Gregorius - Stift Engelszell

jdhilt

New Hampshire

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

Pours a five+ finger light tan head that fades slowly leaving a good lace. Opaque dark brown color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Dark fruit and honey nose, flavor is more molasses than honey and earthy coffee. Pricey at $6.99 for a 330ml bottle from Julio's Liquors Westborough, MA. Brewed Nov 2012.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 22:22:52 | More by jdhilt

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

As the "little brother" of the Trappist brewing, Stift Engelszell steps into the Strong Dark Ale arena with a bold and majestic ale that carries a regal sense of complexity and with superb drinkability.

Gregorius pours with a deep dark russet brown hue and the expected yeasty rust haze. The beer calmly builds a creamy but short off-white head. Though the beer is restrained with its foamy lacing, it does celebrates brandy-type legging that coats the glass with malt oils with a gentle swirl of the chalice.

Creamy candied aromas and taste begin with an elegant sweetness that's reminescent of grape, hard candy, and powdered sugar. Combined with the robust tastes of grilled dark fruit, blackcurrant, cabernet, mild chocolate, light coffee grind, cola nuts and cashews- the taste is varying but savory and sweet. Added complexities arise with raisin, plumb and prune as the beer warms and the taste buds invite more delicate character. A balance of vinous woods and black pepper balance the sweetness and fruit and close the beer with a dry sweetness that's every bit as wine-like as ale.

Its firm and creamy body is rich, savory and succulent with its initial sip. But finishing warm, its evident that the malts have receded, the bitterness of wood oils rises, and the alcohols pronounce.

And with the same type of satisfaction of Koningshoeven La Trappe Quad, Gregorius has fit the Trappist Strong Dark Ale taste, complexity, and drinakability to a tee.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 07:01:41 | More by BEERchitect

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From the 11.2 fl. oz. bottle that is stamped "Brewed in Year 2012/11." Sampled on May 20, 2013.

It pours dark brown with a lingering mocha head and a slight cloudy look. Decent lacing.

The honey with which it is brewed does introduce itself in a low profile sort of way after I get over the boozy hump. It evolves into something sweet. Also noted on the nose is coffee and dark fruit like cherry or currant.

The body is pretty bold.

The honey is a little difficult to find in the flavor. Instead my taste buds are teased with dark malts, cherry, licorice, coffee, and a slightly lingering bitterness at the end. There are some characteristics that I like about this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 22:05:52 | More by puboflyons

LiquidCucumber

Ohio

3.89/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle dated 11/2012

Pours very dark brown/purple with about a half finger of head. The lacing seems to cling fairly well, so I will give them that. The aroma comes off as very earthy almost chocolatey and the typical BSDA fruit flavors are muted. There is definitely a lot of fruit here compared to other beers, but for the style, I don't think I've smelled anything like it. The flavor it a bit more typical, but I think this beer is trying to do its own thing. I've got lots of cherry and bit of fig, but that dark earth also really comes through due to the dryness of this brew. It's quite a bit different than its Trappist brethren, but that is quite alright. It also is a little untamed, as in hot. After the monks perfect their brewing arts in the coming years [I assume they are getting help from the other Trappists], we will have a world-class beer here.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 00:09:05 | More by LiquidCucumber

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

(found and consumed a bottle at Belmont Station, Portland)

A: dark brown and opaque.... leaves molasses-y legs

S: smells of latrine.... caramel/cream-infused coffee, with the roast sanded off

T: Belgian brown, immediate prejudice... kinda like the lovechild of Gouden Carolus Classic and Orval?... mellow sour/tart tinge, sweet phenols, long toffee finish - sum of the parts balance well in the aftertaste.... later, getting more of bubblegum and grapefruit cushioned by thick, velvet malt

M: smooth-ass, med-full body... not hot

O: not bad at all... a little rough around the edges... all in all, Trappist worthy?

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 04:13:46 | More by Bouleboubier

Brenden

Ohio

3.71/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

This ale from the world's most recent trappist brewery is a thick medium brown color. It develops a moderately-sized light brown head with equally moderate retention and a pretty good bit of patching on the glass.
This beer has hints of the sweetness I'd expect from the style without going full on with it. It makes for an interesting character, perhaps something a little different in the trappist arena. There is honey used in the brewing process, something that shows in a particular character without the sweetness that's lost in the brewing process. There are, however, notes of toffee and molasses along with the earthiness and bready malts. Just a hint of dark fruits are in there also. There's an earthiness from both yeast and hops that comes out more strongly on the tongue. The note of clove is subtle. While unusual, it does make for a pretty good beer.
This one doesn't have all the big but balanced richness of the greats, but it's certainly not bad. It has enough body, though I might prefer a touch more, and displays a little dryness coming into the finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 17:05:53 | More by Brenden

bskrtz

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Served cold in glass beer challis.

A) Dense, dark milk chocolate. Suspended fine carbonation with yeasties floating about. Missing the billowy off-white head. Other than that, looks like a classic Belgian Brune

S) Deliciously sweet sour mash. Mild esthers, sour dough, baked apple pie

T) Sweet cooked caramel malts dominate. Stewed dark fruit, figs, raisons. Very complex.

M) Sticky but smooth. This bottle was lacking in carbonation, hence a bit flat. Without proper transport and storage, it may not be the beer. However its a bit flat no matter who's fault

O) A good example of the Trappist Belgian Brune

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 01:25:08 | More by bskrtz

UCLABrewN84

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Brewed in 2012.

Pours a murky brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, honey, dark fruit, and some earthy hop aromas. Taste is much the same with toasted bread and fruity flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp but medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it's much more earthy and slightly rough compared to how I thought it would be.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:55:43 | More by UCLABrewN84

impending

California

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

B+

33cl into a tulip. Pours a deep copper bronze, minor tan head, minor lacing.

Aroma is of sweet dark fruits, spicy and herbal. At the last moment faint mentholatum comes forth nicely.

Sweet yet dry. A foundation of mild molasses and semi sweet caramel. A nice herbal bitter long evolving aftertaste like roasted tree bark.
delicious, wonderful at room temp
these may be the first Trappists to brew a stout
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 06:11:07 | More by impending

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

330ml bottle. It's not every day that a new Trappist brewery hits the shelves, so a bit of fanfare is in the air, folks.

This beer pours a hazy, dark reddish mahogany hue, with three fingers of tight, densely foamy beige head, which leaves but a few instances of sea spout lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.

It smells of dark, lightly toasted caramel malt, sozzled black fruit - prunes, wild cherries, and raisins - a molasses/treacle sugar-spike, mild clove and black pepper spice, a slight earthy mustiness, and faint warming alcohol. The taste is somewhat tart dark fruitcake, the essence of honey, as in the way of mead, diluted molasses, a hint of crème fraîche, packaged dates, caramel squares, toasted dark bread, subtle clove, and a further weak mustiness, equaled in its understatement by the very wallflowerish booze.

The carbonation is fairly tame, and at the same time kind of frothy, the body a hearty medium weight, and generally quite smooth, even if a pervasive sourness takes its (less than a) pound of flesh. It finishes off-dry, the fruity, malty, and sugary notes all well tempered by their corresponding sour/tart offsets.

An interesting, and tasty enough take on the entrenched Trappist BSDA - the initial delta indicated on the label - the honey - really taking a back seat to the skulking sour fruit character that comes to fill one's perception of this offering. Which I suppose is just fine, as who really wants another Rochefort/Westy/La Trappe clone (as good as those are), when there's new ground to break? Beer-speaking, of course, as the Abbey itself was founded back in 1293.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 04:54:28 | More by biboergosum

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Murky brown with chestnut edges, tiny bubbles and a wisp of head.

S: Clovey/peppery/spicy, a bit of sour cherry, sweet dark malt... unique in the trappist dark beers.

T: Very spicy with an interesting malt flavor. The finish is tangy and herbal, its kind of an odd beer.

Has the appearance and body of a great dark trappist beer, but lacks the candy sugar / yeast balance I love in this style.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 04:48:23 | More by mattsander

themind

New Jersey

4.01/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Well I didn't know that this brew was a true Trappist bier. That said I feel this bier should be rated MUCH higher. I have had most of the Trappist biers out there and this is comparable. it has a unique aroma, good mouth feel and enjoyable taste. I sense a bit of sourness in this bier which is interesting. Sold in single bottles for about $6.00, I would buy again.

Bottom Line: Like Trappist bier....here you go!

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 00:30:22 | More by themind

lynchmob9

California

3.09/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: poured 1/3 bottle ibto tulip glass. Pours dark, chestnut brown. Starts out with quarter-inch sandy colored head which dissappears quickly into nothing but ring around glass.
S: interesting...bacon, figs, brown sugar or molasses, sultana, raisins.
T: anise, dry-roasted grain. White pepper. Burnt rye toast. Chocolate covered sugar cone. Beer version of Underberg.
M: long long lingering finish. I like how it lasts forever however not into overall taste profile.
O: the nose was initially very interesting, and the continuing lingering taste is cool however I don't care for the actual taste that is lingering.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 02:24:43 | More by lynchmob9

thierrynantes

France

3.96/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Beer bottle (33 cl.) purchased from La Cervoiserie, and tasted in 2013.

Appearance : dark red brown color, with thin beige head.
Smell : malty and burnt caramel aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : sweet malty and yeasty flavors, alcohol presence leading to a bitter finish.
Drinkability : a good beer in the style Belgian quadruple (trappisten bier)

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 19:53:47 | More by thierrynantes

janubio

Spain

3.24/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

330 ml. bottle. Dark brown colour, off white head, not big and not much retention. Smell of figs or raisins, fennel, clove and some cinnamon. Astringent palate, with some medicinal flavor. Light to medium body. Taste ia acid, fennel, cherries and chocolate. A bit messy, not really one of the best trappist I've tasted. I'll to keep one bottle aging and try again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 23:04:54 | More by janubio

popery

California

3.38/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours a deep, rich brown. Thick beige head. Sticks around well. Very good looking beer. Unfortunately, the rest of the beer didn't live up to that appearance for me. The aroma is a mix of medicinal yeast and toasty malt notes. Little bit of nail polish remover and wood. The malt has some nice things going on - toffee, dates, plums, caramel, bread and molasses - but it's still kinda simple. There's just too much sweetness mixing with those medicinal Belgian esters, and it doesn't really work. The taste is quite sweet. Somewhat cloying. Oddly vinous and still fairly toasty. It's kind of a mess. Fair bit of booze. Fairly heavy feel. Coats the mouth more than I'd like, but that might be more a flavor issue than feel. Carbonation is normal. This was a disappointment. I was pretty excited to find this beer and try a new Trappist brewery, but it's just not very good.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 09:01:40 | More by popery

ciderguy

Pennsylvania

3.24/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle purchased from Beer Planet in Brussels - Was really excited to give this one a try. Pour was just as I hoped it would be, nice and dark and full rocky head. Nose was crazy complex, strong aroma of smoke (if not charring), as well as dark bitter chocolate and black coffee. Good, full mouth feel but just as the nose suggested strong smokey rauch flavor. Almost burnt taste. Taste changed little as the beer slowly warmed. Not bad, but not great either. I would argue the Austrians still have a thing or twto to learn from the Belgians.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 03:08:57 | More by ciderguy

Brabander

Netherlands

3.89/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I got this bottle (in a sixpack) from a Dutch guy who went to the abbey in the time the first batch was sold. I gave away five of the six bottles and the sixt was saved for a special occasion.

I was in Austria last week and i decided to take back the bottle to it's country of origin. Drank the bottle in the lovely village of Neustift in the Strubai valley together with an American Facebook friend who was there @ the same time.

Poured out of the bottle into a wine glass, did not have the appropiate glassware with me. Nice head but not spectacular. The smell is normal with a bit caramellic malts in the nose. Taste is not very spectacular when you compare this one with other Trappists.

Glad i got to try this one and that's it!

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 21:06:58 | More by Brabander

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle from The Birch in Norfolk, Virginia. Served in a cervoise.

Pours a dark chestnut brown with a lasting off-white head. Nice lacing on the sides of the glass and a cap throughout.

The nose starts with some toffee, honey, bread, earth, and a somewhat-woody note. Molasses, brown sugar, and a touch of clove. Slight date character. There's also something in the background that's slightly reminiscent of root beer. Sassafras, maybe? All in all, pretty well integrated and fairly intriguing.

Flavor has a nice honey component alongside some bread and light caramel. Molasses with notes of clove in the background. Not terribly fruity. Dry and toasty.

Medium body and a fairly-dry finish. Ever so slightly astringent. Moderate carbonation.

Overall, very interesting and certainly unique for a Trappist beer. The honey and molasses notes were interesting, with slight spice through the background. I'm looking forward to seeing how this beer/recipe develops over time.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 02:32:48 | More by Thorpe429

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.05/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gouyasse tulip glass. Pours a very dark mahogany brown with a fine two finger light tan head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of dark fruit, dark malt, winter spices (clove and cinnamon), slightly vinous. Dense flavor of concentrated dark and dried fruit, dark malt, chocolate, aged wine, hints of cinnamon and clove. Integrated and woody flavors similar to a barrel aged ale. Medium to heavy bodied with excellent creaminess. Complex, unusual and interesting, I enjoyed this new entry into the Trappist beer world very much.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 04:50:06 | More by LiquidAmber

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.06/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

new trappist brew, cool! pours super dark brown, pushing black, no glow at all, with a few inches of bubbly khaki head with fine retention. the nose is quite understated, with some smoked malt and Belgian yeast being the only real obvious notes. the flavor is very opposite, extremely robust and aggressive. its malt heavy, but not sweet, its moderately smoky, but not heavy, its really roasty, but not bitter, just chock full of contradictions. complex and will all the fine mouthfeel characteristics we now expect in trappist brews. its brightly carbonated and its fuller body is made light in this way. texture is a little runny, but it doesn't hurt the outcome. kind of a hard beer to classify, but the alcohol is extraordinarily well hidden and the yeast used is new to me, and I like it a lot. overall a tasty brew, new to shelves, and im curious to see what else they make. would not have known this was made with honey if it didn't say so on the label.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 19:44:48 | More by StonedTrippin

acevenom

Louisiana

4.25/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter glass. Pours dark brown to black with a two-finger length of light tan head. The beer appears to be well carbonated and the head dissipates at a moderate pace. The aroma is fruit forward, smelling a little like cherries and bananas. There are dark roasted malts and caramel. The flavor is much like the nose, which is fruit and malt forward. I get those cherry and banana notes from the yeast as well as dark fruit notes and some mild caramel with the roasted malts. The body is medium to full with strong carbonation. The finish is a little dry and there isn't much of an aftertaste. It's fairly easy drinking despite the high alcohol content. This is an excellent beer, but just so. I would recommend trying this beer if you're a completist for the Trappist breweries or you just like this style.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 23:54:06 | More by acevenom

dgilks

Australia

4.08/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A big thank you to Brabander for this bottle.

A dark, somewhat cloudy mahogany brown colour with a small, but tight, tan head. Nice.

Intense fruity aroma. They are fermenting this high. Nice nutty malt notes and a solid toffee note. Very good.

Malt and fruit dominate. Well balanced like the Belgian Trappists. Nice raisin and date flavour. Some cherry and banana. A little like some of my homebrew with its high sweetness.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Nice and dry.

A lovely Trappist Ale. This is from an early batch and given that is very good. The ester profile is a little excited but I do like it.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 08:21:52 | More by dgilks

ehammond1

California

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for opening this with me, JealousChalice!

Mahogany and dark brown with a creamy brown head of very small bubbles. Leaves sheets of stick down the glass.

Roasted malt, dark fruits, distinctive Belgian yeast, and some ash and char round out the aroma.

The flavor is very reminiscent of a Belgian dubbel, with dark fruits and distinctive, earthy yeast making up the bulk of the flavor, along with a coffee/char/ash tray flavor lingering in the background.

Medium bodied with creamy carbonation.

Good, but nothing paradigm shifting.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 19:08:01 | More by ehammond1

theruckus33

Kansas

3.73/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into snifter.

A: Pours a beautifu mahogany brown with slight toffee cream head. Dissipates into a thin head that leaves a good lacing with some alcohol legs. Under the light taste I notice a lot of sediment and hop flakes floating in the beer, not completely appealing.

S: Fruity and funky, smell apple, grapefruit, with that typical Belgian yeast funk.

T: Apricots, Granny Smith Apples, grapes, and bubble gum

M: Stays on the mouth for a short time,

O: Okay, it's super rare, so it is worth a buy for "rarity sake". But I wasn't very wowed.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 04:50:48 | More by theruckus33