Grimbergen Optimo Bruno

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

This delicious beer pours an attractive deep amber colour with a medium sized vanilla head. IT has an initial sweet malted taste which finishes softly with caramel undertones.

330 ml. bottle. Dark copper amber color with a substantial beige/tan head. It does a little ring lacing. Aroma is slightly sour dark fruit over dark roasted caramel. Thinnish body with coarse carbonation. Flavor is caramel, treacle, raisin, alcohol. There’s fair heat here. Seems to have woody notes. This finishes towards dry, but without much bitter. Still, it is something for a cold evening. Alcohol is a bit too evident, but it drinks well, though advisedly slowly.

Light brown color. Smell and taste rather full of orange and alcohol with matl, caramel and sweetness. Good palate.

Pours brown with a tan head. Smells of caramel, boozy, spice, hints of oak, some dark fruit, touches of molasses. Tastes of sweet malt, dark fruit, tarte, hints of raisins, touches of warming alcohol. Finishes boozy.

Rated:21.06.2007
Bottle brown, 330 ml
Appearance:Haed is very ceramy, thick, nice lacing, quite regular in structure but not like in stouts, head is cappuccino-like but is bigger than of Grimbergen Cuvee de l’Ermitage, dirty white, mellow, full body, colour of body is of dark fruity chockolate, deep dark amber, cloudy, opaque.
Aroma:Very prominent, very complex, some grains of malted barley, a lot of yeast of very good quality(nobel quality), some cognac aroma, very fresh and fruity,bready, malted barley, dark braed with a lot of grains, very natural, some notes of alcohol but well build as for that kind of beer, aroma of some barley wine.
Flavour:Caeamel, cherry, strong alcohol in the background, very essencial, a lot of extract from malts, toasted,the bitterness is rather from burned malts and is quite harsh on palate giving the impression together with sparkling carbonation on palate. Very grainy, malty, toasty, harsh alcoholic, accidic, tongy, not smooth and not oily, some hints of essencial dark chockolate or cacao and coffee, hints of very intense bitterness on palate, cognac and on the other hand fruitiness and even hints of roastiness.
Palate:Body is full, texture is smooth and creamy, carbonation on palate is soft to medium, finish feel is slightly bitter with gentle, aromatic- alcoholic hoppy nose and gentle alcoholic warmth on palate.

330 ml bottle. nice brown colour. oaky, cremish head. grate taste. the 10% alcohol is not very present , wich is okay with me.

33 cl bottle via Bieropholie, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. BB 24/07/08.

App.: Deep copper-mahogany, clear, large off-white foam with good lacing. Aroma: Tangy molasses, brown sugar and dried fruits, some apple and cherry, sort of woody and vinous, likely due to the acidic tang; some warm spices Palate: Medium body, somewhat sharp effervescence, a bit astringent. Flav.: Much like the nose – tangy sweet flavours, some fruitiness, a bit of wood/wine, a touch of citrus and a touch of spice; finishes with a tingle, a bit of alcohol, off-dry but bright with a touch of bitterness.

Not bad.

Bottle. Light alcoholic, very malty (dark chocolate). Dark red body, average off-white creamy head (lon lasting). Light sweet start, light bitter end, average duration. Medium to full body, creamy texture. Light alcoholic finish. Very nice one.