Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

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

(2006 vintage - 14.6%) Pours a deep copper/amber with brown highlights that is remarkably clear. It also has a medium-sized, short-lived, yellow/tan head consisting of large bubbles that leave lots of lace on the glass. The aroma is chockful of malts, malts, and more malts. There are also aromas of caramel, hard candy, raisins, dates, and honey. The flavor is about the same: it starts with tons of sweet, sugary malts. There are other sweet flavors, too (honey and molasses), and there is some fruit in there (honey-covered dates). The middle of the tongue detects the slightest touch of bitterness - light but accented by the sting of carbonation. The finish is very full-bodied, uber-strong with malt, and full of alcohol. The mouthfeel is creamy and well-carbonated, and it is also quite thick - almost syrupy. Overall, a very special dessert beer that really shows the flavor of malts. The only regret: it could have been better were it a little bit drier and with a touch more balance of bitterness.

Bottle, bought @ Wohlenbergs, Sønderborg. Pours a pretty woody red-brown with a firm, yellowish head. Aroma has dough, heavy malty caramel and a lot of alcohol. Very oily mouthfeel. Flavour is extremely vinious, a clear presence of alcohol at the beginning. A lot of malty sweetness with caramel and a little hops. Very warming afterwards. More of a barley wine than a BSA. Too much alcohol, I’m afraid.

Tap. At the 14th Avery Anniversary party. A sweet finish with a heavy malty taste and noticable alcohol content. Crude Oil appearance with a small tan creamy head, smells of sweet hoppy and malty aroma.

holy #%@!. 2005 batch. wow. a friend of mine grabbed a bottle at a liqour store today and split it between 4 guys. very hot, although the 04 version has to be more. i think i might prefer this one better, because of the less alcohol/ more taste. even though the taste and smell is a beast. ’04 Batch: could be just as hot as the 05, i couldn’t really taste a difference in alcohol at all. very well hidden with just a faint aroma.

Red mahogany with big, foamy head / Big nose of vine fruit and alcohol / Full bodied with spritzy carbonation / Sweet, syrupy, complex flavors of raisins, figs, dates, backstrap molasses, cinnamon, and stick sugar / More like a sweet sherry. If you can accept the style, this is a spectacular beer. An extra point just for the insanity. (Share in liqueur glasses.)

We make a a good pair, this beer and I. Beauty and the Beast. I do believe carnal relations with this creature is illegal in most states. 12 oz. bottle (’05 15% rendition), all I could handle. May be the most ridiculous beer I’ve had yet, which may be saying something. This or Founders Devil Dancer IIIPA. Heavy portly fumes, very slick-syrpuy with fruity undertones heavy on the sugar. This one doesn’t even bother trying to hide the alcohol. How does one even rate something like this? Along some dimensions it’s fabulous; along others almost sickening. It’s akin to a barley wine with a bunch of figgy sweetness crammed right in there. I give it a couple extra points just for being so ridiculous. The Beast may be foolish and ignorant, but it’s got guts, and that’s good enough. Carry on, ladies.

I am convinced after looking at these ratings that people on this site will rate any strong beer high. This was a drain pour for me. Pour was a flat light brown with no head. Aroma of alcohol and cinamon. Taste was incredibly sweet and hot. Can’t pick up much other than alcohol and sweet and sticky malt with sugar being strong as well. This beer makes a hot day seem hotter and wetter. Blah. I guess some people think strong = good but I don’t.

I brought the ’05 for theisti and KAggie 97. KAggie brought the ’06. 2005: Clear mahogany color with very little head. Big raisin and maple and honey nose. Huge alcohol warming sensation with strong candied and sugar flavors. RATING: 7/4/8/4/16 = 3.9 2006: Similar in appearance to the 2005, but with a foamy tan head. Take some raisin and brown sugar and mix it with bourbon aromas. Nice. Not initially, with lots of candied fruits like apricots (and raspberries as it warms) as well ass rose and floral notes...and these all get swept away by cloying sweetness. Seems like it needs more time to mellow just a bit. RATING: 7/4/7/3/15 = 3.6