North Coast Cru dOr (Whole Foods)

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Fort Bragg, California USA

Bottle: Poured a dark copper color with a nice amount of head. The aroma was a sweet, sugary, yeasty, loaf of bread. The flavor was surprisingly tasty. Slightly fruity with hints of sugary bananas with nice belgian finish. Overall, an excellent beer. Just wish that Whole Foods sold beer in this state.

Bottle. Poured a cloudy reddish brown body with thin head. aroma is bubblegum, wood. Flavor is smokey, bubblegum, and some prunes. This was a mess.

12oz. pours a brownish copper with a small head that dissipates quickly. aroma is sweet with dates and bread. mouthful s alive with a spicy yeast and rounded with dried fruit. good to see organic goodness.

12oz purchased at a local whole foods out of psuedo desperation. Pours orange amber with a thin tan head. The pour seemed darker at first. Sweet fruity nose, with a equally sweet taste. Overall pretty good brew, not fantastic, but decent.

12oz, no date from Bello Vino Marketplace. North Coast? Looking now I see it on the label, but had no idea it was these guys. Aroma is quite yeasty and figgy. Some prunes are also up front. Toasty caramel, banana and spice are present in the background. I also picked up on a bit of orange marmalade and leather in there. Seems kind of like a dubbel. Clear orangeish brown with a fading 1/2 finger beige head to a ring. "Though the aroma seemed a little sweet, the flavor is not," is what I started to type with the first drink still in my mouth. I have since changed my mind. The back half of the swallow is actually pretty sweet dark fruits (figs, prunes, and a little raisins) with some leathery notes, and then the finish dries the hell out of it all--earthy soil finish with bitterness peaking around a 2. There were also some light tangy notes and some alcohol was noticeable, but didn’t detract at all. Definitely one of the better organic beers I’ve had, since "organic" in the brewing industry seems to mean there’s less of a choice in organic ingredients. Fuller body with low to moderate prickly carbonation. Pretty good beer, and a pleasant surprise--I was expecting very little from this one.

Bottle (didn’t get this at Whole Foods however): pours a cloudy brownish red with a quick disappearing head, aroma of dark fruits, taste is right in line with the aroma - raisins and figs, thinish mouthfeel. Not bad.

Pours a clear reddish brown/amber color with a medium sized beige head. Aroma of bananas, cloves, figs and spices. Taste is pleasantly sweet with hints of bananas, cloves, dates and bread yeast. A tasty brew.

Bottle. Huge nose of dark fruits and booze. Crimson/maroon color. A less overwhelming flavor than the aroma would indicate. A well balanced mix of figs, raisins, plums, and bready yeast. A little flat on the finish.