Augustijn Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ertvelde, Belgium

(33cl bottle) Purchased at the Strath in Victoria. Pours a clouded, golden body with a foamy white head. Nose if very perfume with a malted core. This beer can very well be what all Belgian Ales should be compared to (like Guinness is to Stouts). Great oily texture, very brown sugar maltedness and clove elixir finish. Good.

Hazy golden straw colour with lots of foamy white head. Aroma was sugary with noticeable alcohol and slightly musty. Some yeastiness in the flavour and malts but rather thin and quite boozy.

Dark golden color. Fine aroma with flower notes. Disapointing appearance, low head. Much alcohol in the flavor. Sweet malt too. Strong ale. I prefer the normal augustijn.

Tasted 25/03/2008. 330ml bottle from Regional Wines and Spirits. Pours straw gold, brilliant until a touch of the yeast drops in at the last. Huge, light and airy white head balloons out of the strong carbonation and then droops slightly before standing firm. Crystal-like lacing all the way down the glass. Nose is mild, quite clean, with a shade of floral and pepper from the yeast and a slightly herbal alcohol note. Reasonably clean in the mouth, effervescent, with a hint of grain and a load of mouth-filling alcohol. Alcohol dominates the flavour. Mild bitterness and very low hop flavour. Light-medium weight, strong carbonation. Fairly well made but the alcohol dominates and it isn’t a beer I’d be all that interested in drinking again. Upped aroma two points - 3.0. Tasted 28/08/2006. 330ml bottle from Rumble’s, Wellington. Pale gold, with a touch of yeast swirling and a creamy white head. Musty note on the nose first, not unpleasant, then some spicy phenols and a sweet barley sugar note. Vinyl becomes dominant. Dry and spicy in the mouth, with a nice background sweetness. Cloves through the middle and in the lightly tart finish. Soft carbonation. Too much vinyl lingering. 2.8.

From the bottle, a bottle I bought next door to the pub I drank it at. Unrecorded name, but I just needed to taste it. Tried at De’ Pub, Brugges, Belgium.
Poured very similar to the Augustijn Tripel I tasted just prior to this, though this one couldn’t wait to get out the bottle. Hazy, fiery orange gold in body. Head rose up and out the glass, yet later receded back down to a half inch bed of cream that left minor lacing. Spicy yeast and alcohol phenols, and ripe peaches seem to be the order of the day as far as aroma. Light touch of candi adds sweetness and some lemony sour notes aid the peachy tartness. In the mouth it is lighter in body than the Tripel and the alcohol is quite heady and potent, being warming and medicinal right across the palate. Undertones of sour, tart fruits like lemons, peaches and limes fill out the cracks, as does some doughy malt and herbal, dusty hops in back. Finish is disappointingly short, hot and a little harsh with aid from it’s rather bouncy, generally annoying carbonation. Not too good at all, plenty out there that top this one. Plenty!!! ( 33cL, 12/06/07)

Fine aroma with some flower notes. Disapointing appearance, low head. To much alcohol in the flavor. Sweet malt too. Very strong ale.

Bottle. Golden colour with a lasting white head. Aroma of alcohol, spice, lemon and some yeast. Flavour of spice and malt that ends in a warm alcoholic finish.

Dark yellow color, big white head. Cloudy appearance. Obvious orange with spices, some lemon and licorice in aroma. Medium bodied, slightly watery palate. Flavor has also mild spices, lemon and licorice, aftertaste has medium alcohol, too much of it in here. Nice lace in glass.