AleSmith Grand Cru
Bottle conditioned.
Grand Cru is a dark chestnut-colored Belgian-style Ale with vibrant fermentation aromas of fruity esters and spicy phenols. A sweet caramel malt, raisin, and plum-like character combines with the complex fermentation profile of our Belgian yeast strain and hints of bittersweet chocolate in the finish. Its full body and velvety mouthfeel make for a slow and satisfying drinking experience. Grand Cru is meant to be savored and will age nicely.
Grand Cru is a dark chestnut-colored Belgian-style Ale with vibrant fermentation aromas of fruity esters and spicy phenols. A sweet caramel malt, raisin, and plum-like character combines with the complex fermentation profile of our Belgian yeast strain and hints of bittersweet chocolate in the finish. Its full body and velvety mouthfeel make for a slow and satisfying drinking experience. Grand Cru is meant to be savored and will age nicely.
3.9
1228 reviews
San Diego, United States
Community reviews
Aromas of carbonated spiced malts, Belgian yeast, brown sugar, toffee, peanut brittle, amber malts, cappucino, hazelnut, tree bark, acohol sugars and nougat. Pours brown with a fair autumn tint. Taste brings sweet sugars, toffee, brown sugar, creme brulee, cappucino, hazelnut, malt syrup, oats, alcohol sugars, booze, molasses and peanut brittle upfront. Finish is pleasant and carbonated with a residual nuttiness on the palate. Overall, not bad but definitely not worth the price I paid.
750ml bottle from ck1, cellared 6 and a half years, and attempted to share many times without success. During the cellar clear-out, and served at cellar temperature. Pours a foamy (lost almost a quarter of the bottle) copper amber with a spongey off-orange head leaving streaky (duh) lacing. Aroma has big sweet malts, coriander, bubblegum, stone fruits, and sweet alcohol. Taste is of sweet malts, tangy stone fruits, berries, alcohol, some yeast, and spices. This gets more complex down through the glass, adding plum and a nice sweet malt blend. More than medium bodied, there is some alcohol presence, and the blend is solid-to-good. Finishes to the sweet and tangy spicy side of bittersweet. This is a solid example of the 'grand cru' style, even after too long in the cellar. This leaned sweet, but could see glimpses of how there would be a period where the fruitiness would take charge. Definitely enjoyed. 14.2
0,75l bottle from Beergium. Clear, red brown beer with medium but quickly vanishing head. Aroma has dried and ripe fruits, malts and some alcohol. Taste has malts, ripe fruits and dried fruits, yeast and some alcohol. Also some red wine touch does exist. Quite full body. Nice beer, even if this is not the best Belgium Ale.
A great break from the IPAs. It's still hoppy and creamy but it has a molasses sweetness which is really great.
750 ml bottle. Hazy chestnut color. Small creamy beige head. Toasted malt nose has nutty undertones. Sweet toasted malt flavor has fruity notes. Sweet and syrupy, with yeasty, caramel, dried fruit notes. Quite delicious and truly unique.
Dimmig bärntens- mot röd öl med ett beige skum. Doft och smak är karamell, frukt, jäst, alkoholsötma, fikon och kryddighet.
another one,great quality beer, no funny stuff, just great tasting beer, dark fruits, toast,smoke,sweet, chocolate, spicy, very well balanced, cost me a fortune this bottle,
very worthwhile
Bottle. Dark amber colour. Aroma is raisin, too much alcohol. Lively carbonation - for me too high. Not very impressive.
Taps opaque caramel with a serviceable buff head. Aroma features pomme fruit, toasted malt and woody hops. Flavor presents sweet and slightly tart fruit, toasty malt and woody hops, with tropical and toffee hints. Mouthfeel offers firm body and sassy fizz. Just grand!
The aroma is malt, caramel and a slight fruitiness. Pours a golden brown with virtually no head. The taste is a medium sweet and sour. The body is medium, the texture creamy, the carbonation soft and the finish long. Very Good!
0.75l bottle. Dark ruby body with a lasting beige head and floating sediment. Candi sugar comes first in the aroma followed by some dried fruits and dark fruits (dates, raisins, figs). It also has a minimal licorice to it that I don't really like but it's not that strong in this beer so I don't mind. It's spicy too (nutmeg and pepper comes to my mind). The taste is a bit more herbal and spicy than the aroma and licorice shows up here too. This is balanced with a candi sugar and caramel-like sweetness. The finish has a bit of toast and a hint of chocolate. The body is medium so as the carbonation. Great Belgian ale.
Una birra belga che comunque ha qualcosa da invidiare al Belgio per complessità e un filo di corpo mancante. Piacevole da bere ma non eccelsa.
Slightly hazy amber color with beige head. Aroma has really nice malts with crème brûlée and burnt sugar notes. Taste is malty and sugary but not really sweet. Really balanced with caramel flavor balanced by a background bitterness. Medium body and carbonation. Complex yet balanced with well integrated flavors.
75cl bottle. Red hazy appearance. Medium bitterness and light sweetness. Medium body. Aroma and flavour is caramel, hops, phenolic, spices, nutty.
Keg at Brewdog CJ. Caramel sweet aroma. A ruby brown. A few mm of off-white head. Medium sweet. Some light bitterness creeps in to a boozy finish. Mediim bodied. Sticky slick A prickle of carbonation. Relatively anrupt finish. Lovely. Feel like it should be Christmas.
Nice amber color with a fine off white head. Good lacing. Ok intensity in the aroma. Full body and a fine carbonation level. Pleasant to drink. Balanced sweetness. Fruity, yeast, toffee and some spices in the flavor. Nice tasty evening sipper. Good complexity.
[On tap at BrewDog in Norwich, England]
Taster at Rogues Convention Center during the Alesmith Canadian Sales start event with Slack guys. Pours a clear amber with a weak tan head. Aroma is very fruity, sweet, with caramel notes. Same taste, very close to the original Belgian beers. Good work, Alesmith!
Draft - Caramel, golden raisin and sweet honey notes. Clear copper with a small head. Sweet caramel and nice apple malts. Lots sweet caramel green apple and golden raisin.
Keg tap at BrewDog Leicester. Light brown. Hazy with a small off-white head. Candy sugar, yeasty aroma with light raspberry and cinnamon. Sweet, sugary and slightly fruity taste. There’s some dogged hop bitterness in the finish. Some caramel biscuit and stone fruit notes in the aftertaste. Well carbonated and oh so boozy. An incredible experience.
Wollüstig candierter Strong Ale Hotty mit dem fetten PERFECT 🚀 BERRYBELGIANYEAST SHOWDOWN!!! HARD WORKING AMERICAN😉✨👽!!! 0,75l Buddel from DEMOLEN Online Shop.
Bottle from BevMo! in Redwood City, CA. Aroma is Creme Brulee, Bananas Foster, fruity caramel, Belgian Quad vibes, some wood. Taste is creamy, Quad-like, raisins, boozy fruitcake, oak. Incredible aroma, loads of Belgian vibes...not as complex as I was hoping for but still very drinkable with depth.
Backlog Bottle, pours an amber brown color with medium 2 finger head. Notes of raisin, wood, fig, anise, chocolate, and banana. lots of sweet dark fruit as it warms up. Medium to fuller body with a lingering finish.
Flight, Brewdog Edinburgh. Pours headless ruby/brown. Huge raisin, port, pineau de charentes aroma. Big boozy hit on the taste, armagnac like warmth, loads of dark fruits. Very good, but the balance isn’t quite right for me for it to be a 4 plus.
No date on the 750ml bottle.
It pours a clear reddish brown with an impressive head of foam. Slow to shrink and a good lacing brew.
Smells of caramel malt, Belgian yeast and spices, dark fruits, bit of butterscotch. Light presence of booze.
Belgian flavours all the way. Yeasty, bananas, raisins, dark pitted fruit that add a wee bit of tart twang. Caramel malt is there but only as a supporting player. A bit of booze in the taste. Sipper? You betcha. I can dig that.
Close to, if not, full bodied.
Serve it to me at a blind tasting and I’d swear that it was Belgian.
0.75l Bottle from Beergium shared. Pours mahogany color with medium head. Flavor of nuts, sweet malts, caramel, dark fruits, yeast, syrup. Medium body, a bit alcoholy taste, sweet aftertaste.
Bottled 2014. Dark orange/brown color, small beige head. Very sweet aromas of apricot, marmalade, vanilla, candy sugar, dried figs, raisins, caramel and peaches. Sweet taste with yeast, sugar, dried fruit, spices, slight alcohol and vinous hints. Well balanced.
It’s a good, but very standard belgian-type strong ale, no American character. Nice texture, smooth palate, pleasant and drinkable, sweet, with raisins, dried fruits, dark malt, chocolate. Slightly boozy.
18 month old bottle. Candy and Belgian yeast aroma. Very pretty amber color. Tastes sweet up front with a slightly boozy aftertaste. Very clean, not muddled like many belgian strong ales. Very low carbonation, light palate that is very smooth. Another good one from AleSmith, they have yet to make a beer that I do not like.
Bottle, 750 ml, from Beergium. Shared with rest of the crew. Pours amber with beige head. Malty, caramel, some dried fruit, raisins, estery, bit spicy. Moderate sweetness. Medium bodied.
Bottle. Dark hazy brownish orange with golden highlights and a foamy khaki head that’s gone in a flash. Aroma of caramel, dark figgy fruit, banana, and bubblegummy yeast phenols. Tastes phenolic, moderately sweet and not at all boozy tasting for the abv. Medium, semi-syrupy bodied, very softly carbonated.