Abbaye des Rocs Grand Cru

Brewed by Brasserie de l’Abbaye des Rocs
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Montignies-sur-Roc, Belgium

POP! The cork is off, there's no turning back, in we go...A lovely, hazy tumult of deep auburn colored brew pours into my glass, joined by a Brobdignagian layer of fizzy, creamy, off-orange foam. Looks good so far, I'm tingling so far. Aroma: lemon...biscuits...orange...must...sour...but sweet...cinnamon...a spiced lemon cookie, to wrap it succinctly. Nice. Lively, luscious, in an utterly other realm than any other beer I've ever sniffed. Taste...Good Idea, let's! Oh, it's happening again! A shockwave of pleasure engulfs and enwraps my body and all the senses. Certainly very winey in flavor, but uniquely beery, too! Softly peppery, deep in dark fruit (besides grape, we wander among fields of cherries, berries, melons), it's a grand melange, a masterful marriage of flavors. There's something uplifting here, something that sets my soul free, something that happens in few brews, and you know it when you feel it, and it's happening now! Something ancient exists in this, a collection of metaphysical passages through the centuries. It feels light at times, deep at others, citric for a stage, then a touch woody, even oaky, showing some malt, as if peeking through peepholes in a glimpse through time itself. If my remarks seem grandiose, forgive this foolish ale imbiber, for there's simply no better way to transmit the feelings this glorious brew delivers than to let imagination soar, and transplant the sensations into corresponding comments that may seem at times beyond the ordinary. So be it, for this beer is...I'm still drinking, it's still changing, tasting sweeter now, with a sharp candyish feel, still an underlying layer of tart. The tongue dances and darts, utterly delighted by the play it encounters from this frisky brew. Sweet, deep, dark, toffee-ish, completely original, a meal in a bottle, a dream trapped under a cork, ... Oh, so very, very, very wonderful! I wish it would never end.

The perfect beer! Complex malty, spicy flavor. Aroma of dark dried fruits, berries, some spices... . Deliciously sweet and tangy. Fresh feeling in the mouth. Gourgeous brown color with lots of sediment. My favorite beer!

Colore ambrato,gran schiuma marrone chiaro.Profumo di luppolo,malto tostato,nocciole.Gusto amaro con sentori di nocciola,in bocca risulta quasi oleosa,tipo sciroppo.Retrogusto di tostato.Complessa ale.Ottima

How can I explain my sheer enjoyment of this brew? First and foremost, mouthfeel was incredible! Tons of yeasty floaties and soupy nutrition. Taste and nose were very sweet, lots of fruit (plums, dates, cherry) honey, butterscotch, caramel, sugar. No alchohol burn either. Hands down, this Cru is a must try. Highly recommended.

Pours a ruby brown, topped by at least 2" of soft and fluffy beige foam. Good head retention and very nice lacing. Lots (I mean whole lots) of dark brown yeast floaties swimming around. They never seem to settle (maybe I drink too fast?)... Aroma of caramel and chocolate covered raisins with faint cherry. A bready and yeasty aroma comes out as it warms. Wow - what an incredible mix of flavor. Malty - caramel, dark honey, and toffee. Fruity - fig, date, dark sweet cherry, plum, and tart gooseberry. The fruitiness becomes even more pronounced and complex as it warms. Spicy - dry spiciness in the finish with nutmeg, vanilla, and a hint of bread yeast. Anything else - why yes - how about a little bit of warming and soothing rum? Absolutely delicious. Great rich mouthfeel - yet exceptionally smooth and maybe the softest beer ever. Lots and lots of very gentle carbonation.

Pours dirty brown honey with a fast and furious creamy froth you mght think was trying to escape from Alkatraz right from the bottle. Aroma is sweet and musty candied malt and cooked liver. Full nectar w/ mellow reiduals. Flavors are very fruity w/ heavy earthy tropshire. Not sweet, and very warming. Slight alcohol on the finish. A slight dection of moscato melon rind. Finish has a slight bittering. good cold or warm. well ballanced. Overall: it lives up to the hype. Fantastic and highly recommended.

Mind blowing brew on tap at Brasserie V (nice everything) by Camp Randall stadium in Madtown. dried fruits, roasted almonds, peaches, cherries, honey...hides the 9.5? whallop in ample carbonation.Great hazy look and perfume aroma. If it was a touch less sweet it would have been a perfect 5. Not my favorite style but wow!

An absolute gem of a beer on tap. Beautiful in appearance and unforgettable in taste. Furthermore, despite the high alcohol content, it is incredibly drinkable.