Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

Pours dark brown, mostly cloudy, practically no head save for some trace tan foam at the top. Not much carbonation, can’t see any bubbles. Appears syrupy like a liquer. Dominate smell is half-dried plum, dark sugar second, and rhubarb, grape coming in last. I only detect a tinge of alcohol in the aroma and I have a great sniffer. The beer explodes in the mouth, drawing in nice and easy, and quicky turning very strong, like you took too big a drink, because it’s smooth then develops. This stuff is like taking a swig of a 17% liquer, so it hits you like that. You would never take a mouthful. It has a neat effect. It’s smooth, then fizzes a little on the tongue, and sweet plum, sugar, malt, and a little hop bitterness all develop in the flavor in rapid succession. Quite a feat I would say to make a beer that entertains like this while one is drinking it. Definately one of my favorite strong ales. The beer goes down smooth enough with only a little burn. It really doesn’t taste like alchol much at all, like a lot of beers of this strength do. It’s a little hard to swallow, you kinda have to pucker up and gulp it because your palate is telling you, woah buddy! Is that beer?

Bottle (2007). Sweet plum, raisin and alcohol aroma.. Chestnut color with a small off white head. Very sweet body with loads of fruit, prunes and raisin flavors. Sweet fruity palate. with strong alcohol notes.

2007. Walked it around the house to see in different lights. The color really changes with the light so let’s just say a clear red amber with a creamy tan head that has lasted through my house tour. The aroma reminds me of the leftover mash of plums, chokecherry and rhubarb Mom tossed out when she made wine. The flavor is intense, like a light version of the brandy cordial I’d get a sip of as a kid at Christmas time. The flavor has a great way of just slowly receding, not changing, not becoming an aftertaste, just pleasantly fading away.

2006 12oz bottle. Pours a hazy crimson-hued amber with a tan head that dimples as it slowly fades. The nose is insanely complex, with suggestions of raisins, honey covered dark pitted fruits, vinous malts, orange zest, molasses and a peppery overtone. The first sip overwhelms the palate with intense sweetness and high viscosity. The carbonation sizzles on the tongue as the syrupy liquid coats tooth and gum. It is boozy and vinous, more like a barley wine if I had to guess, but Belgian Strong is a vague enough category for it to fit. The raisins, dates and multitudes of sugars used are very much apparenet. Alfalfa sprout has a significant presence in the finish. The palate duration is very long and sticky, leaving flavours of honey, jagery, pepper, candy sugar and plum (and other dark fruits). Outstanding offering from a brewery that has yet to dissapoint me.

18.1% batch 2 Bottle huge thanks to degarth. I forgot to write down the notes for this one as i was too busy dancing and singing and socialising as one does on a thursay nite wrecked at home with a chum, however it just so happens that this beer is soo hardcore that the chum didnt finish his so i can rate it again now. Aroma is everything i love about belgiun ale, sweet yeasty fruity, cellar, sherry, rum, brown sugar, plums, really intence and really appealing, the age is showing nicely, im guessing that this would have been a whole point less fresh. Taste is full on, i mean the body is nearly dark lord, coats the mouth sticky character, alround similar to the aroma, you can feel the alc far more than taste it, finish says come now your getting far too drunk again, however also says give me more!

2005 Vintage bomber shared by Indra at csbosox’s tasting, on 3/7/08. Pours a muddy brown with a thin beige ring around the edge of the glass. The nose is sweet and malty, dominated by notes of brown sugar and a solid punch of alcohol. Full-bodied, almost syrupy, with a warm alcohol finish. Brown sugar, candied dark fruit and alcohol. Appropriately named, this is a big warming monster of a beer. Thanks for sharing it with us, Eric.

Batch 5: Pours a beautiful dark ruby/copper, with an awesome thick and creamy light tan head. Ultra malty caramel aroma with very little else except possibly a hint of port wine poking through... Delicious caramel explosion right away followed by a strong but smooth port/spiced wine finish. This brew masks the high ABV well except for the heat radiating from my stomach and the fact that the bubbles cling to the glass like glue! Could have used some mellowing.

2006 bottle. Pours a deep burgundy to ruddy brown with a creamy very light tan head. The nose is immensely sweet. Alcohol, molasses, raisins. More like a liquor than a beer, not that I mind! Not a ton of complexity, but pleasant enough to smell. Thick on the tongue, bordering on syrupy. Lower carbonation, but not flat. The flavors are sharp and a bit more enjoyable than the nose. Big round sweetness. Full of caramel. Molasses, raisins, brown bread! Alcohol. A bit of something citrusy? Orange? Just a hint of that Belgian fruitiness. This is a nice enough beer really. A bit of a beast, heh, but there’s enough going on to support the ABV. Figs and some light dates or brown sugar pops out more as it warms.