Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

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

This is indeed a beast of a beer - dark copper poor without much of a head, but good lacing for such a high abv brew - complex aroma of alcohol, toffee, caramel, raisins, christmas cookies - flavor is quite sweet, but is expertly balanced by a swelling hop presence that dominates toward the end - the flavor is full of dark fruits, raisins, dates, plums - brown sugar, belgian sugars, slight chocolate, and loads of caramel - alcohol burn at the end, but the high alcohol content is still fairly well-masked - many of this beer's qualities remind me of Raison D'Extra - hops hang around in the finish and make sure that the sweetness doesn't strain your taste buds - this is some impressive stuff, esp. considering it's so young - age this stuff and it will be amazing.

What a great beer to have for my 500th beer. I get to share this monumental occasion with a great friend palidor19 who rates so many beers with me. The aroma of this beer is so complex it’s hard to describe. There is definitely a wood characteristic along with caramel, honey, malt, vinegar, fruity, and yeasty. The appearance is reddish brown with a medium foamy head. The flavor is equally complex. There is molasses, fruit, malt, alcohol, and astringent hops. The palate is thick and oily. The aftertaste is medicinal. This beer is like no other I have had. Sadly there is just too much here that is not pleasant to rate it higher.

The beer disembogues the 22-ounce brown bottle a luminous ruby brown with a dinosauric frothy light tan head that settles rather quickly and the residual lace a tight sheet upon the glass. Oh my, is that alcohol I smell, sweet malt, caramel, over ripe pineapple, fresh, crisp, clean and a damn fine treat for my old schnozzle, start is all alcohol with a monsterous sweetness and a fair grain profile, the top is moderate to full in feel. Finish is submissive in its acidity with the hops burned out of existence by the 18.1 percent ABV and the specialty sugars leave a thick sweetness on the palate, big tummy warmer that is also quite dry, a monster of a beer, but one I do not think will appeal too many.

Sweet, pungent nose, dominated by molasses and soy sauce. Similar taste, cloying sweetness, maybe a very slight touch of smokiness. I don’t know, the sweetness is so overwhelming. The only other thing you taste is alcohol. $9.50 for a 12 oz is a bit steep, eh.

Small light tan head, clear amber body. Sweet and sugary aroma with notes of malt, caramel, brown sugar and cookie and a tone of wet wood. Full, candied and inviting. Strong and warming flavor with lots of malt, dark fruit and candy and also a good hoppyness. Thick, strong and very extreme. A little cloying, but tasty and different. A beer I would definately drink again, but one whole bottle is too much!

Bottle on 11/30/2008 at the 3rd Annual Richmond Industry Gathering. Bomber from first year of bottling. Clear golden body with a thin tan head. Big caramel, molassas and alcohol aroma. Huge caramel and sugar flavor with more alcohol. Medium full body with low carbonation and a syrupy finish. 8/3/8/3/15 - 3.7 04/01/2006: 14.9% ABV. Clear dark amber color with a thin fully diminishing white head. Dark malt, caramel and a hint of molassas aromas. Sweet syrupy flavor, noticable fruit, with hints of caramel and light molassas. 7/4/8/3/16 - 3.8

[945-20071207] 12floz (Vintage 2005). Very boozy grainy roasted malt aroma. Clear, very dark red mahogany body with medium-lasting foamy light tan head. Dark roasted malt flavour has a sweet sickly finish and burnt wood notes throughout. Full body is smooth and rich. Interesting. (7/4/7/4/15) 3.7

[2069B-20090402] 12floz bottle. Sweet figgy rich roasted malt aroma with fruity currants. Hazy, dark brown body with a medium-lasting foamy light yellow head. Sweet currants continue in the flavour with a boozy rich malt and sweet figgy fruits. Heavy full body. Good. (7/3/8/4/15) 3.7
Overheard: "It was rocket fuel the first time I had it."
(Vintage 2005; w/ garthicus, HogTownHarry, jerc)

2005 bottle shared with GregClow, Hogtown Harry, Jerc, and Blankboy, thanks big time to Harry and Dave B for the chance to try it. Wonderful fiery red, bubbly small head. Huge alcohol aroma, very rich, malt. Lovely taste: lots of alcohol but enough malt to back it up, very sweet and spicy. Much easier to drink compared to the D’extra from Dogfish head earlier in the night. Nice beer.