Grimbergen Optimo Bruno

Brewed by Brasserie Union (Alken-Maes / Heineken)
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Jumet, Belgium

Orange brown at pour...ok head for the alco...fruity yeast caramel smell...sweet,pretty damn dusty..the forum got lucky...good masking, like a weak liqueur shot when warm..a great beer but.....? drank the same day me and my bro played soccer on the field around OPA’s..that fattie was great!

Bottle (330ml). Courtesy of Biegaman. In my Chimay goblet. Slightly hazy deep orange, average foamy-frothy lasting beige head. Sweet brown sugar malt aroma, very yeasty cinnamon and other sweet spice; alcohol. Taste - very much what the aroma promised, but boozier and fruity, with an increasing alcohol dominance as it warms - even a hint of tartness in the finish. Syrupy, solid body, very lively and alcoholic, sticky sweet linger - pretty solid belgian strong, very sweet, maybe a little too boozy, but I’m partial to the style, so decent marks. Thanks, Jan!

Mostly clear ruby brown body with full effervescence, growing a thick, compact and mountainous beige head in the Fin du Monde tulip. Rather fruity nose, not so expressive as could be with gentle esters of maraschino cherries. Rather earthy, almost rooty nature paired with the present, yet natural and clean alcohol makes it reminiscent to a distilled alcohol, I would venture into the scotch department, though the peat character is absent. Lighter in body than I would have thought, though the expansive carbonation helps the alcohol to come through. Well well, I don’t expect much from that brewery, but this works well. The grainy, almost toasty malts befit the candied fruits, raisins, figs and sweet apple notes. Growing vinous, but with an extra spicy, airy, sweetish back profile that screams Belgium. The yeast may be its largest weakness, where it renders considerable metallic gazy notes. A bit brash old breadiness, slightly tannic and with off almost roasted nutty notes that remove the emphasis from the fleshy fruits. A sweet and good common strong belgian. Not mindblowing, but typical of the relatively high standards that pretty large breweries are seldom able to maintain.

(330ml bottle) Bieropholie Order. Pours a beige, frothy head with a brown body. Nose of lots of fresh figs, warm whiskey and roasted malts. Flavour echos the alcoholic front and deep fig nose, the texture is nicely viscous with a somewhat brown sugar and bready base. I liked this one a lot!

Slightly hazy dark brown hue, with a beige head, but falls quickly, nice malty, yeasty nose, with some toasted, caramelized malts, hint of nutmeg and cinnamon spiciness, brown sugar, dark dried fruits in the aroma follows through on medium-bodied palate with a malty, grainy, fruity alcoholic warm character,with a raisiny, plumy accents, toasted malt, hint of toffeeish, leading towards a sweet malty warm finish.

Deep ruby body with tawny tinges. Light tan head leaving solid rings of lacing. Fairly full aroma of dried fruits and yeast. Plenty of characters in the taste, alcohol noticeable, medium body and long finish. This drinks best when it is not chilled.

Bottle at delirium, gothenburg. Red brown colour with a beige head. Aroma is dried fruits, alcohol, yeast, green apple. Flavour is alcohol, yeast, baked apple, spices, hop, caramel, malt.

Bottled at Delirium, Gothenburg. Clear, reddish brown beer with a dense, lasting, beige head. Dried fruits (prunes), sweetness, some alcohol, cellar and green apples in the aroma. The flavor has alcohol, dried fruits, baked apples, caramel, candisugar and raisins. Nice carbonation and sweetness in the mouthfeel. Nice hoppy and spicy finish. Quite complex and definately one of the best Grimbergens. (060823)