Augustijn Grand Cru

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

Draught. Pours slightly hazy golden/yellow with a small white head. Aroma is slightly spicy yeast and sweet malt. Flavor is the same, with a bit of light fruit, slightly sticky, and various other flavors I can’t really place. The alcohol is slightly noticeable. Pretty good, and better than the average rating, I think, at least on tap.

Bottle: Poured a golden clear yellow with a thick bubbly carbonated head. The aroma is hoppy spice smell. The taste is very spicy opens the taste buds up and then the finish is brutal citrus and alcohol.

(Bottle, BB 04/12/08) Pours a clear yellow body with a large white head. Aroma of mustiness, corn, floral, and urine. Flavor of sweet malt, spicy yeast, and a hint of citrus.

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 3     Pale Yellow(1)->Copper(5) : 2     Still(1)->Volcanic Sparkling(5) : 4
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 3     Lasting: 3     Lacing : 2
Aroma:
Intensity : 3  
Yeast : 4   Bread : 2   Dough : 4   Esters : 2   Phenols : XX   Dusty : XX   Spicy : XX   Apple : 2   Banana : 2   Tropical Fruits : 2   Brett : XX   Barnyard : XX   Leather : XX   Wood : XX   Vinous : 1   Cheese : XX   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX
Malt : 2   Pilsner : 3   Pale : XX   Vienna : XX   Biscuity : XX   Toasty : XX   Hay : XX   Caramel : XX   Honey : 3   Cereals : XX   Grainy : 3   Wheat : XX
Hops : 2   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : XX   Perfume : XX   Orange : XX   Floral : XX   Lemon/Lime : XX   Herbal : 2   Grassy : 2   Piney : XX
Notes : Pepper : 2   Cloves : XX   Coriander : XX   Ginger : XX   Orange : 2   Earth : XX   Vanilla : XX   Oxidation : XX   Bubblegum : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Sourness : XX   Acetic : XX   Lactic : XX   Bitterness : XX   Farmy : XX   Complex : 2   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 3   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 4   Clean : XX   Sharp : 2   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : XX   Mineral : XX

Comments: Typical sweet, spicy, bready and rather banana/acetaldehyde-like strong blonde from Van Steenberge that makes you feel like you’ve had it under a different name a few times in the past.

Unclear yellow with an full egg white head. Aroma is yeast fruit & spices. Strong spicy alcohol taste. Malty light sweet before a moderate bitter end.

Golden, slightly opaque. Lasting head. Aroma is appealing, mild yeast. Heavy alcohol flavor. Besides the alcohol there is a dominant estery green apple flavor, some bitterness in the finish. Although I realize this beer falls into a different style category I still feel that it is not as well balanced as the Augustijn trappist ale. Pretty one dimensional.

My notes (from a while ago!) tell me this is "an average belgian beer" I bought it as a bin-end from Oddbins.

Bottle at Cafe Ledig Erf in UItrecht. Aroma is swett a bit honey-like. Flavor is a bit fruity, apples, fresh. Overall an enjoyable brew, but not outstanding.