Grimbergen Optimo Bruno

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

Brown bottle, 33 cl, best before 24-04-08, via Imporations Privées Bièropholie, savoured on February 8 2008; eye: amber with a reddish hue, clear, slight effervescence, creamy beige head that remains, lots of lacing; nose: somehow reminiscent of a sour ale, light malt, light candied fruits; mouth: malt, licorice, small berries, splash of caramel, slight hops, a bit of maple water, finale in light malt with a sour side to it, lightly sweet, slight bitterness, medium body, a bit thin, not much carbonation; overall: disappointing FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 33 cl, meilleure avant 24-04-08, via Imporations Privées Bièropholie, savourée le 8 février 2008; œil : ambrée avec des teintes rougeâtres, claire, légère effervescence, mousse beige crémeuse qui perdure, beaucoup de dentelle; nez : relents de « brune des Flandres », léger malt, léger fruits confits; bouche : malt, réglisse, petits fruits, filet de caramel, très léger houblon, un peu d’eau d’érable, finale en malt léger avec un p’tit côté surette, légèrement sucrée, très légèrement amère, corps moyen, texture un peu mince, peu carbonatée; en résumé : désappointant

Dark brown, almost black, with reddish notes. Large tan head. Taste of chocolate, candy sugar, and dried fruits. Nicely balanced, almost light, easy to drink, despite high alcohol.

Robe auburn très claire surmontée d’une mousse beige en dentelle qui s’estompe. Arômes de caramel et d’alcool. Saveurs de caramel, de miel, d’alcool et de torréfié.

Bottle. Pours golden amber-brown with an off-white head. Sourish ‘winey’ aroma. Malt, bread, alcohol and slightly wooden notes. Sweetish malty flavour. Raisins, plums and bread. Has a whiskey-like touch. 30-12-06.

Dark amber coloured with a medium head.Sweet malty, medecine, alcohol aroma. Sweet full taste with candy sugar, porter and medecine taste. Best before date 28-06-03.

Quickly diminishing light brown head. Amber-golden colour. Aroma is sweet, fruity and winey. Silky-smooth´, sweet with a little bitterness in the finish. Alcohol-taste shines through in the first small sips but is replaced by a warming sensation towards the bottom of the glass. Nice. RE-RATE: Compared to many other strong belgian ales this has little going for it - slightly boring but still pleasent.

Bottle, own chalice @ Cambrinus, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. (let it sit for an hour as it was chilled from the fridge)
Why I wasn’t expecting much from this Abbey ale I don’t know, may be the ’Brasserie Union’ part. A pleasant surpirse it turned out. Poured an alluring, burnished ruby red, shimmering in the lights, and filled with fine, tight streams of bubbles. Head rose to fill the remainder of the glass with a thick, stable, rocky beige pad that left behind some fine lacing. Deep, sherry soaked and vinous, ripe plums and savoury, spicy fruit aroma is projected well from the glass. Underneath lies a little tart cherry syrup, sweet honey and feint earthy and dusty hops and malt. The first mouthful is sweet, treacly and slightly tart bringing upon some fat, juicy, rich malts and layers of ripe fruit. Whilst the aroma tickles the nose the palate is weighed down by some heavy, well rounded flavours that make this a slow sipper. Sweet toffee shows upfront as does some candi sugar and berries. Mid-palate holds those deep, chocolaty malts and the back is sherryish, spicy and oozing with earthy hops and dark fruits. Nice tickle of alcohol joins in with the long, dry, smooth and warming, malty swallow. This was lovely stuff, showing ’Union’ may have stuck loyal to the original recipe they recovered at the brewery. A nice, winter warmer. (33cL, BBE 08/07)

Biege head good size red brown coloured beer medium carbonation aroma ripe fruit plum banana raisins cherries brandy note flavour plum raisin banana cherry port and brandy more brandy good richness body good mild hop bitter smooth maltiness caramel light grape touch sour and a creaminess finish bitter sweet bit woody dark fruit good tastes