AleSmith Grand Cru

	Percentile
	99
	overall

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
San Diego, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Regional Distribution
Find this beer

send corrections | shelftag

Ratings	Average	Score	Seasonal	ABV	Style Pctl	Serve in
617	3.9/5.0	3.89/5.0	Winter	10.6%	96.7	Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Commercial Description:
Bottle conditioned.
AleSmith Grand Cru really needs to be tasted to be truly appreciated. Toasty, caramelly flavors, as well as flavors imparted by the Belgian yeast strain, predominate over a tapestry of subtle nuances. Winner of the blue ribbon at the 1999 California State Fair, it is a thing of beauty. It is available in 750 ml. champagne bottles. Appearance: Crystal clear (when served properly), with a toast-brown color. Flavor: Starts with the tangy flavor of our championship Belgian yeast, then fades to a medium-light flavor of vanilla, caramel and chocolate. Finishes dry and well-balanced with a slightly toasty flavor. Aroma: Vanilla and chocolate aromas predominate, along with the Belgian yeast characteristics. Mouthfeel (body/texture): Clean and crisp, medium-bodied. Warmth from the high alcohol content makes it feel like a fine wine.

Please Enable Javascript

This site requires javascript enabled and/or approval of googlesyndication.com.

Most Recent

Top Raters

Highest Ratings

Who's Rated This?

AgentSteve (1375), SF Bay Area, California, USA

4.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.2	9/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	18/20

Mar 27, 2008

Pours mahogany with no head and almost no carbonation. Nose is rich, like a caramel apple with malt. Flavor is smooth, dried summer fruits, with a dry finish. Creamy mothfeel. Awesome brew.

tytoanderso (1387), St. Louis Park, Minnesota, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	8/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	17/20

Mar 27, 2008

750ml with multiple thanks to Mike and Eugene. Rich, fruity and spicy aroma. Quite nice, actually. Apple skin. Brown sugar coated raisin and plum. Creme brulee. Cinnamon. Black tea and dried tobacco leaf. Toasted cinnamon bread. Pours dark, rich amber with a nice sized white head. More bready malt on the tongue than I expected. Brandy soaked dark fruit. Lots of crisp and spicy yeast. Green apple skin. Wheat toast. Medium to full bodied with vibrant carbonation.

emacgee (1888), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Mar 23, 2008

Via liquidsolutions. Pours a nice ruby amber with constant carbonation and a one finger creamy tan head. The aroma is rich and fruity, nice Belgian aroma, plum and raisin, rum and port aroma, spicy, caramel. The flavor is also fruity, light alcohol, warm rum and port, raisin and Belgian funk, spicy. Nice carbonation and a good mouthfeel. Very nice Belgian.

aubreya (676), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	7/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Mar 23, 2008

The color was a ruby/brown. The head was off-white, creamy, and thin. The aroma was sweet, raisin, alcohol, and some spice. The flavor was sweet malt, raisin, spice, and alcohol. The palate was nicely carbonated. The finish was warm and hoppy.

dm9831 (1167), Monee, Illinois, USA

2.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
2.9	5/10	3/5	6/10	2/5	13/20

Mar 13, 2008

pours dark brown, with a small off-white head. aroma of sweet fruit, vanilla, wood. flavor of grape wine with an alcoholic warmth. it’s alright with me.

deftim13 (103), California, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	7/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	16/20

Mar 11, 2008

750 Bottle. Pours orange/red with a small off white head. Smell is of apple, dried fruit, light vanilla and yeast. Taste leans toward a more caramel and apple with a slight sour note. Little bit of heat. Mouth feel was creamy and played well with the style. Does finish a little dry.

gotbeach (136), San Diego, California, USA

3.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.3	7/10	4/5	5/10	3/5	14/20

Mar 7, 2008

On tap at Alesmith. Pours light red with a diminishing tan head. Fruit and malt aroma and taste.

dkachur (2376), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	7/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Feb 23, 2008

Bottle. Pours an orangish color with minimal head and good lacing. Aroma is sour cherry and apple. Taste is complex, with fruits and butterscotch and coconut. Creamy texture. A little sour, with some green apple in the finish that doesn’t detract from the beer.

CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP

Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62

More Belgian Strong Ales By Style
Achilles Serafijn Christmas Angel 61
De Ranke Guldenberg 82
Lost Abbey 10 Commandments 93
Kuhnhenn Grand Cru 69
Urthel Hop-it 80
Delirium Nocturnum 72
Ommegang Adoration 78
COOP Ale Works DNR 80
Valley Brew Cuvee de Evil (Collaborative Evil - Brandy Barrel) 80
DuClaw Repent 89
Alvinne Melchior Bourgogne Barrel Oak Aged 66
Unibroue La Fringante 85
Midnight Sun Conspiracy 80
Unibroue Seigneuriale 78
Russian River Desperation 67

please support all of this page