Bottleworks Van den Vern Grand Cru

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

Dark copper pour with a tan head. Aroma has caramel, yeast and bread - this thing smells like dessert. Medium to full bodied beer with moderate carbonation - good carbonation considering this is from 2004. Taste has caramel and earthiness with some dry toffee. Flavors are very rich. There is some alcohol on the finish. The malt with this reminds me a lot of a doppelbock. A very nice deal at $1.29 a bottle.

2004: Pour is hazed copper color with no head...smell is mildly spicy and yeast and must...taste is a little sweet at first, then slightly bitter...finish is a little cloying...

2004 bottle from Sams in Chicago, consumed on 5/13/06. Foamy, bottle conditioned/low-filtration head is well-retained and sandy-golden. Deep, light-raspberry-burgundy body has a high level of settled clarity. The nose is clean, Belgian yeast esters and light phenols, pretty standard, really. Some nutty, old hops show a longlost glory, while prunes, light vinousness and boiled chocolate combine. What is produced is surprisingly cohesive and still has vigour. Grapey (or is that DMS masked with phenols?), with strong oxidative notes in both aroma and flavor, but importantly, the body was not harmed. Probably as attenuated as it needs to be, with cola and light black pepper phenols bursting all over the palate. Some light creamy sweetness trails off, leaving the palate comforted, while no alcohol is apparent in aroma or flavor.

11.2 oz bottle. mahogony topped with small soapy off-white head. dark fruits (red grapes), dusty esters (light oxidization) which smell like an oxidized dubbel to me. flavors consit of lots of dark fruits, lightly metallic zing with alot of plums, red grapes, and a slightly vineous note. palate is a little on the fizzy side. finishes with notes of brown sugar with a hint of cheese (cheddar). alcohol is better hidden than the trippel. long finish is tart with a drying feeling in the mouth. pretty decent!

Another specially made for Seattle’s Bottleworks. Brownish amber body topped by a frothy white head. Heavy malt and yeast notes, some fruit, citrus hops. Medium body with lots of carbonation. The light sweetness in the flavor lasted to the finish, tempered by some nice hop bitterness.

Bottle. Light brown/amber. Hazy with some sediment, even with a good pour. Rich, creamy head that last. Aroma is plums and pepper, with caramel notes. Medium body. Caramel dominates flavor, alcohol is evident , and finish is sweet. There is a hint of tartness, but overall, this doesn’t have the sour/tart character generally found in this style beer. A little more sour to balance the sweet and this would be a fantastic beer.

Had difficulty finding a listing for this beer but finally suceeded. It pours a nice dark brown, like a brown ale. It has a malty nose that is plenty sweet. Flavor is Also malt, dark fruit, and brown sugar among others. A delightful beer at the start. It finishes somewhat thin but this is a rich, creamy, smooth beer. Very pleasant!

Pours a brownish amber orange color with a small white fizzy head and much hoppy sediment. Aroma is full of spices such as nutmeg,brown sugar,dates,bananas and pepper. Flavor is rich and fruity(dark fruits) with fresh yeast present. Spicy throughout but not overdone. I really enjoy these types of beers as every sip is filled with complex tastes. Excellent.