Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Boulder, Colorado USA

Bottled in 2007, the 12 ounce bottle poured a beautiful ruby colored crystal clear beverage with a modest sized creamy off-white head that was mostly diminishing but left good lacing on the glass. The aroma was mostly malty with notes of sweet dark Belgian candy sugar, orange, coriander and subtle notes of sweet sherry. The body was full with lively somewhat sharp carbonation and a syrupy thick texture. The flavor was very sweet from beginning to the end of the long finish. There was a decided alcohol warmth and an alcohol bite to it as well. Maybe I should have laid this one down for a year or two before tasting it.

Bottled in 2005. Malty aroma, sugar with some smokish peat, overripe berries, and strong alcohol. Heft caramel ala many American Strong Ales. Touch of honey and wheat, but the hops are all muddled. Dates and a touch of Belgian candy sugar. Deep red pour, dark and browning. Creamy beige head. Taste is sugary sweet with tongue-numbing hot alcohol, spices, too much candy sugar. Cloys. Molasses and raisins and dark honey and yeast. Full syrupy body. Aftertaste is medicinal. Another in the trend of producing gummy, high abv, liquerish sippers, and a muddled mess in all but the smallest of contemplative sips.

Large off-white head. Good lacing. Mostly lasting longevity. Heavy malty aroma. Clear red body. Light bitter flavor with light sweet syrup finish flavor and a long duration. Medium palate with oily texture.

Aroma is a bold sweet malt scent with a full yeast scent blended into it. Color is a bright amber with very good carbonation and a very tight thick head. Taste is very rich and sweet. Starting with a rich body that goes down a bit sharp. Finish comes on rich with a sweet malt flavor that has a bold dried fruit like taste and a fruity Belgian yeast taste. The after taste is almost wine like with a warming alcohol feel. Overall I feel its a great brew but it is a bit rich.

Batch 3. Aged 2 years. Pours deep amber into a Trappist glass. Trace of a head hugs rim. Pit fruit and alcohol aromas. Thick molasses and raisin with a lasting candi finish. Sweet and alcoholic -- but complex and satifsyingly portlike.

Batch 4 brewed in 2006 12 oz bottle purchsed at Spirits. Poured a clear dense reddish/brown with a large light tan head that leaves a thick pool of head that coats the top of the beer like an oil slick. Sticky sweet aroma of dark fruit, honey. molasses, candied brown sugar, slight alcohol and some light floarl notes. Thick full bodied that fills the mouth yet slides down your throat as smooth and creamy as a milk shake. Noticable carbonation creeping up on the back of my throat competing with a lsight alcohol warming. Very sweet flavor that dances around in your mouth with notes of sugar, honey, maple syrup, figs, prunes, grains, slight alcohol and a malts. Not sure why I’m suprised since I have basically loved everything I have tried from Avery but let me say it....Holy Fuckin Shit is this stuff good. I just can’t figure out why it’s not sold in six packs ridiculous ABC be damned. I’m stocking up on this one!!!!!!

bottle dated 2006 I guess is batch 4 poured into a snifter has a fully hazed orange brown color and nice lacing on the surface with a ring of tan foam on the glass. aromas of alcohol, fig, brown sugar, plum, dates, and just is a pleasant aroma to take in. right from the first sip you know this is serious, took me a while of sipping to become accustomed to it and start to taste some of the flavors. good carbination through the tasting would re lace with a light swirl, sticky sweet but not quite to the overbearing point, brown sugar, molasses, malts, so many layers of dark fruits. really enjoyed one of these but it will take a while to find the need for another bottle.

Batch 3: What the ? This brew pours like liquid caramel, soupy and opaque brown. Gives off a decent head that reuces to a full creamy ring of lace. Aromas are strong and sweet w/ a defined herbal essence. Viscous and soupy full texture w/ mild carbonation. This stuff is so thick I could choke. Big fat caramel malts so decadent it could be describedas bacon fat. Flavors of molases, cherry, kiwi, cocoa, ripe peach nectar, leather, grapes, melon, the list goes on and on. The finish never stops giving as this brew is very generous. Theres a bit of peachpit and a slight tartness on the finish. Overall: this is a Barleywine, no if’s, and’s or but’s about it. It’s sweet as jellybeans and chews like gummy bears. Not much of a hop presence.