is med-light with moderate CO2. Flavors are accessible to even the lesser pallate yet complex and layered. Corriander, white pepper, cloves and vanilla all come to the show. Finish is fairly sweet and warming. This is a nice Tripel, but it could use a little cleaner alcohol character, higher CO2 and a better looking head.

whoa, this is too sweet. pours a crystal clear golden yellow with a fast fading head. aroma is sweet malts with some spice and tons more of sweet malt. the flavor is more of the same, did I mention this one is too sweet. well, you get the idea.

Bottle. Yikes! This is one cloying mess of a beer. The sweetness takes away from almost all of the spicy notes. On a positive note, the ABV is well hidden.

I decided to try this head to head with the Michigan Brewing Celis White so that I could compare the two styles... The Grand Cru is a clear light golden yellow with moderate carbonation. Foamy white head that recedes pretty quickly leaving a small crown. Bready and undistiguishable herb/spice aroma. Flavor is pretty sweet initially, then a little orange and spicy, then a BIG hit of alcohol, and finally a nice bitterness. Quite different from the White (as expected), but I was surprised by the forwardness of the alcohol as it is not well hidden (although it seems to mellow out a bit as it warms). This beer is growing on me as it warms... 12 oz bottle; $1.50 from River’s Bend.

Grassy aroma with a little yeast and the slightest bit of spice. Slightly cloudy gold color with almost no head at all. Taste is similar to the flavor, you can definitely tell this is a belgian style beer. Doughy, slightly malty and a little coriander.... but the carbonation seems a bit heavy. The 8% is masked well, but I think a beer of this character would do well if it were a bit thicker.

Weak aromas of grass and a little bit of spice over a rather dull body that’s a clear straw color with a small head. Flavor is sweey and a little metallic.

Pours gold with a large white head. Malty aroma with some spice--mostly coriander. Belgian yeast reminds me of the nation of inspiration. A strong blast of coriander starts off the flavor. That coriander quickly gives way to a nondescript Belgian flavor with bready malts filling in the blank spaces. The finish is full of pepper and light fruit. Very respectable domestic Belgian.

Pours a clear bright golden with a frothy, well-lacing, lingering white head. Aroma has a nice biscuity Belgian malty sweetness, a touch of coriander and an authentic bready yeasty presence. Body starts full, sweet and malty with good carbonation and a nice peppery coriander and clove spice balance and good complexity. Finishes slightly warming, but very authentic and drinkable. An enjoyable Belgian Trippel.