Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

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

Batch 3 (2005) 14.9% ABV - Deep amber/brown in color with ruby highlights (especially after I was drinking it for a while) and a slender head that forms about 30 seconds after the pour, then haloes... this Beauty (er, Beast) has a warm aroma of plums and cherries and raisins and brown sugar and molasses and alcohol. This has a chewy, creamy mouthfeel - very satisfying. The flavor is filled with the aforementioned fruits and has a spicy element, pepper and anise and the gods know what. The alcohol returns in the finish, making it a sticky sweet yet dry ending to an excellent brew.

I ’ve cellared some Batch 2 (2004) 18.1% ABV to be shared with other members of The League of Strange Beer Drinkers (except, perhaps, for frankenkitty, who downed a bomber [or more?] on his own!), but I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my hands off of it for much longer.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Armanetti, Willowbrook, IL<font size=-1>

18.1% Version, rereview. Bottle bought last night and consumed with a friend. The Beast still has a lovely color and shows good head retention considering its size. I also think that the aroma is still pretty appealing with a nice sugary, fruity, malty (butter toffee, dough), raisins smell. But the taste is horrible. An eventual drainpour and I even tried this with a few friends. Just way too hot and the alcohol takes over everything. Disgusting to me. The 15.7% version which I rated fairly high, but it was over 10 months ago, tasted much better than this. Perhaps my palate has changed since then and I don’t automatically give high alcoholic beers high scores.

Batch # 3. Wow, a huge improvement. I would provide some notes, but its getting me to drunk to think.

Batch # 2, at 18.1% abv. Appears a cloudy, dense amber with a small off white head that slowly fades out into a collar. Small spots of lace are left around the glass but washed away by the oily looking concoction upon the sips. Smell is of rich caramel, yeasty bread, cherries, tropical fruit, raisins, and dough. Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a warm, fruity, and doughy taste that is full of rich, sugary malt and plenty of fruity Belgian yeast that’s been made happy by the sugar and temperature. Moutfheel is full and warming, much to the effect of a barleywine but what do you expect at over 18% abv? She’s definitely a sipper, much like the other monsters of ale brews that Avery made. I’m glad I split the 22 ouncer with egajdzis and my bro-in-law. Potent and yummy but look out.

From bottle, batch 3. Pours a dark ruddy brown, with thin tan head. Vinous nose with alcohol. Figs, apple vinegar, syrupy, tobacco, intermingling with other fruits. Flavor is more of the same wonderful complexity, with an alcohol heat. Palate is smooth and lightly carbonated. A huge beer that should only improve with age.

pours a nice medium honey color with a nice head that disappears rather quickly. smells very nice, sweet, alcohol, a little fruit and sugar...the flavor is very sweet, with a follow of an alcohol burn. the flavors i picked out seemed to be raisins, sugar, maybe a little cherry, and of course the ever present alcohol. this may be one ill be back to re-rate when the other bottle has aged a bit.

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.

Bottle from trade with BeerandBlues2. Thanks Brad! Pours a copper color with a small beige head. Aroma is wonderful of spice, dates, raisins and hops. Taste is sticky sweet with a real alcohol kick. The flavor is of brown sugar, yeast, and dates. This is a beer all to it’s own but with a taste resembling the DFH Raison D Extra. Nice!

Let me start by saying I like this beer. A sweet aroma of hops. A flavor of alcohol and light malt. A full bodied full palated beer with a strong after tast eo alcohol that I really liked. I think my favorite of the style. I’m almost certain that this review was posted wrong on the Beast from the Wood list. I cut and pasted to here and deleted the Wood posting. Sorry about that stevo