Val-Dieu Grand Cru - Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had first heard about this beer from Ml67 (Mark) and he said it was incredible. While visiting Moeder Lambic in Brussels I saw this on the menu. Just had to have it. Very glad I did. Excellent beer.

Being in Brussels needless to say it was served in the proper and specific glassware. There was a thick/tight beige head with awesome retention. Dark brown with burgundy/purple tones. Some foam lines the glass as you work through the beer.

Aroma hangs heavy in your nostril and if filled with sweet, rope dark fruit. Plum, fig, light spice and some yeast notes. There is a sweetness to this that is very pleasant.

The flavor follows the aroma, but is a bit more complex. Raisins, plums, fig present along with some cherry coke. Black Pepper and subtle anise. Lots going on here. The layers of malt flavor are very nice.

Thick body, shy of sticky…but in the neighborhood.

Mark was right. (not that I doubted him) This is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 11:29:48 | More by Reagan1984

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

05-11-2013 13:58:03 | More by RedneckBeerz

wer3w01f

Russian Federation

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

05-06-2013 13:41:33 | More by wer3w01f

BartMcStout

Belgium

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

05-01-2013 20:38:14 | More by BartMcStout

samEBC

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

04-27-2013 20:35:27 | More by samEBC

randylangford

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +12.6%

04-26-2013 22:32:36 | More by randylangford

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a clear dark orange-brown with a foamy tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, dark fruit, and slight spice aromas. Taste is much the same with fruity and spice 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 and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2013 02:29:03 | More by UCLABrewN84

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

04-08-2013 01:02:14 | More by WanderingFool

mikeradebaugh

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +12.6%

04-01-2013 01:01:59 | More by mikeradebaugh

BAsbill

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

03-30-2013 04:08:30 | More by BAsbill

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Corked bottle...nice pop...poured in a Corsendonk chalice. Cork says 10/2014.
Dark brown with a beige head.
Rich aroma of sweet malts, slight plum, pear & prune.
Significant carbonation and big mouthfeel.
Flavors of candy sugar, molassas, dark roasted malts, caramel, cocoa, slight carob, rosemary, sarsaparilla...lets give this a few minutes...
Yeah baby...there's a small remaining head and the aroma remains strong and sweet...flavors are strong with a sweet biting malt distinctiveness.
I'll admit I did represent this brewery in California in 2007 and found all their brews excellent...great yeast and big malt profiles. The Grand Cru has a touch more of a bite than the others, but nevertheless a lovely beer, fresh or with a few years age.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 03:39:12 | More by DenverLogan

Kopfschuss

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

03-10-2013 05:54:48 | More by Kopfschuss

strongaf

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

03-02-2013 10:39:35 | More by strongaf

NickThePyro

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

03-01-2013 04:36:45 | More by NickThePyro

kevinhughes

Netherlands

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

02-25-2013 22:02:41 | More by kevinhughes

magine

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

02-24-2013 03:04:49 | More by magine

ujsplace

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

02-24-2013 02:53:08 | More by ujsplace

Willcourt

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -17.1%

02-20-2013 01:15:10 | More by Willcourt

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.24/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle, best before Jan 2014. I had no idea that this was a Quad - otherwise I might have gotten to it much sooner upon its arrival in Alberta a while back. It possesses a crappy, unmovable Champagne-style cork, which at least gives my recently idle corkscrew something to do - silver linings!

This beer pours a hazy, fine sediment-strewn dark copper-amber hue, with three ambitious fingers of puffy, shiny, thinly foamy ecru head, which leaves a few dense, sudsy instances of hanging curtain lace around the glass as it duly melts away.

It smells of dark, complex sour fruit - plums and bruised banana, mostly - earthy yeast, light caramel malt, a bit of astringent woodiness, a touch of brewer's sugar, mild nutty chocolate, and a musty, somewhat dank hoppiness. The taste is a fair bit sweeter than let on by the nose, with a steadily subtle caramel/toffee malt, some nicely muddled black/brown fruit - again led by overripe bananas and saucy prunes - bittersweet chocolate, mild clove and faint white pepper spice, ethereal Belgian yeast, and a dull hum of moderately musty, dusty, earthy hops.

The carbonation is average, with a bit of lifting pep, and nothing more, the body an almost hefty, but that's a-ok, medium weight, with a dulcet, understatedly creamy smoothness. It finishes on the sweet side, but in a oh-so moderated manner - fruit, malt, yeast, and a conspicuously absolute absence of booze warming.

While maybe not on a totally even par with the Rocheforts and Westvleterens of this focused little world, Val-Dieu's Grand Cru (I just love saying that, for some reason) still comes off as a serious player, in both flavour and otherworldly complexity. I still can't inwardly reconcile how they sneaked a 21-proof ABV offering past me so cleanly, so additional kudos for that.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:47:25 | More by biboergosum

DmanGTR

New York

4/5  rDev -5.2%

02-05-2013 16:19:06 | More by DmanGTR

imperiallibations

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

01-30-2013 22:42:57 | More by imperiallibations

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5.2%

01-14-2013 01:00:30 | More by spycow

PHSCAPT

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A – mahogany dark, turbid orange when held to a light; poured at 60F into a Chimay goblet; a pinky finger of creamy white head
S – seriously…I get macaroni and cheese mixed with an apple shed
T – Nicely boozy; sweet dark fruits with slightly dry finish
M – finely carbonated, very smooth
O - Definitely a re-buy

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 21:45:21 | More by PHSCAPT

kjkinsey

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -11.1%

12-30-2012 03:39:23 | More by kjkinsey

Hyhat

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -17.1%

12-28-2012 20:11:50 | More by Hyhat