Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

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

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.

Dark mahogany pour with a thick and creamy off white head with sheets of beer. Strong fruits and alcohol in the aroma. Big hops along with sweet malts. Hoppy flavors with strong malts as well. Clove or coriander making an appearence. Fruits aplenty. Raisins and molasses are the strongest fruits. And of course, alcohol is present. Huge body, strong palate of spice and alcohol, and a huge hoppy finish. The beast lives up to it's name.

Pours is a nice deep red with a smallish white head. Aroma is suprisingly very hoppy. Flavor is complex. Lots going on here. First thing you notice is the sweetness. Then you get some molasses, raisins and fruity goodness. Finally you get the alcohol burn as it goes down. In the end a very tasty brew that will leave you with a nice warm and fuzzy feeling. I think I am going to take a nap now.

22 oz bottle, (probably batch 2) many thanks to slob for sending this! Pours hazy ruddy brown color with red tinges and little to no head. Extremely sweet aroma, brown sugar, dark fruits, a little we carcboard, alcohol and fresh pine sawdust. Flavor is more brown sugar, lots of alcohol, raisins, cranberry juice and more alcohol - this one is a bit hot and mediciney for me. Full body, little carbonation. Should have let it age a few more years...

(Batch #1) Good sized beige/orange head. Creamy on top and reduces slowly. Rich aroma with plenty of raisins, sweet malts and musty wood. Color is a dark mahagony red. Flavor is big and hot. Loads of alcohol, sweet malts, raisins and caramel. Enough flavor though that the alcohol does not overpower the flavor. Finish is warming and thick and sweet. More caramel and sweetness. Little hops bitterness. A pretty good and powerful brew.

(Batch #3) Almost no head. Just a thin wisp of bubbles. Light carbonation. Aroma fills the room from the pour. Rich, sweet, caramel, prunes, brown sugar, raisins, and a light bourbon alcohol. Color is a dark mahagony orange. Sweet and alcoholic flavor. Loads of malts make it thick and syrupy. Coats the tongue and leaves a nice warming sensation all the way from the lips on down. Definately a sipping brew. Lots of caramel. Very sweet and yummy. Flavor not as complex as the aroma. Slick oily finish. A very good brew. About the same as batch #1.

Pours a darkish red/brown. Aromas of spice, coriander, yeast, and alcohol. Flavor has an alcohol taste to it, mixed with a nice smokey dark fruit. Also has strong hints of spice.

Beautiful to look at, certainly. Great head retention and delicious color. Big molasses and sourish yeast nose, some sort of earthiness too. Can't get too much. Hot sweet malt sweet molassesey - sweet - Oh how I wish I could get at Saaz, Tettnang and Hersbrucker in one beer but it's not to be - overwhelming in it's sweet alcohol swarm. Maybe some honey and blood tastes in there.

Sampled at the brewery, the batch 2 at 18,1%, cloudy amber hue, with a thick beige head, yeasty, sweet honeyed caramel malt, spicy, fruity, raisiny, date nose, with some alcoholic effluvia, hints of candied apricot, orange peel esters, with a molasses, candi sugar, fruitcake aroma follows through a full-bodied palate with a yeasty, sweet fruity raisiny, figgy, plummy, caramelized, toasted malt , syrupy warm character, with some date, sultana, dark molasses, candi sugar flavors, with a mild flowery hop leafy, candied tangerine,orange peel, apricot accent, leading towards a malty, raisiny, plummy, warming finish.