North Coast Cru dOr (Whole Foods)

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Fort Bragg, California USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Pleasant aroma, taste and palate, but I’m not thrilled. [short review due to it coming from my backlog]

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours very hazy dark reddish brown color with a 1 finger fairly dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace that lingers. Spotty wisps of foamy lacing cling on the glass. Aromas of raisin, prune, caramel, toffee, toast, chocolate, dark bread, earth, and light yeast spiciness. Nice aromas with good balance and decent strength. Taste of raisin, prune, toffee, caramel, toast, chocolate, earth, bread, and light yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of dark fruit, toffee, caramel, toast, chocolate, bread, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a bit. Very nice balance and complexity of flavors; nicely robust with zero cloying flavors on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied; with a creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good Belgian dark ale. Nice complexity, balance, and robustness of flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Bottle. Interesting brew. Seemed like a lot going on. Some moleasses, dark fruit esters, chocolate, some floral aromas and bread. The blend was off, but not horrile.

A hazed brown ale with a thin brown head. In aroma, light candy sugar with notes of dark fruits, plum and mineral water. In mouth, a sweet molassey malt with notes of burned sugar, orange peels, a bit boring...

Huge thanks to match1112 for this treat. Not sure what the vintage is but he told me that the beer has a few years on it. Poured from 12oz bottle to Duvel over-sized tulip glass: Pours a hazy caramel brown with a finger or two of tannish head that receeds to one side of the glass, no real collar but still a slight bit of lacing. Big toffee and dates on the nose. Some mushy cherries and red grapes. Very smooth and no detectable oxidation or booze presence. Those bright fruits have settled down quite a bit. Some figs, a very slight cardboard taste that lingers - just barely noticeable. Pretty dry finish. It seems as though the beer has lost nearly all its carbonation. Just enough to produce a short-lived head. Never thought I’d get the chance to try this beer - thanks very much Matt!

355mL thanks to brainlair. Clear, deep ruby with a larger yellowish head with good retention. No lace really. Very malty, heavier nose with barleywine toffee and caramel nose. Surprisingly similar to Old Stock. Taste is watery, void, pretty bland. Palate is soapy, empty. Very odd.

12 oz bottle. Pours amber with an off-white head. Candied fruit aroma, berry, cherry, banana, and bubble gum. Flavor immediately reminds me of cotton candy, sugary with banana, berry, caramel, toffee, raisin. Actually unique and quite nice.

Bottle pours a muddy red/brown with a tiny tan head and lacing. Scent is malts, caramel and fruit, dates? Taste is sweet and tart with no bitterness, dry finish.

12oz bottle in a Trappist glass. Aroma of alcohol and dough. Pours an opaque amber-brown with a tan head. Full bodied, and lively carbonation. Flavor of oats, apparent Belgian style yeast, with an aftertaste of alcohol (not in a bad way though). Good American Belgian-style ale.

A deep golden beer with a nice head, the beer looks pretty good. The head dissipates a bit rapidly. Fairly sweet and well-balanced but a bit light for my taste. Good for North Coast for making an organic Dubbel but unless you buy based on this one criteria, you’re better served elsewhere.