The Beast Grand Cru - Avery Brewing Company

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from the 2009 batch (15.07% abv). Into an Epic snifter. Not sure where I bought this, but I know I bought it fresh in 09.

A: Slightly murky copper color with a light tan head that bubbles up to about 1/2 an inch and quickly disappears, leaving behind a few gobs of lacing. A small island of bubbles remains in the middle of the glass, a few bubbles meander lazily to the top.

S: Lots of malt here, big time dark breads and caramel. Brown sugar and even a touch of cinnamon finds its way in to the nose. A slight amount of booze in here, but surprisingly, not as strong as I had expected. Smells like a huge sweet beer.

T: Taste follows the nose, tons of caramel malts and dark bread, with an enormous amount of brown sugar and sweet breads, even some notes of molasses in here. A touch of roasted malt as well. A little bit of astringent alcohol. No real Belgian yeast notes in here, which I figured would be all over the place, but they're very subdued. Still for what the beer is, it's a really tasty example of a ridiculously strong ale.

M: Fairly thick with medium carbonation, and quite a bit of alcohol warmth, but it isn't out of place at all. Finish is fairly sweet, but again expected.

O: A nice every once in a while treat, because this is a huge ridiculous beer in every way, but it is very tasty. I wish I had a few more of the older vintages though to see how they continue to develop. Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 03:42:07 | More by pokesbeerdude

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.58/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured unto a snifter. Vintage bottle from 2006 served New Years Day night 2012.

Appearance: Light tan head is 3/4" on the initial pour but settled just before sipping. Light bubbles through out the body

Smell: Mmmm, this beer is f'n yum. Smells of fine wine no wait an aroma of bliss, I hate to hype it up this much but it smells that damn good.

Taste: Spicy, not like a hot sauce spicy more like a sweet spicy. Like caramel meets malts plus a touch of pepper.

Mouth: Light carbonation, easy texture and not hard to drink when factoring it's mouth alone.

Overall: Comes off sweet, but definitely a tough beer. Too bad this is a very limited beer so grab it when you see it. Incredible taste and beautiful aroma I have fallen in love and willing to share my lady. Cheers to you all!

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 06:18:07 | More by BlurryVisi0n

jayfro70

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 3 - 2005
A - Little to no head. Pours thick, almost syrupy
S - Smells crazy sweet. Currants, brown sugar, and alcohol
T - Tastes just like it smells. Very sweet, alcohol is present but very smooth. Flavors of caramel and concentrated brown sugar.
M - Super smooth, mellow, creamy mouthfeel. Very nice.
O - 6 years of aging. 5.5 in the bottle shop and .5 in my cellar. I haven't had this beer without aging, so I don't have a good comparison, but for the high ABV, it is very smooth and I can only imagine the sweetness has increased as the alcohol has mellowed over the years.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 01:16:33 | More by jayfro70

TTAmod

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Batch 9 (Aug 2011) bottle poured into chalice.

A: Dark, cloudy amber with a surprisingly thick tan head. Perfect, sticky lacing. Looking good.

S: Smells of strong dark fruits, caramel, candy, and alcohol.

T: Hints of dark fruit and caramel are buried beneath a strong, yeasty, malt and alcohol base. The end gives off a bit of bitterness from hops I presume? Hints of oak throughout. The alcohol, surprisingly, isn't overpowering.

M: Pretty darn thick and syrupy. Carbonation bites a little bit at the mouth, but nothing too bad.

O: Complex, big, and very nice. This one is definitely a sipper. The 17% alcohol isn't bad at all. Just had a fresh 120 Min IPA the other night and the alcohol with that one was a lot more overpowering. So, kudos to Avery for keeping the high alcohol in check.

This one is a great beer at a great price. This is probably a great candidate for aging.

A HUGE BSDA that is truly a demonic gift.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 05:07:56 | More by TTAmod

Osprey77

Colorado

4.72/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is what amazing beer is meant to be. Bottle was from 2007 and enjoyed Dec 2011. Amazing mouthfeel. Shared with a person who is new to "good" beer and they almost fainted. Dark beautiful and thick, it pours without much head but with good carb. Strong notes of dark candy and malt. This is the kind of beer I want to curl up with in the end of days.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 03:08:39 | More by Osprey77

webmanspidey

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter, this is a solid dark brown color with light head. The smell is incredibly sweet with some hints of caramel, brown sugar, raisins, and heavy alcohol.

The taste is dominated by the alcohol here, and really that's what you'd come to expect with something around 17%ABV. Beneath the alcohol, it is very sweet and there are some raisins and brown sugar.

This is a hard beer to drink, the definitive slow sipper, and I didn't find it to have many of the complex and interesting flavors other beers of this nature do. Still it is worth trying, especially if you like your beers sweet.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 00:05:47 | More by webmanspidey

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 9 (2011)

Review #400

Pours a dark brown color with crimson highlights. For 16.83% ABV, I was surprised that there was a one finger cocoa head, and good lacing. The nose is raisin, fig, molasses, some grain, and a whiff of alcohol. Very nice, and the alcohol doesn't overwhelm. The taste is good, but it's obviously a young beer that should be aged more than I have. The nose profile comes through with a little bit of honey sweetness added. Nice alcohol burn on the aftertaste, which sticks around for a while. Feel is full, with a malty backbone and an alcohol bite on the backside. Overall, this is a very enjoyable beer- definitely a sipper. I imagine the taste and feel score would go up with 3 or 4 years on it. Still, I would buy this again. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 01:16:40 | More by jayhawk73

ChrisPro

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

review from 10/10/2009

2004 bottle of batch ONE. Direct from Adam Avery’s cellar to my friend, to my glass, to my mouth. 22 oz bomber pours Dark brown with light bubbly off white head. Incredible rich caramel aroma, hints of chocolate and bread. Full bodied, super sweet. Rich and well balanced with a deep molasses finish. Almost LIke a rich English barley wine with a belgian yeast underneath. This has aged incredibly well and it feels like it could hold up for a few more years at least. Definitely appreciative to have tried this batch one.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 03:59:41 | More by ChrisPro

mdfb79

New York

3.35/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 12/1/11 notes. Had on tap at Churchkey at the Avery tap takeover event. Batch 7 - 2009 vintage.

a - Pours a reddish amber color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells very sweet fruits, molasses, sugar, alcohol, raisins, and light burnt malts. Alcohol is present, and very sweet.

t - Tastes of very sweet fruits, roasted malts, alcohol, raisins, light toasted malts. Fruit is dominating and way too sweet. A step down from the nose.

m - Medium to thick full body, low carbonation. Somewhat smooth but some alcohol warmth.

o - Overall a decent beer, but way too sweet in the taste. Alcohol is there but not as bad as I expected; may be due to it being 2 years old. Worth trying and probably ages well, but a bit too sweet for me.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2011 19:14:52 | More by mdfb79

whatthehull

California

4.15/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tulip

A - a very lovely translucent blood red, 1/4 finger tan very thick head and some very sticky lacing

S - very sweet, tons of malt, wet boozey wood, lots of nice belgian yeast, candy sugar, red wine, lots of fruits, tons of spices, earth, rasins, dark fruit, lots of booze and a very fruit floral hop

T - not as boozey as the smell, but still a nice booze, so so sweet, tons of malts, a bit toasty, a very Belgian yeast, nice bitter to sweet ratio, dried sweetened fruit, oak, red wine barrel and soil

M - full bodied, decent balance, crazy complexity, low acidity and very long finish

D - this is a huge beer. If you aren't into giant beers do not try this at home! So much yeast, booze and malts it smacks you in the effing face. If you like epic beers and their adventures, get 'er done! I would drink this every day if it was way less expensive

Final thought - $8 a pop and 17% abv? What!?! Awesome!

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 00:49:52 | More by whatthehull

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on draft into a 9 oz. snifter at TJ's Anniversary event. Pours a beautiful ruby gold with a thin veil of a head. The nose is unsurprisingly boozy with loads of caramel, vanilla, and more booze. The taste is sweet. Way sweet. More caramel, toffee, and sweet whatever. The mouth is. Ery smooth with a touch of heat on the finish. Overall...very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2011 17:45:30 | More by Retail1LO

diamondc

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fresh batch, August 2011. $9.99 a 12 oz.

A: Chestnut colored hue, some moderate head and slight lacing. Dissipates fairly quickly though. Just a wisp of foam after a small pour. Even the wisp doesn't last.

S: Honey, raisins, mango, cherries, caramel, toffee, rubbing alcohol. The works.

T: Dark fruits, figs, coconut flakes, butterscotch candies, caramel, brown sugar. A surprising amount of bitterness at the end of the pine variety.

M: Despite the hefty abv, I'm not really getting much hotness.

O: Another big beer winner from Avery. Worthy of another purchase to drink now or cellar.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 06:28:52 | More by diamondc

edraven667

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a golden reddish brown with heavy sediment settling down. Has a tan head with 2 fingers in length and leaves a fine lacing with good retention.

Smells like I was punched in the nose with malts and the high ABV is undoubtedly mixing in too. Caramel is also very prominent, and almost sickly sweet. Many scents intermingling.

Warm feel, mild carbonation with a very malty finish. I felt that the malts would be overpowering at first, but it actually makes for an excellent aftertaste. Very good sweet to bitter balance, which makes it very drinkable considering the high alcohol within.

Grand brew. Would definitely purchase again, especially if on tap. I am extremely curious how it would taste fresh. Hopefully I have more Belgian Strong Ales in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 01:43:11 | More by edraven667

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aug 2011 Batch 9 12 oz., label says 16.83% abv.

Pours a deep reddish brown, hazy, two inch head dissipates slowly and leaves a film down the side of the glass.

Smells of pine resin hops, oak, and sweet apple caramel malts.

Tastes buttery and apple sweet with floral hop elements and a bit of woody bitterness. Booze flavor as well.

Feels syrupy with a light tingle of carbonation and a sting and warmth of alcohol.

Delicious monstrous brew, doesn't even try to hide the booze. Definite sipper, and flavor-wise much more like a barley wine than a Belgian dark. Definitely would have again, but slowly.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 20:06:40 | More by Cylinsier

JizackFH

New York

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on-tap at Rattle N Hum in NYC on 10/25/11.
Review taken from notes.

This beer pours a deep reddish copper color. It has a finger of off-white head on top. The head recedes pretty quickly leaving just a few specs of lace behind. The nose has a big fruity aroma and a nice sweetness to it. There are some scents of dark fruit and some alcohol presence as well. The taste starts off with some nice dark fruit flavors. There are flavors of fig, plum, cherry, and raisin. There is some hop flavor and some booziness. It has a syrupy sweetness, but it isn't too much. The finish leaves some lingering fruity sweetness, light hop flavor, and a bit of booziness. This has a fully body and low carbonation. It has a smooth mouthfeel that has a bit of a chewy quality to it. It is sweet and there is some bitterness to it. There is also some alcohol heat here as well, which is to be expected. This has good drinkability. It is a sipper, but the flavor is great. I really enjoyed this beer. It has a deep sweet fruitiness that I really enjoyed. Overall, I think this is an awesome beer, and I recommend trying it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 09:32:28 | More by JizackFH

jsanford

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 Vintage poured into an Avery Tulip.

A - Pours a dirty brownish-red with a creamy off-white head that settles to a thick cap, leaving sheets of lacing.
S - Sweet aromas of toffee, caramel, sweet malt, bitter chocolate, figs, raisins, and a touch of booze. Complex, sweet, and decadent.
T - Similar to the nose, very sweet and malt-forward with big flavors of caramel, toffee, raisins, brown sugar, and dried apples. Ever so slightly booze, quite a nice surprise given the almost 15% ABV.
M - Sticky, with a pretty full body and good, "prickly" carbonation.
O - Definitely a Beast of a beer, but a surprisingly smooth, complex sipper!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 23:42:57 | More by jsanford

fatmcb1

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle to a wine glass

Color is a mahogany, reddish tint. 1 finger of khaki head that leads to a ring with a layer. It slowly dissipates to nothingness.

Roasted malt, caramel, and belgian yeast are prevalent. A touch boozy.

The alcohol comes through a bit stronger, but is very well muted for being 16.8% ABV. All of the smell in the nose comes through in taste. There is also some dark fruit added in. Highly complex.

Mouthfeel is on the lighter side, and has a nice, rich carbonation.

I enjoyed this, and would seek it out again as a great sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 23:33:09 | More by fatmcb1

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out similar to the Samuel, the color was a dark brownish amber. With a small thin head on top. There isn't much lacing from the head but the beer itself is thick and coats the glass lightly with a swirl of the glass. The smell of the beer is also very boozy and sweet smelling. The taste of the beer has a oaky sweetness to it with a slight tart flavor in there too. The beer has a big amount of complexity to it. It goes through several changes from start to finish. The mouthfeel of this beer was pretty thick feeling and smooth. Oily and dry as well. Overall it's a pretty intense brew. Fits well in this series.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 05:53:26 | More by Knapp85

Tschnab

New York

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Blind Tiger

2009 Vintage

A- murky amber read with wispy foam and some clinging foam rings.

S- Unbelievable nose here. Molasses, prune, dates, brown sugar, oak, vanilla, rum.

T- whoa. just way way way to sweet here. Molasses and brown sugar but the other stuff is drowned out by the pure tidal wave of sugar. Tons of alcohol heat.

O- Not my thing, its just far too sweet. Maybe because of the aging, I'll definetly have to try this fresh to test it out.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2011 23:35:16 | More by Tschnab

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: After five years of cellaring, the 2006 edition of The Beast Grand Cru pours a dark, hazy amber with a virtually nonexistent white mousse. Looks like a heavy, ponderous beer.

S: Complex aromas of raisins, prunes, candy sugar, toffee, milk chocolate, and oak are present on the nose. After five years in the bottle, hop aromas are just barely detectable.

T: A sweet, yet alcoholic entry blossoms into robust notes of honey, chocolate, vanilla, prunes, molasses, raisins, figs, dates, candy sugar, gingerbread, tawny port, and maple syrup. The finish is fiery, intense, and rather sweet with notes of sugar, dried fruit, chocolate, honey, and molasses bathed in alcohol. Complex, but overpowering.

M: Very full-bodied with a firm, weighty, substantial feeling in the mouth. Off-dry, oily, and rather sticky. Could be better.

O: The Beast Grand Cru is interesting, but is a heavy, ponderous beer even by quadrupel/strong dark ale standards. Drinkability is low and sessionability is completely nonexistent. I'm glad I tried it, but it is definitely one of those once a year types.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 20:24:39 | More by mrfrancis

bluHatter

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottled in 2010.
ABV stated on bottle is 16.21%, not the 14.90% listed above.

A: Looks silky and thick as it pours. It sits heavy in the glass, deep dark cloudy red like apple cider. Mine didn't produce much head at all.

S: Apple, booze, big on raisins. Alcohol.

T: Sweet raisin, tart. You can taste the alcohol pretty clearly, like a dark red wine or port.

M: Sharp alcohol burn that melts your earwax. Thick and silky. Good carbonation.

O: This is a perfect beer to share after a hearty dinner, to serve as a dessert drank in wine glasses like you might take a good porto. Drinking alone might get you a little tipsy, as one of these bottles packs the punch of about 3-4 normal beers. In short, this beer is a great wine.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 02:38:09 | More by bluHatter

mikehblack

California

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2008 bottle, 12 oz. Poured into a snifter

A- Pours a nice garnet red/brown. Pretty hazy with about a half-finger's worth of off-white head that settles down to a ring. Prominent alcohol visible on the glass.

S- Wow. Huge dark fruit and caramel notes right off the bat. The alcohol at over 16% also makes itself known. Some spicy Belgian yeast comes through along with sugary syrup. A lot going on here.

T- This baby is sweet as all get out. Tons of sticky brown sugar and molasses. Raisins and dates with plenty of spice. The alcohol is present but not overwhelming.

M- Good amount of carbonation. Medium mouthfeel with lingering sticky sweetness. The alcohol leaves a slight burn in the back of the mouth and warms as it goes down. Very nice.

O- Truly a "beast" of a beer. I'd love to see what an extra few years could do to it. Fits in the Demon Series nicely. Enjoying this slow sipper.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 07:17:58 | More by mikehblack

chugalug06

Colorado

4.47/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 Beast

A - No head to speak of. Brew is nice purple red. Brew builds nice head when swirled. 4 for style, not great, but good for style.

S - Lots of raisins. Lots of grapes.

T - Tastes like a Port brew... Would almost serve well as a dessert brew.

M - Perfect carbonation. zero heat. zero bitterness. but lots of warmth in the throat.

O - Like a shot of Tequila, you can feel it all the way down. An awesome brew, it just needs a moment or two to breath...

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 04:07:35 | More by chugalug06

mithrascruor

California

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into a chalice.
2011 bottle (16.83% ABV).

Appearance: Pours a dark reddish-brown color. Not much of a head, just a dark tan lacing on the edges and some film.

Smell: Sweet aroma of malted barley (like a mash tun, just chilled) and the hint of alcohol.

Taste: Strong alcohol-based flavor. Definitely some dark, semi-sweet barley malts going on there.

Mouthfeel: Very strong and viscous; full-bodied with relatively light carbonation.

Drinkability: Super-strong. Not as much alcohol flavor as I imagined, but still plenty of it. Hard to do more than just sip this.

The strength of this is impressive, but it isn't particularly enjoyable to drink. More than a bit "over the top."

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 01:54:23 | More by mithrascruor

Lothar666

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Snifter after aging the bottle in my cabinet for over 2 years.

A- Poured a syrupy dark brown amber with an off-white head, but carbonation receded so it has the appearance of maple syrup in a glass. Lacing is weak.

S- Strong alcohol, dark fruits, some sugar, and little else. You can tell it is a booze bomb from the nose alone.

T- The flavor is delicious if not complex, especially the aftertaste. The strong alcoholic tingle that is offputting at first leaves after a moment and leaves a syrupy flavor of brown sugar that makes you want more.

M- Very thin, doesn't coat the tongue or the throat, and even after several years aging this guy is a booze bomb. Not really a bad thing, but the complexity is lost in favor of a high abv, which this one makes no effort to hide.

Overall-

Good flavor balanced by lack of drink-ability. While I did enjoy this, the 8 bucks and the 2 years of waiting was somewhat of a disappointment. For the same amount of money, Dogfish has some brews that are much more impressive.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 02:57:16 | More by Lothar666