Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

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

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.

alcohol raisin and plum aroma, dark ruby, strong overbearing alcohol presence, some ripe fruits, a little hop bitterness comes through and an oily candy sugar finish

Pours a lucid mahogany body with a moderate, quickly dissipating head. Aroma of citrusy hops and a barleywine-like maltiness with little alcohol. Right off, the flavor is oaky, with tastes of fig, sugar, and burnt chocolate. Wow, the alcohol really burns, but it isn’t unpleasant. The finish is dry and sweet, with some leftover bitterness. Truly a beast of a beer. My 400th!!

18% version. Mahogney color with a medium sized light brown head. Aroma of rasins, pear, brown sugar and yeast. Plums, brown sugar and some pepper like spice. The finish is pretty hot in terms of alcohol, but considering the abv this is fairly balanced.

Batch 1. 22 oz. Bottle. Pours a pleasant clear ruby red with a great off white head and creamy lacing. Very aromatic nose – Flowers, spices, hints of smoke, and bread dough. Smooth sweet fruit flavor and first and then my tongue started to tingle from all the alcohol – then comes the burning. Lots of malt as well but it is very, very hot. We shall see how it does in a few years.

Sample glass, RateBeer Southeastern Gathering. Big caramel and cookie malt; alcohol, some medium fruits and lots of brown sugar. Deep red-brown color. Super alcoholic kick in the flavor. Heavily sweet throughout with a light bitterness in the finish along with a tinge of acidity. Medium-heavy body, creamy texture, lively carbonation. The bottom line is: very big and tasty; a bit too much alcohol in the flavor.

(Stockholm Beer Festival 2005) Amber/reddish, offwhite head. Vinous okay aroma, sourish, some vinegars. Oily sweet flavor, some cognac notes. Finish is both sweet and bitter. Alcohol was surprisingly well hidden. Oily body.

Bottle: (Batch 1) Dark amber with a minor off-white head.   Little lacing, very little carbonation.   Heavy aroma of alcohol, along with some vanilla and figs.   Taste is much the same, perhaps some molasses & cherries thrown in.   Unfortunately the alcohol seems to dominate this one.   While not overpowering, it seems too overbearing.   Some fig/prune/date flavor on the finish, but the alcohol is too noticable.   Don’t get me wrong, it is still fairly smooth, but aging this one may produce better results.   Right now its too much like a heavy alcoholic cherry flavored cough syrup. 7/3/7/3/16 (3.6)

Bottle: (Batch 3) Burnt amber, lovely head, large and light beige, fine bubbles, sticky lacing.   Looks much better than before.   Heavy molasses and raisin on nose, slight evergreen.   No real vanilla as noticed with Batch 1.   Whoa, sugary sweet raisin and molasses on the tongue, with an alcoholic evergreen tree like background.   The previous cherry aspect is not there either.   This one seems like quite the different Beast.   Alcohol is noticeable, but manageable, and VERY warming.   Body and mouthfeel are quite full, slightly syrupy even.   Lingering sweetened evergreen and pine on the finish.   Aftertaste seems to be a bit citric even, like highly alcoholic orange rind.   Hot, but fairly smooth.   Definitely different.   Thanks Ernest for the bottle!