Fitgers Blue Label Grande Reserve

Brewed by Fitgers Brewhouse
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Duluth, Minnesota USA

Growler thanks to Levi (MatSciGuy). Pour is murky brown, with minimal head and no lacing. Aroma is berries, dark fruits, bready and caramel malts. Flavor is sweet and palate is a little thin and low carbonated. Not bad, easy to drink.

Thanks to beerlando! Nice aroma of raisins, vanilla and more dark fruits. Flavors of a little grain with more dark fruits. Not bad.

Growler acquired in trade with tytoanderso (thanks!). Poured a medium and cloudy brownish color wtih a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of dark fruits, chocolate, yeast, some roastiness, and some spices. Tastes of dark fruitiness, caramel, and some brown sugary sweetness. Light alcohol in the finish but overall well hidden.

Tap, Autumn Brew Review 09. Pours a deep orange/red color, minimal head. Flavor is sweet and bready, hints of Belgian yeasts. Alcohol also comes through in the flavor. Medium bodied, slightly chewy.

On draught at the brewpub in Duluth, Minnesota at 9.9% ABV. Pours a clear dark copper colored brew with a fast dissolving off-white head that dissipates nearly clean but leaves behind some nice spotty lacing. Aroma of mostly raisin, a touch of brown sugar, caramel and a touch of vanilla. Taste is medium bodied, very little carbonation with flavors of raisin, brown sugar, some caramel malt and a touch of apple. Finish has a mild yeast and some alcohol warmth that slowly disappears. Definitely a nice sipper.

This poured a murky brown body with a thin ring around the glass in place of a head. It has an aroma of dark stone fruit, dried fruit, orchard fruit, burnt brown sugar, caramel, and lively spices. It seemed a bit thin yet managed to deliver flavors of caramel, the whole batch of aforementioned fruit, a touch of oak, spices, and a developing lactic sourness that detracted from the enjoyment of the drink. More interesting than likeable.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve of Barrel Aged Beers, Chicago, IL 11/03/2007<font size=-1>

On-tap at the brewpub: Now labeled as 10% ABV, and it shows! Medium ruby toned brown color, fairly clear, nary a thin ring of lace was on top when served in its 10oz snifter and very minimal, if any lace was evident. Lots of oilyness to its look across the glass. Aroma is a steamy bath of big ABV stained with peach and green raisin juices. Very Schnapps-like. Taste is mess of big heat mixing with a bit of apple, berry, and peach fruityness. Kinda darkish in tone with the fruit, some caramel notions and raisinyness. But man this is wallop of ABV right on your palate. Very hard to get past it really. Airy and medicinal tartness of alcoholic heat twinge the hell out of everything and makes it a one dimensional mess of heat. Big on ABV heat and ethanolic broadness from the first sniff to the last sippig finish. The body itself seems kinda light too, oily creamyness is noted which helped to ease up a bit of the heat making it possible to actually drink this stuff with a bit of proper distaining acceptance. Not sure if this was once a decent enough brew. I do remember seeing it and possibly trying it at a beerfest a couple years ago, but maybe forgot about it. And doely so, if it was anything like this. One of the least favored brews I’ve had from Fitger’s.