Val-Dieu Grand Cru

Bottle. Pour is a nice brown with a dense tan head. Aromas are of nuts, burnt sugar and dark fruit. Flavor is a nice mix of the above with a high dose of alcohol that burns a bit around the edges. I would probably like this much better if the alcohol mellowed a bit, but at 10.5% I guess I have to resign myself to its presence. Extra high abv holds this back a bit in my opinion.

On tap at Pizza Port Carlsbad. Pours a brownish tan with lots of bubbles. Malts and carmalized sugars. Some maple too. Pretty darn good.

Pours a nice deep brown color with notes of molasses, cherries, and dark fruit. It was fizzy with good lacing, with flavors of dark fruit and sugary goodness. Excellent beer.

On tap @ City Beer, pours beautiful deep ruddy brown with a thin, tan head. The nose is excellent, with full dried fruit aromas, caramel, brown sugar and vinous fruits. The flavor follows suit perfectly, with a interesting woodsy, oak finish although this wasn’t barrel aged. VERY nice and hid the alcohol in well, but I definitely felt it half way through the glass!

The first pour produces a transluscent brown colour with little suspended yeast, but the second pour leaves a good amount of large particulates. The head is small and dense, light beige, and leaves good lacing. The aroma is rich with caramel malt, buttery toffee, blueberry, vinous notes (pinot noir), rasins, other dried fruits and some almond. The aromas are very distinct in this beer, leaving little guesswork for me. The flavours are equally distinct and rich. Flavours of buttery caramel, raisins, figs, other dried fruits, brown sugar, nuts, apple, cocoa and barley any booze to be detected. Its a little meaty too. The palate is full and chewy, finishing a bit oily, with gentle carbonation. Amazing.