Bottleworks Van den Vern Grand Cru

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

Bottle from River’s Bend. Poured hazy dark brown color with an average frothy off-white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate dark fruity malty aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture and heavy particles. Medium balanced malty flavor with a medium sweet & sour finish of moderate duration. Solid drinkable complex beer.

11.2 oz. bottle from 2004. Pours a reddish copper color with a medium sized foamy off-white head. A whole bunch of floaties are present and being tossed around by the carbonation. The aroma is definetly on the sweet side and heavy with dark fruits and caramel. The flavor is much of the same; sweet, dark fruits and caramel. The body is thinner than I would have expected and the carbonation remains lively. With a few adjustments this could be an excellent brew. As it is its just good.

Pours a reddish brown in color with just the slightest of foam on top.
Smell is dark fruits, mostly plums and some sweetness. Taste is even more fruit than is in the nose. Pretty carbonated and bubbly on the mouthfeel. Needs to be more full, creamy and less carbonation for my liking. It’s solid overall.

2004 bottling. Clear black tea color with a frothy 3 finger head. Sweet smell of grape soda, cotton candy, cellar mustiness. Smooth medium body. Decent taste of caramel apples, plums, with a light alcohol bitterness to finish. Classic Belgian sweet stuff here 01137

Bottle shared by puddintante: Pours a clear red with a light tan head. Aroma, prunes, some sourness, and tart cherries. Flavor, cherry robitussin, very medicinal, some caramel, and maybe a hint of oxidation.

(02) Bottle shared by Beercellar at the Foothills. Rich sweet aroma of fruit like apples or cherries with a hint of oxidation. Flavor is almost like oak with hints of same fruit or maybe even pepper. Mouthfeel is good carbonation is good as well. A hint of oxidation on the nose and flavor but other than that damn fine. Thanks Matt

2002 750ml Bottle shared by thebeercellar at the pre-sex gathering. Thanks Matt! What can I say, this one was obviously well past its prime. Sweet and oxidized in aroma and flavor. I probably drank the equivalent of a thimble before pouring the rest out, but when in denmark, right?

12 oz brown bottle, bottled in 2004. Wet horse rope aroma. Dark brown and cloudy. Not what I expected, way too much alky in the flavors. For some reason I was expecting a flemish sour ale. Yes, there are hints of sour in there but this is way over the top in the alky arena. Alky content is certainly present. This taste somewhat like an imperial sour ale. The sour flemish is supressed for the most part tho it keeps sticking it’s little head out from around the corner. $4 for a 12 0z bottle and I heard that is cheap. . Finish is alky in yer face mixed with hay. Rude and crude, will not buy again.