AleSmith Grand Cru

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

[Vintage 2003, sampled July 2004] A hazy bourgundy colored beer with a fine dark beige head. The aroma is sweet with notes of alcohol, caramel, and peach. The flavor contains strong notes of alcohol, that runs over the tongue, but also notes of roasted malt, caramel, prunes, and overripe plums. To my surprise the body is thin - weird for a beer of 10.6% ABV. This one will probably mature and get better.

(Bottle 75 cl) 10% ABV in my version. Ruby red with a small, white head. Complex, vinous, sweetish aroma. Very full-bodied with sweet port-like notes and some fruit. Appears a bit too sweet - actually a bit cloying. Very limited bitterness. 160106

75 cL bottle. Pours hazy orange with a lacing off-white head. Aroma is dusty and somewhat ashtray like, tobacco. Flavour is softly sweetend with a slight note of dried fruit. Softly sweet and not overly so. Ends with a warming alcohol finish.

Bottled. Nut brown, clear. Aroma of molasses. Sweet, rich and very malt. There are some chocolate and a apeppery sensation from all the alcohol. Salty finish. There are some really big flavours here, but I wouldn’t call it complex - which of course doesn’t mean that it is not a really good beer.

Bottle, thanks to Engelsmann for sharing. Cloudy orange coloured with an off white head. Aroma of dried fruits, caramel and spices. Flavour of dried fruits, caramel, spices and alcohol.

Date: 03/04/2005
Score: upgrade ii to iii

picking up more fruity character and a creamy vanilla touch
-------- /> Date: 12/01/2005
Mode: draft
Source: brewery

rich sweet fruity malt aroma and flavor, warm and wonderful, great vanilla character
-------- /> Date: 04/22/2006

nice fruity malt flavor, a bit subdued with age, light bitterness, a touch over the hill, lots of sweet brown sugar upon warming, still a lot of hot oxidized burn,
-------- /> Date: 02/23/2007
Mode: bottle
Score: 3.5 to 4.1

dark ruby red, wispy beige head, sweet fruity aroma with ripe dates, rich fruit flavor keeps geeting richer and richer, hint of sweet milk chocolate in the aroma and flavor adds complexity, nice creamy vanilla, little to no apparent alcohol
-------- /> Date: 02/07/2008
Mode: bottle
Source: aa

I keep forgetting how wonderful this beer is

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 10/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4
-------- /> Date: 01/21/2005
Mode: Bottle Conditioned
Source: Trade
Vintage: 2003

dark chocolate brown, whispy head, sweet candy carmel malt flavor, rich malt flavor, mostly dry, needs more depth and complexity, a bit too light for age to help a lot

While it may be doubtful that I can match the sheer verbosity of my fellow raters with regards to this beer, I shall give it the old college try. Slightly hazy, red colour; huge malt aroma; flavour of sweet peaches, plums, toffee, with a vibrant fruitiness and a big, deep malt. In five years, this will go Gale’s POA on you. Again, this was a Gusler special.

Dark mahogany with a medium off white head. Flavour was sweet with caramel notes, hops, malt and hoppy notes that gave it a bitter finish.