Val-Dieu Grand Cru

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

Thin head which disappeared quite quickly. Little surprised there. Decent carboantion but not as much as expected. Rich raisin and toffee aroma with some grapes and caramel. Sweet smelling. Color is a very dark port brown. Kind of flat in the mouth. Sweet and very smooth. Lacking in depth of flavor. 10.5% alcohol is not really tatsed but noticed by the after effects. Little sweet malts and caramel again. Finish is pretty clean and sweet. A decent belgian strong ale but lacks alot of depth and character. No real yeast and spice notes.

750ml bottle, dark brown color, with a creamy beige head, leaving some laces, yeasty, fruity, toasted, caramelized malt nose, with some chocolatey, cookie, bready dough accents, with some fruity dried plummy, datey, raisiny esters, with a hint of candi sugar, molasses, and a chocolate praline aroma follows through on a full-bodied palate with a sweet toasty, caramel malt, cookie dough character, with some fruity dried notes od raisin, fig, date, plum, with a spicy nutmeg, anise, chocolatey, mochaish accent, within a dark candi sugar, molasses sweetness, leading towards a warming, malty, chocolatey, fruity pruney, datey finish.

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.

Very dark brown with a frothy head, comes across with the expected qualities of a solid grand cru. A rich aroma with a full malt profile, tangy dried fruits, and some slight toffee and spice. But despite being very solid and enjoyable, this one’s just not on a par with the top shelf entries like Gouden Carolus. I’d drink it again, and it’s reasonably priced, but I’d give it a B.

Starts off with a strong head and aroma is quite fruity with citrus and tropical overtones. taste is highly malty, like a deep dark Sangria. Flavors are plentiful for a fruity Christmas dessert

On tap that the Power Plant SAF
Pours murky brown with some orange highlights. There are some particles floating around in it as well.
The aroma is perfumey phenolics and alcohol.
Very mellow flavors of cooked sugars, vanilla, and caramel.
Full body. Light carbonation. Dry finish.
A nice little surprise.

Taste yesterday from tap @ KBW Vichte. Aroma was complex: little spicy, sweet end fruity. Dark brown to black color, with very lightbrown head. Medium at full bodied. Taste, malty, dark fruits with caramel, much alcohol, with dry finish spice into the aftertaste.

Tasted 11/22/07. 750ml bottle. Murky brown hue and almost opaque. Taupe head. Musty cocoa aromas. Touch toast and fruit. Aromas of apples and dark fruit. Rather full bodied with a good dose of alcohol. Super smooth. Citrus yeasty flavors counter with the smooth sugary malts. Nice caramel notes. The second glass has a clinging head from a vigorous pour. Tootsie rolls and toffee. Plays well over the tongue and palate. Good stratigraphy from the head. Candy and cola flavors. Dried fruit notes. Really Nice!