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

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a clear deep brown color ale with a full foamy head with good retention and great lacing. Aroma consists of sweet malt with some candi sugar and some dry fruit characteristics. Taste is also a well balance mix between rich Belgian malt with notes of candi sugar and some dry fruits such as raisins and plums. Full body with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very well done and some thing that I would have on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2008 20:04:14 | More by Phyl21ca

treyrab

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at Zeno's, State College last night and split with a fellow BA...

A: A semi-hazy dark Belgian color. Murky dark copper with a nice big head that lasts and laces decently.

S: Tons of banana, dark fruits, clove, spice. The smell here is really robust.

T: Does not lack complexity by any means. Very flavorful with sweet fruits dominating. This reminds me a lot of Southampton Abbot 12, but not as sweet. A lot of banana and clove in the taste as well..

Overall, this is a great Grand Cru and/or Quad.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2008 21:44:44 | More by treyrab

phishgator

Florida

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Chimay glass. Deep brown in color with a medium head, low carbonation. The aroma is of rasins and plum. The taste is a touch of sour rasins, but a mix that is warming as it goes down. The alcohol is well hidden, but hits you at the end. The body if full and rich. This makes for and enjoyable drinking experience. A very smooth drink with a good amount of subtle flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 13:27:40 | More by phishgator

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a chalice)
cork says 2/10
A- This beer pours a dark dense brown body with a light brown glow at the base of the glass. There is a big beige oatmeal head that is rocky but simmers down to a thick creamy head as it sticks to the glass with each sip. There is a strong carbonation of tiny bubbles that keep the head strong.

S- The mysterious aroma is well blended and hard to describe with qualities of dry brown malt and old wood notes without oak but it has some cream and some molasses hints. The finish has some dry dark toffee notes.

T- The light brown malt flavor is well blended and fairly dry with a dry aged wood note and a slight tart hint that has some roasted malt qualities which grow as the beer warms. The finish is a dry candy sugar flavor with some grapefruit rind and brie rind flavors that are from yeast not hops.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with no alcohol heat until it warms a good bit and then there is only a soft boozy alcohol flavor.

D- This beer really opens up as it warms and has a nice mysterious complexity making it a easy drink especially for a 10.50 ABV. It didn't have that wow flavor that pulled in lots of flavors but it was pleasant to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2009 14:04:44 | More by rhoadsrage

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dense black body that leaves a big head and lace ring down the entire glass. A mix of roasted, coffee, burnt chocolate, toffee, oak, maple...I'm picking up a lot of malts and hints of fruit. A thick bodied and stick beer that is a little dry, has a large portion of roasted and burnt malts with some sweetness from chocolate, vanilla and caramel (even licorice). Not quite sure but I know tasting something like maple or molasses along with a berry type fruit. Finish is dry and a tad bit of an alcohol burn. A quality quad that is meant to sip and enjoy for a very long time...it's just that heavy and like a meal in a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2009 13:37:53 | More by clayrock81

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle.

Pours a murky medium-dark brown color with a white head. The aroma is cherries, dark fruit, malt and some sweetness. The flavor is dark fruit with a strong malty sweetness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 03:22:48 | More by Mora2000

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

from notes
\
deep amber in color bordering on a nice brown with a small head of light off white color that quickly faded into obscurity and left some nice lacing along the sides of the glass. Deep boozy aroma here, lots of alcohol present along with some nice caramel malts and a touch of light grassy notes as it warmed. Some nice fruit flavor on the first sip but this is drowned out quickly by the hot nature of the booze. Really could use some time to sit down as it is just too fresh I feel. Still though I push on letting it warm and come through some light touches of raisins, perhaps a touch of light fig now mixing in as well. Smooth, light and subtle carbonation leaves the mouth dry

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 01:50:36 | More by mikesgroove

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A gift from brewandbbq, thanks for the opportunity Jeff!
Pours a deep reddish orange color with a huge bubbly off white head that persists forever. The smell is quite fruity. Orange and cherries and raisins in front of a solid caramel and darker sugar back drop with a hint of alcohol. The flavor is quite fruity as well with orange and citrus mixed with some sweet cherries raisins and plums. A solid caramel and melanoidin malt sweetness provides a nice balance against the fruit. There's a warming alcohol, but its very faint and never harsh. Medium to thick body with a moderate to high level of carbonation and a sweet almost syrupy mouthfeel. This is a very nice quad, the citrus flavor adds a nice dimension to this brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 00:28:06 | More by johnnnniee

TomGavin

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From a 750ml bottle into a Chimay goblet. Pours rootbeer brown with a gray-ish white head of about 1/8th of an inch. Great head retention and lacing.

Nose: Caramel covered almonds, rhubarb, cola malt and vanilla.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and creamy with mild carbonation.

Taste: Chewy caramel, wether's originals--but without any diacetyl slipperiness--and roasted vanilla smores malt. The finish is fruity and brief, but satisfying nonetheless.

Comment: I never noticed the ABV--10.5%--and this is the charm of a well executed and dangerously tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2009 07:36:05 | More by TomGavin

stbfan

Alabama

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

Very nice looking, dark brown with ruby hues to light. lots of sediment. Huge off white head. Smells of cloves, bread, yummy. Tastses like a medium to thick mouthfeel.tastes of cloves, belgian yeast, a little bitterness in finish. almost metallic. Very drinkable.Nice quadruple. Nice lacing on glass. Finish is a little lacking though.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2010 04:56:56 | More by stbfan

ekmoody

Wisconsin

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

A nice deep ruby colored beer with about a finger of white head. Aroma of dark fruits, bready yeasts, some mild sweetness. Taste is similar to the smell, a delicious blend of fruit, spices, and malt. The 10.5% abv is definitely not apparent in the flavor. Overall I really enjoyed this one. Of course, it's not something I'd have more than one of in a sitting, but I'd certainly have one again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2010 14:01:12 | More by ekmoody

ehammond1

California

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

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Dark amber, ruby, and brown with a very thin khaki head. Lined lacing down the glass. Can't come out looking much better from the tap.

The aroma is of prunes and raisins, some alcohol, rye bread, and a bit of spicy, tangy yeast. Good, but I wish there was less of an alcohol presence.

I have a similar complaint with the flavor. The dark fruits, yeast, and tangy rye bread are all very good, though (and perhaps because I tend to judge my quads tougher than most any other style) I'm disappointed in how present the alcohol is in the flavor. A delicious sipper, though it does have room to improve. I would love to try this one aged.

Medium to thick mouthfeel. Somewhat thick and creamy.

A good quad, with just a touch too much alcohol heat.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2011 17:53:17 | More by ehammond1

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This poured out as a deep amber/brown color with a tan colored head on top. The smell of the beer was a little sour ot funky... It worried me a little bit, I was expected a sweet malty aroma and I got something that reminded me of a Wild Ale. The taste however completely made up for the aroma. The sweet malt and candy like flavors that a quality Quad has were in there and very pronounced. The beer tastes sweet with minimal bitterness. The mouthfeel was pretty good, it was moderately thick feeling with a low carbonation to it. Overall I enjoyed it, the smell still doesn't please me but the beer in general is quite good.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 02:57:08 | More by Knapp85

rarbring

Sweden

4.03/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The brew is clouded chestnut, an off-white small head with little lacing but heavy curtains.

Smelling of dried or ripe fruits, bananas, spices, some acidity. Much Belgian.

Tasting sweet, brown biscuits, syrup, brown sugar, ripe fruits, some faint bitter cherry seed nuances.

Medium carbonation, foamy small bubbles, soft and smooth, a big body.

A very rewarding and in every sense great beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 18:40:39 | More by rarbring

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

brdc

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Large corked and caged bottle, poured into a goblet.

Very nice looking, very dark brew with multiple reddish hues, a nice tan, creamy-looking head that is very small despite my efforts (?), but the small amount that I can make holds well into the end, with very very nice lacing - sides of the glass are all covered.
Aroma is pleasant, but less pronounced than most quadrupels; it is quite delicate here. Fruity, mostly berries, yeasty, sweetish malts mostly caramel, but you really need your nose deep into it, it is not coming out as I expected. Still nice, though.
Very creamy, even velvety on the mouth, with a pleasant taste, although similar to the aroma, not as powerful as I expect from a quadrupel.
Fruity, mostly sweetish and showing multiple notes of berries and caramel, with a reasonably dry finish that asks for more. There are also some spices coming and going, mostly peppery.
There are a number of better quadrupels out there, but this one is still very pleasant and worthwhile.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2008 02:20:02 | More by brdc

pinotboy007

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Deep mahogany but nearly opaque with a rich khaki-colored head and plenty of lace. Superb!

S - Oaky vanilla and malt. (I suspect this needs to warm up a bit more.)

T - Slightly sweet, oaky vanilla with a hint of an exotic single malt and leather. Very nice!

M - Slick and satiny; impressive by any standard. There's only the slightest touch of fizz and the creaminess is simply amazing. I'm getting only a tinge of alcohol burn on the back end, impressive given its ABV.

D - Dangerously so. Buy a few of these and save them for those splendid autumn afternoons.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2009 21:58:40 | More by pinotboy007

WoogityBoogity

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Artificial cork, date stamped "05/12". Cork was a bitch to remove, and it seems as if there was barely any carbonation.

A - Dark mahogany body... poured straight down tulip glass and barely any head formed. Cleary body, although dark. After a minute, head settles to almost a tiny froth. If twirled, microbubbles reduce from body.

S - Simple malt, cinnamon aroma. Very mild fruity esters for a "Grand Cru".

T - Malt complexity is limited... but stands out. A few peppery spice phenols. Finish is dry. Label claims 10.5% ABV, though alcohol taste is well hidden (or is lying).

M - Medium body, low carbonation.

D - Very drinkable; would pair well with dessert if you're looking for a Quad that doesn't overpower.

---

It almost seems like the beer I tasted was way too young.

I'm not sure if I, like the person just below me, got a bad batch - but it seems like this was bottled before tertiary fermentation was completed. I believe Val-Dieu doesn't use bottle fermentation, so it almost seems like after racking, Val-Dieu didn't complete the carbonation process.

Either that, or very simply... this beer is way too young (which I don't believe). As it's bottled, it travels from brewer to importer over seas by boat (30 days), then to distributor's warehouse (another 30 days), to store shelf (couple weeks)... so I'm not sure of the situation.

But recent reviews don't match previous reviews.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 01:58:29 | More by WoogityBoogity

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Moeder Lambic Fontainas during our trip to Belgium last week. Reviewed from notes.

Served in a Val-Dieu chalice.

Pours a very dark brown with hints of mahogany and a really nice light tan head that lasts for quite awhile.

The nose brings some light roast as well as a good amount of dark fruit and a fairly-prominent anise character. Light booze. Flavor mixes dark fruits and anise quite well, leading to a nice finish after a medium body. Really interesting and tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 13:42:17 | More by Thorpe429

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from Five Points Bottle Shoppe, Athens, GA. Split with my father, with my portion poured into a cervoise.

Appearance: Pours a deep but still largely transparent orange brown. For a quadrupel of 10.5% abv, the head on this one is mammoth and has fantastic retention - I actually had to coax mine down, as it looked as if it not had intention of going anywhere anytime soon. It's a good two-and-a-half fingers, fluffy and solid-looking in places, bubbly, sudsy, and foamy in others, slightly creamy in color. It's also flecked with little specks of black, glittery, perhaps yeast matter or spices. The body itself is loaded with fine floaties, dancing around with one another, caught up in some kind of internal beer jet stream. I originally had this at a 4.5, but given how long the lacing and head stuck around, I'm really gonna have to bump it up to a 5.0. Just great.

Aroma: Intensely fruity and spicy is my first impression. Apples, pears, cherries, and other lighter fruity notes mingle well with a wide array of yeasty spices, an earthy, phenolic kick, and a bucketload of darker malts. It smells slightly more "medicinal" here than as described in the taste below, hence the score discrepancy, but by and large the notes are very similar.

Taste: A fantastic and complex array of flavors here. Ripe stone fruits are the main course here, apricots, buttery pears, slightly tart apples, flourishes of more tropical examples. The yeast - in addition to overripe bananas - imparts a huge amount of delicate spice which isn't limited to clove: I get definite anise and hints of allspice, as well, along with a number of other spicy and nondescript but nonetheless pleasant phenols. The obligatory Belgian quadrupel darker fruits are present as well, with raisins and prunes intermingling well with the other flavors present. Other malt notes - caramel, sweet chocolate, honey, candi sugar - put a cap on this very complex-tasting brew. Any alcohol prickle is hidden admirably both by the spicy phenols and the sweet, ripe fruits, both of which combine to do the job without either one of them becoming annoying in the process.

Mouthfeel: On par with the best examples of the style, it's incredibly soft and delicate. The "sublimation" factor is slightly less intense than in some other examples, but it's still a divine-feeling beer, pillowy, intense, exploding, like drinking a cloud. Great.

Drinkability: A damn fine beer. First, the reason it's a 4.0: it's sweet, intensely sweet, with tons of sugars hanging around, fruity, malty, etc. It's also slightly medicinal in the phenolic profile, which is enhanced slightly by the dominating lighter fruity flavors (dimetapp anyone?). The alcohol's also pretty high. On the other hand, that alcohol's well hidden, the phenolic, medicinal quality doesn't come through as strongly in the taste, and this is - on the whole - a really damn complex and good beer. I don't know if I can in good faith classify it as a quadrupel - there's too much yeast character and too little malt character - but, regardless, give it a try. Recommended, highly.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 03:06:59 | More by CrellMoset

madtowndmb1

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a liquid brown sugar color.

S:Has the yeasty smell that you'd expect but it also has a hint of a belgian sour. hints of candi sugar as well.

T: Very calm across the board I think. Not a ton going on, nothinhg overpowers and takes control. There's almost a dusty taste mixed in with the sweetness and the tingle on your tongue.

I liked this. If someone was getting into Quads I'd point them in this direction. Very easy drinker for 10.5%!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2009 01:05:22 | More by madtowndmb1

grayburn

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer laces forever. That is the only thing to say, absolut lace-heaven. Midnight or dark dark brown color with a heavy cream head. Great retention, I couldn't ask for any more in a beer.

I must preface my review for smell and taste with the fact that this beer is young. The date on the cork says 02/09, therefore the 10.5 percent was definitely evident. The smell was some nice belgian yeastiness, the dried fruit and sourness, coupled with some strong alkyhol. The taste followed suit, very nice and fruity, a bit hot though.

The high carbonation and clean finish really helped this beer along, the body seems surprisingly light for all the flavor, very nice.

This beer will only improve, I am already very impressed. Time to set a couple back for 2 or 3.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2009 04:27:03 | More by grayburn

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pour black, with not a thick body, virtually no head, I think this one 5 years old. Still good mouthfeel conistency. Spicey aroma. Taste of cocoa and licorice predominately, still very nice with supper. Rich aged taste, not your coriander. Sweetish spice.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 02:44:05 | More by northyorksammy

CWiggins

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I mistook this for the blond ale by the same brewer, and opened it without realizing what I had! Imagine my surprise after the first gulp, when those dark, malted candy sugars and intense alcohol hit my tongue. Whew!

I purchased this some time back, while picking up several items from Sam's in Durham. It poured a very dark brown into my Unibroue glass, and the tan head hung around for some time. Lacing continued around the perimeter until the glass was empty. The aroma is rather weak; there are hints of brown sugar, dark cherries and alcohol, but they're just not very strong. With a deeper sniff I noticed the scent of Concord grape juice!

The flavor is superb. It's full of dark sugars and chocolate, with a slight espresso accent at the finish. There's a nice warmth here as well, probably due to the alcohol. It's full-bodied and contains a little more than medium carbonation.

A very nice Quadrupel. It's nice to know there are so many good Quads on the market.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2007 00:57:27 | More by CWiggins

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bottle from Abe's for about $9, served in a chalice.

This is big, sweet quad with enough spice to make you wonder if the yeast can really do that much work. It's fruity, of course, with dark fruit of blackberries, dates, and raisins. The spice elements is all very smooth with light vanilla, corriander, white pepper, and cinnamon. My only complaint is that while this doesn't drink cloyingly sweet, it can become a little much and this is a must-share beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2008 19:20:40 | More by tempest