Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

On tap at Naked City. Pours clear reddish brown with a nice lasting beige head. Boozy raisins, honey, and malt. So sweet and syrupy I was surprised that the finish had a little bitterness to it.

Batch 6. Pours a clear amber-brown with a small ivory head. Aroma is quite pleasant: Of heavy malts, overripe dark fruit. The candy sugar is more than apparent in the aroma. The flavor is surprisingly complex; the alcohol is obvious, but it cooperates with the other flavors, not overpowering them. Nice dark fruits (cherry) again and with force, candy sugar. The hops are what’s holding it all together. Very hoppy for a Cru, and it works beautifully. Without the hop counterpoint, this would be a sugar overload, even for us that like a little sweetness. Instead, it’s a profound slow-sipper that’ll warm you up whether you need it or not. Medium viscosity, creamy mouthfeel, bitter lasting finish. Overall, very good.

This tastes great, but it took me a while to understand that. First I had to get over the aroma, which was more intense than the flavor on most beer. It was really a kick in the face before the beer even touched my lips. After getting used to that, I loved it. Lots of different flavors. Complex as all hell.

2005. Pours a murky red orange with wisps of a light tan head. The nose is super rich, raisiny, caramel, cloyingly sweet, molasses, oxidized. Taste some prune, strong flavor, very rich and sweet, god awful. No Belgian character.

Batch 3. VERY powerful aroma from a highly differentiated dark to light brown pour with sporadic foam and legs. Sickeningly sweet throughout taste with strong date and molasses presence. Slightly slick, thick mouthfeel. WOW. Too sweet and hot.

12 oz. bottle-batch 6- FIRST DRINK- WOW, holy shit this beer is strong. Brown muddy look with very little head, the alcohol probably kills it. Highest alcohol brew i’ve ever had. I like it, although i am glad it is only a 12 oz. instead of a 750. LAST DRINK- This is a deceptively smooth beer, drinkable til the last drop, which can get you into trouble with an alcohol content of 16.31, kick ass label by the way.

Vintage 2008 – The Wine Shoppe (tasting) – Myrtle Beach, SC. Thanks for sharing, Chuck! Clear copper, off-white creamy head. Intense brandy cream and cognac infused dark fruit cake aromas ride deep undercurrents of Grand Marnier and hints of cherry almond. Candied pineapple and orange rye-like flavors give way to a closing soft finale of warming brown sugary booze. Full bodied and slick, soft carbonation, sweet fruity finish. If ever there was a perfect cigar beer….

2008 version aged a year. Pours chestnut with dense tan head. Nose is all honey and brown sugar. Very sweet beer, but the alcohol doesn’t hide. It jumps right out at you. Tastes similar to a sherry. Quicker finish than I’d thought.