Grottenbier Bruin
Josh’s translation of the French description..."Aged in the caves of Kanne, where the exceptional climatic circumstances give it a unique aroma and flavour without equal." In the U.S., the label will read "Grotten Brown Belgian Cave-Aged Ale." ABV of 6.5% or 6.7% depending on bottles.
3.6
1004 reviews
Watou, Belgium
Community reviews
Originally rated on 8/26/08. Grotten poured a beautiful rootbeer brown body with tons of carbonation that lead to a massive tan head that left thick lacing. Aromas of banana, cinammon, and clove. Mouthfeel was adequate, a little thin though. Flavor was strange, no one flavor stood out and it was kind of bland. The best thing about this was its appearance, however i would be willing to give it another try in the future."
Bottle from 2013 enjoyed watching the flyera in a meaningless game. Pours dark tan, cream hued head that is powered by plenty of carbonation. Yeasty nose. Taste is faitly bland, some burnt sugar, some yeast, plum. Quick tartness at the end. Finish lingers in the form of some sugar.
75cl Bottle - Expired 29/07/2010
Overall I wasn’t too impressed, I thought this beer would have aged better. Maybe a bit too low in alcohol to please me. Carbonation was fine, certainly after all those years. The texture a bit too thin.
Denne belgiske øl har et brunligt udseende med et medium hvidt skum. Øllen har en sød aroma og smager sødt af karamel med en friskhed af citrus og en bitter eftersmag. Medium karbonering.
330ml bottle at the Head of Steam, Durham. Dark caramel colour with a virtually non-existent off-white head. Has a curious aroma of wholemeal bread, mixed with the floral aroma of haylage. Quiet flavour of bread, with an aftertaste of pork and celery. Finishes with a slight citrus tang. Overall, unusual and very pleasant.
Flaske. Farven er brun og skumkronen er flødefarvet. Aromaen er malt, rød frugt og gær, medens smagen er næsten syrlig med mørke frugter og bær. Har en god mundfylde. Man får meget smag.
Bottle @ home. Marrone, al mimite del ramato carico, con schiuma beige non troppo fine ma persistente. Aroma tostato, di cacao, lievito belga, frutti rossi , lieve di liquore, note erbacee e qualche sentore di cantina. Abboccato l’ingresso, fruttato di frutta candita, poi leggermente tostato e liquoroso. Corposa, piena , molto rotonda. Meno calda rispetto a quanto l’aroma liquoroso lascerebbe intendere. poco carbonata. Equilibrata ed armonica
750ml bottle (thanks FatPhil). Slightly hazy chestnut color. Small size, beige bubbly head, stays. Sweet, raisins, orange marmalade, malty, prunes in aroma. Malty, marmalade, aftershave, grassy hops in taste. Raisins nd chocolate mint cake in aftertaste. Nice and sparky. Not a classic Belgian as I know it. Better. Lovely brew.
Earlier Rating: 9/29/2012 Total Score: 3.3
750ml bottle. Chestnut brown color. Medium size brownish head, won’t last for very long. Fruity, yeast, butter, sweet in aroma. Mild roast, malty, vanilla, hops, faint spices in flavor. Crisp and buttery mouthfeel.
750ml bottle (Drink Shop, Tallinn) Bottled 2014/11 BB 2018/11 Drunk 2015/12
Initially a very fruity aroma, Anna’s more than mine, and mine is more perfumey. I just get a hint of tomato once or twice, some mint, but some mashiness too. Light palate, pleasant carbonation. Gentle malty body, Perfumey and light, classic belgian aspects, reminds me of chimay red, super mellow and very complex, changes from the front to the back of each sip. The wave of fruits and esters that then gives way to nice dry bitterness. I have another bottle, I will let that age plenty.
Earlier Rating: 9/24/2007 Total Score: 3.6
Rating is the individual maxima of different ratings, as a strange kind of rerate compromise.
330ml bottle (Charters, Peterborough)
Rich malty aroma. Also smooth relaxing bruin taste - malty and liquorice. Drink with low lights at the end of the evening - worth savouring.
Rerate (7-4-7-4-13=3.5)
This is a completely different beer from the bruin I’ve had in the past
Hugely perfumed aroma. Sweet blossoms. Simple grainy body, and loads more blossom. With yeast, more milky and some liquorice.
Bottle, bb 12.11.2018 (shared by fatphil, thanks). Pours red amber with beige head. The head doesn’t stay. Aroma is dark fruits plums, sweetness, belgian yeast. Flavor is sweet, fruits, raisins, apples, malt. Finish is fruity and malty. Body is somewhat watery.Overall: very nice.
Earlier Rating: 3/15/2014 Total Score: 3.6
0,33L bottle. BB 17.09.2015, ABV 6,5%. Pours dark red amber with off white head. The head stays. Aroma is dark fruits, spices, and yeast. Taste is sweet, fruits, malt, medicinal flavors, spices, herbal, and little bit creamy. Overall: not bad, rather weird smelling and tasting beer.
Hazy reddish brown beer, medium off-white head. Nose is slightly sour, malty, caramel, berry and fruit notes, sugar, something creamy. Flavor is sugars, caramel, fruity notes, slightly herbal. Finishes with mild bitterness, more caramel, berries. Lingering bitter notes, mild spicy citurs and caramel. Very drinkable, but also the mouthfeel is on the thin side.
Earlier Rating: 4/3/2012 Total Score: 3.5
Cloudy light brown, lasting head. Aromas of dried fruit, yeast, some malt and faint alcohol. The taste is swett, malty, but not overpoweringly so. Some dried prunes and warming alcohol in the finish. Easy to drink.
From tap at Delerium Amsterdam. En de laatste ronde. Backlog from 2015/03/22.
Earlier Rating: 12/1/2015 Total Score: 3.4
33cl Bottle from Van Alsem. Nice dubbel. Dried fruits and toffee. Backlog from 2014/08/10.
Ook wel een zeer speciaal bier, een donkere kleur, speciale smaak, wel zeer lekker.
Draught. Pours a murky brown with a fading off white head. Aroma of dried fruits, dark fruits, berries, blackcurrants. Taste is of forest fruits, caramel, earthy, some spice. Light oily mouthfeel, soft carbonation.
Bottle shared with JMD at HNB 31.03.13. Unclear brown. White head. Aroma of currants, chocolate malt and orange marmalade. Hops and toffee in taste that opens up more and more. Bitter chocolate and orange marmalade in aftertaste. Fizzy mouthfeel. High drinkability.
Beautiful renewable foam with a lively aroma of hops and spices. The flavor is hoppy, slightly sweet and with an aftertaste persistent pleasant and round. I think alcohol taste is in a perfect relief to the beer’s other flavors.
Not sure I would call this a dubbel. It is a little too sweet and syrupy. Dry though.
Caramel and spice with a dirt kind of aroma. Taste banana and tart with some raisin and wine vinegar. Not too bad I appreciate the style but wouldn’t drink a bunch. Be sure to enjoy the Bruins before you try.
Dubbel, czyli to, co Belgowie robią świetnie. Brązowy kolor, spora, średnio- i grubopęcherzykowa piana. Piana szybko opadła... Aromat rodzynek, trochę czekolady i wina. W smaku nuty winne, ciemnych owoców, nieco karmelu. Delikatna goryczka, średnie wysycenie. Bardzo grzeczny, stonowany dubbel!
33cl bottle. Hazy dark brown colour with a nice off-white head. Caramel, malt, fruity and light spicy aroma. Average carbonation and medium body. Taste is complex but somehow balanced and with some tartness. Overall, a very interesting beer.
Strong malt aroma, slight butterscotch, banana, raisin notes. Amber-brown colour, cloudy. Minimal head. Sweet, medium body. Mild carbonation, oily texture. Beautiful ale from one of my favourite breweries.
Red brown pour with not much head. Brown sugary, dried fruit, spicy aroma. Taste is sweet/sour, brown sugar, spice, dried fruits.
0,33 l bottle from EDEKA Mohr, best before 22/11/2016. Clear, reddish amber with a huge, frothy, slowly diminishing, tan to white head. Nice fruity-spicy and a bit funky aroma of white grapes, green apple, sugar and lemon. Sweetish-spicy taste of sugar, white grapes, green apple, gingerbread, vanilla and lemon. Rather short, slightly bitter and minimally tart finish. Medium body, smooth mouthfeel, average carbonation. Expected a sweet, yeasty ale and got a more sophisticated, quite complex, refreshing example. I Really enjoyed it, especially the slight tartness balancing the sweet beginning.
Appearance with brown color, cloudy liquid and frothy head.
Caramel malty aroma.
Taste - Sweet and medium bitter.
On the palate it has a good body e long finish.
Very good Abbey Dubbel!
Very sour both in aroma and in taste that overshadows other aspects of it.
Dark brown with small beige head. Bit sweet aroma. Gingerbread taste, but not too sweet. Some remaining bitterness.
0,75l, corked and caged, rather thin body, not very well balanced to me, but still a nice beer. Light fruity flavor, light chocolate. Dry aftertaste. Hint of candi sugar? Tasty but nothing to die for.
Big bottle aged around 8 years. Dark bear w surprisingly good head for the age. Bready aroma. Taste of yeast, raisin and hints of toffee. Good beer.
33cl @ bottle. Solita garanzia dalla solita St Bernardus. Non ai livelli di altre sue birre più riuscite ma godibilissima. Bruna, bell’aspetto, dolce e beverina.
Bottle at Könguruh Pub. Very unique aroma. Taste is very intensive. Not a beer for in between, but very good.