Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter Reserve

Brewed by Flying Fish Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Ale
Cherry Hill, New Jersey USA

Transparent light golden in color, highly carbonated, forms a huge head. Yeasty spiciness to the aroma, lots of alcohol, especially for less than 7%. Flavor has little going on. Candi sugar, faint spice and burning alcohol. In fact it starts to resemble rubbing alcohol in the aroma. Unimpressed in general.

Pours a lightly hazy, orangish-gold color. It is pretty well carbonated and creates a fluffy, three-finger thick, pale head. The aroma has a characteristically earthy spiciness to it that I associate with the Chimay strain of yeast, underneath this though is a light fruit character that reminds me of apples and pears. Sharp and lightly phenolic the yeast derived aromatics help to balance the fruit and sweet grain notes. All in all a pretty nice aroma is on this beer. While this beer has a great mix of aromatic notes it does seem to fade a bit over time; it just does not have the staying aromatic power that I expect from a great beer.

The taste is sweet throughout with a light tartness that when coupled help to accentuate some green-grape, pear and apple notes. The finish has a touch of alcohol as well as some spicy notes of higher alcohols. The beer has a nice spiciness to it that, when combined with the solid carbonation, gives this beer a certain zippiness. Notes of pepper, spicy ginger notes, some definite clove and a certain amount of lemon zest are just a few of the spice notes that I can pick out of the flavors. This is definitely the tastiest brew I have had from these guys. It captures the complexity of a good Belgian brewed strong ale quite well.

On draft at The Fitzwater Station... Appears a hazy golden bronze with a fluffy white head that slowly settles into a half inch head. Nice, solid specs of lacing are left around the glass. Smell is of a bold, bold fresh hop boil with a spicey Westmalle-ish yeast in the background. Smells like I’ve got my nose in either a bag of Styrian Golding hops, or I am right over the kettle during the addition. They either put a ton in at the end of the boil, or dry hopped this bad boy...either way, I enjoy the aroma. Nice citrusy hops with a touch or orange candy and white pepper. Taste is of the aforementioned aromas. Nice play on the Belgian yeast giving it a good blend of aromatics and spiceyness to mix with a good dose of hops along with some wheat, Carapils malt and biscuity malt being exposed. Mouthfeel is how you would expect it to be with this yeast. Crisp & dry with a medium bodied feel and decent carbonation levels.

jersey represent. a good american belgian style. cant beat them at their game but this does america some justice.

Clear pale golden with a thin wispy white head. Dry aroma of light musk and coriander. Starts lightly sweet with some Belgian maltiness, sweet orange citrus and a thin, sugary finish. Could really use a more dominant bready Belgian yeasty presence.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a clear light orange/golden with a small head and alot of carbonation. Aroma is of fruit, specifically banana and wheat. Taste is of banana and spice, some malt, with a slight tart but rather smooth finish.

Poured mostly clear yellow with a small white head. Aroma and flavor were yeasty, spicy, and fruity. The finish is dry. Not too bad, it just doesn’t do a whole lot for me.

12 oz bottle, via ThaiChile. Pours a hazy straw color with a fleeting white head. Decent lacing left behind. Fruity and yeasty aroma, with some grainy malt. Notes of wheat and grassiness. Very fruity flavor with wheat, yeast, and light alcohol. Alot of malty sweetness, almost akin to a blonde dopplebock. Medium bodied with a slightly cloying malty sweetness. Nice low level of carbonation. Overall, a decent beer, but a little too cloying and sweet for my taste.