Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale

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

I’ve been cellaring this 2006 vintage Beast to open at just the right occasion. This cold, windy Christmas Eve with my family and 4-month old baby the eve before his first Christmas is a good contender. First thing: you can smell its yeasty Belgian grain Grand Cru alcohol-charged aroma the moment you pop the cap. It produces a beautiful light brown/off-white head fed by a steady steam of carbonation traveling through a glowing solid reddish-hued brown body. It has a sticky, bubbly lacing. Aroma of roasted malts, a heavenly sweetness, and nice balance of yeast and hops. Very tasty, almost sour on first introduction to the tongue, followed by a nearly indescribable sour hop flavor. Sweetness hangs around on the lips and through to the finish, followed by a light alcohol/sugar aftertaste. It reminds me of a dark, fruity liquor. This is one spectacular beer. Something rightfully reserved for special occasions... YUM!

aroma of raisins, stale hops, bootze, dark fruits flaovr if raisins, dark fruits, sweet malts, caramel sweet and syruppy, faint booze.

12 oz bottle from batch 7 (2009) served in a clear tulip. Pour is dense copper, with extra red highlights, and about an inch of creamy yellowish head floating on the top. Nose is yeast, malt, earth, and honeydew. Taste is malt, yeast, and an over abundance of caramel dipped melon. The caramel fruit blast is intense and the brew so dense that it feels as a sinful dessert indulgence rather than a beer. Very unique, and enjoyable despite the insane, but well blended ABV, but I wouldn’t drink this one on a regular basis.

Pours clear orange with a small and short lived light brown head. Alcohol, gooseberry and dry wine on the nose. The drink grows in the mouth and is full bodied with a syrupy texture. Taste is heavy sweet and bitter with a hint of vinegar. Long alcoholic finish. Vintage 2006. (Bottle, courtesy of tarjei 12.12.2009)

Pours like a high abv Barely Wine, like head, small bubbles, viscous oily appearance. Color is deep amber/burgundy. Noise is cherry wood, alcohol and plum. First taste reminded me of cherry cough syrup, but not in a bad way. Very warming as it goes down. Surprisingly sweet, never bitter or harsh. Probably would be an amazing desert beer.

Split a 12oz 2009 bottle. Pours a deep amber with a white head that doesn’t last. The aroma is very sweet; tons of caramel, molasses, malts, candied plums, and a ton of brown sugar. Some booze, but not as much as I would have expected. The taste is quite sweet on the front, marmalade, brown sugar, cotton candy, plum and raisins, toasted malt, a touch of hops come through. Quite a lot of flavor. The sugars really stick out. Altough it does not finish nearly as sweet. You get much more of the boozy flavor in the finish. Not really that hot, but the alcohol shows. Not sure if this helps it or not. I really like the flavor that hits you up front, but if it finished the same it might be too sweet. I am curious what this one is like with a little age.

Bottle. Batch 4 (2006) 12 oz. Pours shimmery amberish copper with a small, quckly fading beige head. Aroma of alcohol, fig, raisin, oak, and hints of metal. Full bodied with a sick, sort of oily mouthfeel. Heavy, bold finish with a distinct warming and an alcoholic aftertaste. Decent Belgian strong. Does not hide the alcohol very well, so be forewarned.

2009 - 15.07%. Clear, copper color, not much head. Not much aroma, mostly alcohol. Has an amazingly sweet taste and never bitter. Smooth going down with a slight bite and a solid aftertaste. Overall, a great beer worthy of being consumed by the Beer Gods.