Val-Dieu Grand Cru

Brewed by Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Aubel, Belgium

The first pour produces a transluscent brown colour with little suspended yeast, but the second pour leaves a good amount of large particulates. The head is small and dense, light beige, and leaves good lacing. The aroma is rich with caramel malt, buttery toffee, blueberry, vinous notes (pinot noir), rasins, other dried fruits and some almond. The aromas are very distinct in this beer, leaving little guesswork for me. The flavours are equally distinct and rich. Flavours of buttery caramel, raisins, figs, other dried fruits, brown sugar, nuts, apple, cocoa and barley any booze to be detected. Its a little meaty too. The palate is full and chewy, finishing a bit oily, with gentle carbonation. Amazing.

Bottled. 75cl. Aroma has caramel malts, dried fruits, some nuts. Hazy, dark brown coloured with an off-white, lasting head. Taste is sweet, caramel malty with dried fruits, some toffee and nuts. Good beer.

Looks and smells nice enough but strong. I didn’t like this one. My stomach cramped up immediately. It was very fruity in character for me and just not good.

Bottle: Nice pop of the cork with a little gushing of oaky brown head. Pours a nice dark brown mahogany color with a nice ruby hue. The nose is bright with raisin and wood, some nutty dark cocoa and dusty almond note. The flavor is meaty with some chewy malts and a slap of alcohol and maple in the tail. A little sweeter than I like in these, but it’s still very nice; quaffable, strong, malty, yeasty. Yum.

[1161-20080301] Tap. Stuffy wooden box aroma with a slight evergreen tinge. Dark brown body with a long-lasting foamy light tan head. Dark toasted malt flavour has sweet but subtle meat notes. Medium-full body is smooth. Very nice, lovely blend.
(ZBF 2008; Sint Niklaas, BE)

Bottle. Creamy off-white excellent fully lasting head. Dark amber colour. Heavy malty and hoppy aroma with eveything in it but the kitchensink. Powerfull bitter and sweet flavor. Long spicey finish. Perfect creamy palate. Fantastic beer.

Bottle. Dark brown with a thin head. Nose-metal, light banana, whisky. Taste-maple syrup, some lotion, brown sugar, very good Belgian Strong Ale qualities, a little on the sweet side, light tobacco.

750ml bottle from World of Beer Largo. Pours a dark brown to black with a thin white-tan head that dissipates quickly. Some lacing through the beer. Smells sweet and malty with hints of raisin, bread, wood, and faint chocolate. Creamy mouthfeel with flavors of malt, sweet toffee, and chocolate. Full-bodied with a lingering slightly bitter finish. Alcohol is not overpowering even at 10.5%. Nice beer.