Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

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

Bottle courtesy of Brentfeesh: Poured a deep clear burgundy color ale with a small slightly-off white foamy head with average retention. Aroma of sweet cookie dough with some plums and dry fruits is quite pleasing. Taste is mostly dominated by the sweet (maybe too sweet) cookie dough malt and plums, which are quite pleasant, but also a strong shot of alcohol which I couldn’t cared for and kind of ruin it for me. This beer remind me of a 50/50 mix between a sweet barleywine and a strong Belgian ale but really lacking in balance. Body is too light and less filtration would have benefited this beer.

This belgian pours with a deep amber/red body topped by a thin head with some lacing. The aroma and flavor are bitter and malty with hoppy notes hitting late and a nice spiciness in the background. A good amount of alcohol was evedent in both the aroma and flavor as well. Full bodied and warming.

There's a good ruby brown body with a fleeting head. It has a slightly medicial aroma and that's accentuated by the alcohol smell. There's butter and a good caramel malt. Not a lot of fruitiness. Actually, I was a bit surprised when I logged in to rate it and found out it was supposed to be a Belgian Strong Ale.

350 mL bottle. Clear copper brown with a creamy off-white head. Aroma of caramel, malt, and alcohol. Syrupy palate. Very, very, very sweet candy and caramel taste with an alcoholic warmth in the finish. Way too sweet for me.

[12oz Bottle] A deep dark amber color with a thin head and a deep aroma of malts and lots of Alcohol this was powerful and a deep with charachter brew. Lots of sugars, brown sugar and molassaes. Not bad but very much a sipping brew no swilling here.

Batch 3, 2005 bottle, aged 3 years. Pours a cloudy, red clay amber color. A small, foamy, cream colored head disappears completely. Sugary legs coat the glass on a swirl, but no lacing remains. The aroma is sweet but boozy, with massive notes of caramel, honey, candy sugar, bourbon, rum, and orchard fruits. Vanilla, golden raisons and molasses join the party, completing a deliciously complex nose that borders on liquor-esque. Flavors are also intensely sweet and complex, but incredibly well blended. As it is in the Samaels, the vanilla is pervasive, tying all of the various elements together. Drinks surprisingly easy for such a massive beer. I’m glad to have tried an aged, lower ABV version, as any more boozy notes would prove to be too hot. This beer definitely benefits from some mellowing/oxidation. Excellent dessert beer when served in small quantities.

12oz bottle. 2005 batch 3 (1+years old). pours a hazy amber with small head. aroma is super sweet, beyond belief. sugar, maple syrup, and alcohol some soy sauce. taste is pretty plain. i’d love to think this was complex. very sugary and alcoholy, some mild dark fruits and oxidation. all the alcohol burns going down. more honey and this could be a decent mead, but as is a bad beer. perhaps i should re-rate fresh.

Amber and clear. Has an off-white head, mostly lasting. Aroma is malty, sherry, caramel, alcohol, real strong. Flavor is heavy sweet, moderate bitter. Warming alcohol.