Levud's - The Bruery

Crosling

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pros: Long lasting foam. Quite a bit of depth and complexity. Loads of island fruits and light spice. Slick mouth feel. Goes down easy. Well brewed. Natural.

Cons: Nose could show a bit more power, but it's only a minor flaw in this finely crafted offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2009 14:24:24 | More by Crosling

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottle pour at the bottle share held at Chloe's inside Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, CA.

Bottle # 1835/2157.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a sparse dots of foam on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, honey, and fruity aromas. Taste is much the same with honey and fruity flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer and while it seems to be a bit over the hill at this point, I am glad to be able to try the first beer The Bruery ever made.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 06:34:08 | More by UCLABrewN84

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +3.9%

03-02-2013 02:54:29 | More by t0rin0

drummermattie02

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

01-22-2013 21:17:04 | More by drummermattie02

Gobzilla

California

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%

01-01-2013 10:35:39 | More by Gobzilla

kojevergas

California

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 1 Levud's 1898/2157. Hand-signed and all that jazz. 750ml dark green glass (come on!) bottle with standard pressure cap served into an EKU 28 stem-snifter in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; cost was over $40.00. The Bruery's non-sour/non-stout offerings always disappoint me. 11% ABV confirmed.

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Paired with potato crisps.

A: Pours a one finger beige colour head of fair cream and thickness, and great retention for the high ABV. Decent lacing. Body colour is a pleasant burnt orange/tangerine. Hazy and nontransparent, but non-opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: No oxidation is notable. Bright fragrant fruits - blood orange, orange, heavy oak, pale malts, and fruity hops. A fairly strong, surprisingly fresh aroma. Lots of sweetness and caramel. Nectary, even somewhat citrusy. I'm surprised at how fresh and fragrant it is for its age. No alcohol is detectable, nor is any yeast.

T: Nectary and oaky, with some lovely lactic notes and pleasant citrusy blood orange. The alcohol is well disguised. No oxidation or age related off flavours. Some fresh luscious grapefruit and other citrus fruit skin. Alcohol is masterfully wondrously disguised; 11%? No way. Age has done this one real well; I'm having it. Real well balanced. Masterfully built. The fruity character is incredibly well executed. I'm shocked at how well balanced it is considering it's from The Bruery, but then I remember that it isn't even their recipe - and it all makes sense. A fantastic build for a Belgian Strong Pale Ale; perhaps even unrivaled in my book as of yet. Tasty. Love the fruit skin.

Mf: Smooth, wet, and luscious. Perfect carbonation. Excellent palate presence. A bit too thin.

Dr: Obscenely drinkable for its high ABV. I really like this one; that's rare for The Bruery. The nectary fruity character really works for it. This is my new benchmark for the style. I can't believe how well the ABV is concealed; it tastes like it's about 6% tops. That said, it is a bit simple to warrant a higher rating.

High B+

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:27:28 | More by kojevergas

blakelive784

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

1 pt 9.4 fl oz green glass bottle served in a tulip, reviewed live:

A - Pours a burnt orange color with lively carbonation and a thin, white, one finger head. Retention is good.

S - Oaky yeast, sweet fruits, orange, sweet candi sugar, and pear. The yeast is dominant on the nose. Not overpowering in any way and well balanced. No alcohol on the nose. Smells delicious.

T - Heavy fruit notes throughout, specifically apple. Light citric hops make a presence. Belgian yeast are the dominant note. Oak notes are well placed and welcome. No alcohol comes through at all. It's unbelievable that the ABV is 11%. Tasty.

M - Thick, smooth and wet. Medium bodied.

D - This is damn good stuff. Obscenely drinkable for the ABV. It's about hit its peak.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:21:59 | More by blakelive784

DefenCorps

Oregon

2.5/5  rDev -35.1%

05-13-2012 04:29:52 | More by DefenCorps

clarkenstein

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

01-08-2012 20:57:44 | More by clarkenstein

whartontallboy

New York

3/5  rDev -22.1%

12-29-2011 01:27:30 | More by whartontallboy

spycow

Illinois

3/5  rDev -22.1%

12-14-2011 00:31:02 | More by spycow

pwoody11

Delaware

5/5  rDev +29.9%

12-08-2011 03:20:14 | More by pwoody11

Callmecoon

California

4/5  rDev +3.9%

11-21-2011 05:41:27 | More by Callmecoon

jerz

California

4/5  rDev +3.9%

11-16-2011 06:18:01 | More by jerz

bombadil

California

4/5  rDev +3.9%

11-15-2011 05:31:32 | More by bombadil

phichifiji00

California

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into Bruery tulip glass.

Appearance: Golden/Amber color, slightly hazy, pours 1 inch of thick white head that fades slowly. Moderate lacing.

Smell: Apple, pear, estery, cidery, oak, boozy as it warms.

Taste: Malty, apple, pear, boozy, oak, candi sugar.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, light carbonation, somewhat viscous/boozy as it warms.

Overall: A decent belgian. The booziness overpowers the other elements. Not very complex.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 20:53:30 | More by phichifiji00

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Super stoked to check this out at Toronado SD. $27. Some dude autographed the bottle and wrote the number on it, 1000something out of 2000something.

Pours a vibrant yellow and orange with bubbly white head and great retention, she's a looker boys! Aroma of lemon and ginger, good belgian yeast character that has no clove to it.

Taste is zesty, pear flavor is mild, good hopping still for a bottle this old, relative alcohol heat to it. This is a beer that can do some damage, I was noticeably different after drinking it. Seems like a great summertime beer, but damn, it will knock your dick in the dirt because it is so high abv, yet so easy and light on the palate because of the light fruit (lemon, pear, apple) contingent it uses. Maybe some honey and apricot. Sweetness is never sugary in it. Extremely dry and tangy.

Price point hurts the overall score for sure, but this about my favorite Belgian pale on the market.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 16:40:02 | More by Beerandraiderfan

kenito799

New York

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber poured at Belgique tasting, Hugo, MN Thankggiving 2010.

Dark golden brew, murky, not much head. Czech and Slovenian hops. Apple and tutti frutti Belgian yeast aromas. Crisp, pleasing bitterness on the palate. Tart and tangy, a long finish that recalls Duvel.Smooth. A bit hot in the finish, you taste alcohol--this is 11% after all.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 02:24:27 | More by kenito799

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Azurelimits. Served in a snifter.

Beer pours a light peach color with a good white head and just a bit of lacing. The nose is a bit peachy along with some other stone fruits. A bit of orange there as well. Mild sweetness and a bit of oxidation in the background. Light orange rind as it warms up. The taste offers a bit of stone fruits plus some mild citrus character and a bit of yeast. The body is medium and the beer has a lightly-bitter, dry finish. A bit of honey on the follow through. This is okay. I'm thinking it's not really getting better at this point.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 23:04:32 | More by Thorpe429

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very excited to finally crack this open- Levuds batch 1- signed and numbered.

A- Body is a nearly transparent golden yellow hue. Pours with a minimal white head that eventually fades to a very thin collar- no lacing is left behind in the glass-but bubbles can be seen stradily rising to the top. Although there is no head on this brew I find the color fantastic with bubbles steadily rising to the top.

S- Nose is quite astringent- with a nail polish like ethanol scent. Behind this is a soft apple and soft pear scent.

T- Flavor is much more soft and well balanced than the nose. Tart apple and a hint of pear come through initially. A very mild yeast backbone is behind this. The overtones are boozy initially and the finish has the lightest touch of floral hops, belgian sugar, a moderate alcohol astringency, and a very large alcohol heat.

M-Soft medium carbonation and a lightweight body with minimal alchol consistency.

D- The flavor is soft-slightly sweet, slightly tart and well put together-but the alcohol is very persistent in this brew. This is a decent beer overall-but would be absolutely fantastic if the booze was kept in check.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 02:37:42 | More by PittBeerGirl

nkersten

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Chris for bringing this out. Reviewed from notes. Poured into tulip, golden liquid with almost no head that sits as a white collar at the edge of the glass. Shouldnt a belgian strong pale have a slightly more active carbonation? Smell is strong and unexpected - plums, mission figs, very sweet, pears, apricots, honey, some alcohol. Taste is somewhat like a light port. Honey, dark fruits, pear, slightly warm in the finish. Mouthfeel is heavy with a minimal carbonation. Not bad, but this beer seems a little odd for the style. A bit on the sweet side to drink very much of this, but overall a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 20:57:56 | More by nkersten

Sean9689

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Chris for popping this one open. From notes.

A - Pours a light golden color, white head, some lacing along the sides and a thin film on tap as the cap.

S - Sweet honey, fruits, candies, sugars. A lot of sweetness which pretty much overwhelms the rest of the beer. There might be a touch of oak in there as well, but overall, too much sweetness.

T - Sugars, candy, fruits, etc. As Jason said, it's pretty much similar to a Port. Very sweet, just something to sip on. Pretty one-dimensional and too much sweetness.

M - Light to medium, very light carbonation, syrupy finish.

D - One small tasting glass was enough for me. This one is a sipper, no doubt. If you have some time to chill out and relax, a small glass of this with some cheese is a good mix. Slightly above average.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2010 15:40:02 | More by Sean9689

AgentZero

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cheers to spycow for generously hosting and opening up this rarity.

A - A somewhat opaque, yellowish orange colored beer. A bit of foamy head that dissipated to a cap.

S - Huge honey smell on this, along with something that reminds me of apricots.

T - Pretty sweet, a lot of honey, as well as a little bit of fruit. Surpringly I like this one, even though I do not usually go for the sweet stuff. Definately a sipper though.

M - Medium bodied with low carbonation.

D - It's very sweet, would definately sip this one, but was a very mild 11%. Not bad, worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2010 00:26:45 | More by AgentZero

MasterSki

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks Chris for hosting and for sharing this one. Seems to be autographed by someone from The Bruery. Served in a Duvel tulip.

A - Pours with a dime of white foam that settles to some hazy film, leaving behind spotty lace. Milky peach body.

S - Surprising wood and fusel alcohol notes (even though this wasn't the bourbon version). Intense honey mixed with stone fruits make this somewhat cloying.

T - Taste has less overt sweetness. Still lots of honey, but some lightly toasted grains, fruity esters, and toffee round things out.

M - Smooth texture, medium-full body, low carbonation, and a little alcohol warmth. Seems about right for an 11% brew, but could perhaps use a touch more spritz to keep things from getting heavy and cloying.

D - Too sweet to consume more than a few ounces. It's not a terrible first beer, but it still has more in common with homebrew than The Bruery's latest offerings. For compulsive tickers only.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2010 23:36:06 | More by MasterSki

jrallen34

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Batch no1 bottle provided by Chris at our latest tasting...a light honey gold pour with NO carbonation at all...Sweet aroma of mostly honey accented by apricots, with a light tart note on the back. Smells good at first, just too strongly sweet without anything breaking it up...The taste is sweet honey with oak, reminds me of a port, as its a total sipper. No way in hell you could finish this bomber without at least five people helping out. Like the aroma the sweetness is fine at first, but then it just gets boring.

A sipper that is not worth trading for, if you get a offered a sip worth a try but that's about it.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2010 17:41:35 | More by jrallen34