Hoegaarden Grand Cru - Brouwerij van Hoegaarden

Jason

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 33 cl brown slender Euro style bottle with a “Best Before End” date on the back label. Also states that this beer is bottled conditioned.

Appearance: Cloudy, yet vibrant, pale orange colour with a tiny bubbled creamy looking white lace that does a fine job of sticking around for a while. Preferably served in a tulip glass, this sample was served in a traditional Hoegaarden Grand Cru tulip glass.

Smell: Ripe topical fruit (plantain, pineapple and mango come to mind), alcohol esters with a faint ghost like solvent aroma. Medicinal phenols are laid back in the mildly vinous aroma.

Taste: Full mouth feel of a medium body with a carbonation and viscosity that swirls around in the mouth. Such smoothness only comes from bottle conditioned brews, this adds to the beer as well to keep the mouth feel natural and rounded. Yeast flavours floats on to the palate with a light dry nutty flavour, alcohol is quick to warm the body even before the flavour subside. Esters are flush and playful with light solvent and medicinal phenolic flavour rushing around. Fruitiness is explosive with hasten suggestions of pineapple, star fruit and papaya. Hops go to the back right away though are seen in a quick and small bitterness just to balance. Spiciness is not to be forgotten characteristic, not only bits of coriander and citric peel undertones are there but a complex mix of spice flavour are derived from the phenols and alcohol. Somewhat on the dry side and blatantly full of flavour even far into the finish.

Notes: Ouch, this beer is a gift from the gods and it shall smite thee and then make the drinker feel its ever holy wrath of esters and alcohol. Once the light is seen then the mortal shall be one with beer. Serious beer, a beer to respect and enjoy to the fullest of course.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2001 00:11:43 | More by Jason

Todd

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Similar to its commercial counterpart, but twice as tasty, a bit darker and strong. Had this bought for me at Kaffee De Hopduvel in Ghent, Belgium by a gentleman named Vincent (and family). He mentioned that the Grand Cru is more like the original Hoegaarden prior to its becoming commercialized. Wonderful estery aromas with banana and spice notes. Very malty sweet with loads of esters and a slight bitter finish. Wow, what a beer!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2001 10:03:12 | More by Todd

johntfox

Florida

4/5  rDev -0.2%

05-21-2013 18:34:51 | More by johntfox

aztraz

Sweden

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%

04-25-2013 20:12:54 | More by aztraz

Bandi

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%

04-19-2013 20:00:06 | More by Bandi

metter98

New York

3.96/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy golden yellow in color and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It pored with a finger high white head that died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of fruity esters, pale malts and yeast are present in the nose.
T: The taste very much follows the smell and also has some hints of spices towards the finish.
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied and a little dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer manages to hide its alcohol rather well considering its strength so it is rather easy to drink. It is a pretty good representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 19:13:15 | More by metter98

tomdavistoronto

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%

03-24-2013 18:57:10 | More by tomdavistoronto

TheoC007

Belgium

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%

03-11-2013 16:30:57 | More by TheoC007

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.2%

03-11-2013 05:16:41 | More by spycow

bustinwheels

California

4.88/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This has always been one of my all time favorite beers. The orange corriander gives it a unique flavor and sometimes I forget that I'm drinking beer. For me, it's the Champagne of Beers! I like it so much I recycled the bottle so I will never forget it!

Check it out, copy and paste this in your address bar:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/118327530/recycled-beer-bottle-candle-hoegaarden?ga_search_query=hoegaarden

Cheers my friends!

Bustinwheels

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 16:37:55 | More by bustinwheels

biernack

4.75/5  rDev +18.5%

02-09-2013 20:29:27 | More by biernack

kevinhughes

Netherlands

4.25/5  rDev +6%

01-28-2013 21:43:41 | More by kevinhughes

Mattias

Sweden

4/5  rDev -0.2%

01-26-2013 21:51:07 | More by Mattias

FLima

Brazil

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Hazy orange golden color with a thick head with decent retention.
Delicious aroma yeast, banana, vanilla and orange, though more elegant than most witbier.
Malty and spicy flavor with good complexity, a bit fruity with notes of perfume, vanilla, coriander and citrus. Aftertaste is dry and condimented with some bitterness.
Medium body with medium carbonation. Alcohol is in harmony with the beer.
Very tasteful witbier or Belgian blond ale, or whatever it is, I really liked it. That is a whole different league than their regular stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 22:52:19 | More by FLima

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not much of a white head but lots of bubbles moving through this hazy golden beer filled with sediment.
Smells very fruity and bready with notes of banana and orange and spice.
The taste follows suit with banana, peppery spiciness, and some sweetness. There is some warming alcohol.
Lots of bubbles pelt the tongue. Medium-light bodied.
Doesn't come across any better than the standard Hoegaarden.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 07:09:02 | More by MattSweatshirt

jmtpi

New York

4.25/5  rDev +6%

12-25-2012 14:37:58 | More by jmtpi

NielZ

3.93/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

33cl bottle at home

A: Big head with a good color which lasts very long.
Smell is great, when you put the glass closer to your nose it smells like alcohol.

S Fruits and spices.

T Banana, coriander, wheat and some hints of oranges. The finish lasts long and is a bit dry.

M Chewy and smooth.

O Nice one, its nice in balance with the alcohol & fruits

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 22:09:45 | More by NielZ

GRUUMSH

Belgium

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%

12-06-2012 10:57:00 | More by GRUUMSH

bostonryan

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.2%

12-05-2012 22:10:41 | More by bostonryan

Aixois

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%

11-25-2012 07:30:27 | More by Aixois

ErwinGS

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +6%

11-24-2012 15:13:11 | More by ErwinGS

PCfirefox

5/5  rDev +24.7%

11-19-2012 14:29:14 | More by PCfirefox

sydneyMTBdog

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%

11-03-2012 17:11:00 | More by sydneyMTBdog

Jetulio

Spain

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33 cl bottle poured into Big Tulip glass (Gulden Draak glass)
App/ hazy yellow colour with a big off-white head (3 fingers)
S/ malt, alcohol, oranges
T/ alcohol and lemon with notes of malt and sweetness.
M/ medium body and carbonation. Refreshing in mouth, Long aftertaste
O/ well balanced, nice Belgian ale, maybe not so complex as others but very refreshing . Good value.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 19:27:37 | More by Jetulio

jklecko2

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%

10-30-2012 19:05:41 | More by jklecko2