Bottleworks Van den Vern Grand Cru

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

Date: 06/22/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Roadtrip

dark red, big fine creamy head leaving thick lace, sweet tart fruity aroma of cobwebs with a touch of cherry tartness, creamy body, mellow tart fruit flavor, sweet balanced with the tart, great rich ripe fruit character with dates and figs but balanced with the cherry tartness, wonder and complex, not as sour as the typical Flemish with just some very nice mellow tartness, no hint of the 9.8% alcohol,
-------- /> Date: 06/02/2007
Words: Bottle
Words: Tasting

muddy burnt orange, fine dirty white head, drippy lace, sweet caramel aroma with fruity spicyness, lots of fruity malt flavor, light balancing earthy bitterness, nice spicy character,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Muddy amber-brown colour. Holds a half-inch layer of head. Aroma is fruity (peach, pear, plum), sweaty, dusty and alcoholic. Strong flavour is foremost yeasty (dusty, sweaty again) with some phenols retronasal. By-the-numbers example, but does nothing wrong. Alcohol lends dryness to the slightly plummy, otherwise honeyed malty finish.

Bottle. <b>[thank you, after4ever]</b>
<i>[vintage 2004]</i>
Pours a lovely red-brown with a super-nice, creamy, yellow-beige head. Lightly oxidized aroma, some toffe, rye bread, lots of plums and raisins. Medium carbonation, fine mouthfeel. Lovely flavours. Sweet, some Belgian sugars. A lot of dried fruits, very lightly oxidized, some subdued woody tartness and with a vinious edge. Small notes of vanilla and chocolate. Nice.

(Bottle) Pours a cloudy brown with a medium beige head. Aroma of dark fruits and caramel. Flavor of dark fruits and spicy yeast.

Bottle labeled bottled in 2004. Poured a medium to darker brownish color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of dark cherries, brown sugary, caramel, and light alcohol. Tastes of cherries, caramel, and other dark fruits. On the sweeter and a little syrupy.

Orange hue shows tons of sediments flating around. Lasting 1cm white cover. The third DMS haunted beer in a row and this is the most obvious case. Heavy brussel sprouts in the middle of hot yeast. More vegetal folly on the tongue, floral array fails to overcome the vegetables. This one would make any mother proud of its children for eating his brussel sprouts, but the youngling would still end up grimacing. Round mouthfeel with a biting carbonation. Disappointing, it really feels like a beer who passed its whole life in the oven.

Bottle… This beer rocks!… Lightly hazed burnt orange ale with a mid-sized, frothy, white head. Decent retention. Robust, malty aroma offers a plethora of sweet dried dates with wonderful undertones of raisins, brown sugar, caramel, wood, sorghum molasses and yeasty bread. Full-bodied and chewy with medium carbonation. Sweet, but not cloyingly so; the breadsy, fruity flavor boasts caramel and dates alongside whispers of other dark, dried fruits and a rumor of sorghum molasses. Finishes lightly sweet. Thanks go out to explosivebeer for shipping this incredible beer all the way from Washington state!

2004 bottle bought at Sam’s in Chicago: Dark copper brown color with a thick off-white lacy head. Sweet Belgian malt and musty, bready yeast rule the aroma. First sip is caramely sweet with a nice yeasty spice balance and a semi-dry finish. Hides its alcohol quite well and has good complexity. A nice Belgian strong.