Bottleworks Van den Vern Grand Cru

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Lochristi, Belgium

Bottle from SecretSanta. Bottled in 2004. Pours a beautiful, clear deep red color with a hint of brown. Nice light beige head lingers for a good bit and fades to a decent layer over the top of the beer and leaves good lacing on the side of the glass. Aroma is pleasant with sweet vinous notes, caramel, light yeast. Medium bodied with a high level of carbonation. Moderately sweet flavor, lightly drying. Peppery yeast notes. Quite nicely done.

Pours translucent red with big, foamy orange head that quickly dissipates. Nose is sour and musty, yeasty, with quince. The flavor is sharp, sour, and musty/meaty at once. Sweet and sour together, with alcohol bite at the end. Earthiness coats the tongue at the end and is quite pleasant. I would rate this higher if it wasn’t so sour... almost like a lambic or Flemish.

Bottle at Hop Leaf in Chicago. Pinkish head. Murky bright red body. Caramelly stale sweet hops. Oaky belgian yeast sweetness.

Deep crimson color with a full creamy beige head and excellent lacing. Lots of carbonation and bubblies. Nose of raisin and sweet pimento, rich malts, esters and yeasty plum notes. The flavor is strong and doughy like a tart fruit cake. Stiff alcohol. A bit sharp and strong .Needs age but it’s a very good belgian strong.

Purchased at Sam’s WIne, Chicago. Brownish-red with a massive, pillowy tan head with nice staying power. Sweet, deliciously musty aroma: brown sugar, molasses, plums, dates, ginger, alcohol, and a bit of weathered leather. Fruity mustiness follows through into the flavor - sweet malts, raisins, and brown sugar flavor is thick and complex with a gentle warming thanks to the alcohol. Full mouthfeel, pillowy soft and moderately carbonated. Finish is peppery with a nice burnt sugar and molasses send off. Deserving of as much praise as Westvleteren Abt 12 or Rochefort 10, in my opinion, and grossly underrated on this site.

This pours an almost purple-brown body with a creamy off-white head. The aroma is a sharply sweet malt with some dark dried fruits and peppery spiciness. Medium-bodied with lively carbonation, the alcohol burns just slightly in the mouth. The flavor is a fruity sweet malt, a touch of the tart, a dash of peppers and clove, and some alcohol. Although it leaves the lips and moustach sticky, the finish is surprizingly dry and crisp. Nice.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.belgianshop.com/>The Belgian Shop<font size=-1>

330ml bottle. Dark amber color. Large sized white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and sweet with a touch of must and leather. Medium bodied Belgian Strong Ale. Spicy, peppers, banana, clove and coriander. Lively carbonation. Smooth taste. Hides the 9.8% alcohol very well. Very pleasant beer to drink. A slight touch of tartness at the finish. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is crisp and dry. Aftertaste is sweet.

Pours hazy reddish brown with a merangie like head. Aroma of sweet malt, light fruit (grapes, pears), creamed corn, barnyard. Flavor is sweet malt, slight sourness, barnyard, light fruit, slight raisin, brown sugar, and old hard caramel. The alcohol is not appearent in the flavor but I think it is responsible for washing away most of the heavy sweetness. Medium body with a head that provides a creamy palate. A little sweet but a nice beer.