Grand Cru 2011
8 Wired Brewing Co.

Grand Cru 2011Grand Cru 2011
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From:
8 Wired Brewing Co.
 
New Zealand
Style:
Quadrupel (Quad)
ABV:
11%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 7.67%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
25
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 01, 2019
Added:
Jul 06, 2013
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
Grand Cru started out as The Sultan. When we made this beer last year I filled 8 old Pinot Noir barrels and more or less forgot about it. The native bugs in the barrels kept fermenting the beer, making it slightly sour. To further enhance the funky character, I blended it with 2 barrels of a Flanders Red kinda thing, that has also been fermenting funky for about 18 months.
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Ratings by bobhits:
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Reviewed by bobhits from Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
going short and simple here.

Wood, sour, apples, red wine, and funk.

Really unique and interesting beer. Still needs age as it is still rather hot. Good stuff.
Nov 19, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by Hayley_86 from Netherlands

Feb 01, 2019
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

3.81/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A 375ml bottle, 2011 vintage, and poured into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: A cloudy dark rusty red brown colour with a just over one finger tanned head that dissipates slowly to a thin replenishing layer while leaving nice curtain lacing.

Aroma: Red wine, grape and raisin with hints of vinegar and tart cherry.

Taste: Tart and sour cherry, vinegar, lots of dark fruit, grape, plum and raisins, vinous red wine with hints of chocolate and a light black coffee bitterness on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: This was pretty good and definitely complex. However, lately I’ve tried quite a few wine barrel aged beers, and I’m thinking that perhaps it’s not my thing in that I don’t feel wine barrels add anything better to the base beer. It’s solid, but perhaps not “Grand Cru”.
May 08, 2017
Photo of AgentMunky
Reviewed by AgentMunky from New York

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 375mL bottle into a Teku glass. 2011 vintage.
4.25/4.75/3.5/4/3.75
A surprising amount of carbonation/head. Good retention. Translucent wine-dark red.
It smells like red wine as well. Woody, bright, pleasantly acetic, and full of berries. Intoxicating, with an undercurrent of malty beeriness. Complex and compelling.
Slightly disappointing after such a wonderful nose. A bit flat flavorwise, it's musty and yeasty, with a distant sourness that isn't so much off as lukewarmly received. The tartness manifests as (cran?)berry on the aftertaste and is the most noticeable characteristic of the beer throughout the muted maintaste. Some sugars emerge from the murky, only to sink back into the swamp on the tongue. It's actually not too heavy, which is nice.
Mayhap this was tastier in the past. As it stands, it doesn't justify its staggering price tag.
Jan 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.46 by kiki3drt292 from California

Jul 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.88 by JimmyVortex from Ohio

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by bigred89 from Maryland

Nov 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Oct 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by GRG1313 from California

Aug 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by SStein from Colorado

Apr 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by mantissa from Oregon

Apr 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Beersnake from California

Mar 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by TheBeerAlmanac from Kentucky

Nov 03, 2013
Photo of seand
Reviewed by seand from California

3.59/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
A: Pours a hazy dark brown, with a fair amount of tan head. I poured it cold, and very carefully, so I imagine this could go badly if you aren't expecting it to be lively.

S: Medium tartness and sweetness, lightly grainy.

T: Lightly sweet, and lightly tart. The finish hints at the booze. Tasty overall.

M: Medium to full body, medium carbonation.

Overall, not bad. I'd like to have had it warmer, but the tasting notes I had said to chill to reduce the possibility of an uncontrollable gusher. Still pretty good though.
Nov 01, 2013
Photo of Brenden
Reviewed by Brenden from Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This beer is a sort of orange-brown with some fiery brightness to it despite a certain thickness that makes it mostly opaque. The head is fairly substantial but a bit too fizzy to stay up for long, though a steady bubbling keeps up about half a finger some somewhat tighter yellow-tinted head at all times. Lace is left in heavy spotting with some legs to it.
It smells to me like an Oud Bruin, but definitely not in a strict way. It's got that earthy sort of sourness with the tartness to boot and the gently funky aspect. It's also got a lot of vinous character to it, and it seems to have been wood-aged. There's a bit of fruit mixed in it all as well, a bit of apple flesh on the tarter side along with dark fruits, both grape and fig in the essence.
The flavor is just as big and complex, and this is a delicious beer. All the tart, sour and funky notes I got in the nose are here along with an undercurrent of a sort of creamy sweetness. As such, it's a touch sweeter than the nose, with overripe pulpy plum and dark fruits coming out strongly and a light boozy warmth. It's all extremely well integrated and makes for excellent depth.
The body is medium, leaning on the lighter side, and it's got a certain softness to the carbonation that adds a nice, even crispness on the tongue that bites pretty well. It's still smooth, though, and surprisingly clean. A little dryness mingles in as the wood plays its role.
Oct 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by peabody from Kentucky

Aug 27, 2013
Photo of artoolemomo
Reviewed by artoolemomo from Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance- Be careful- this one is a little bit of a gusher but it has very little retention. The head is a mix of off-white and light beige while the body is a muddy maroonish brown that glows a dirty amber with hints of rose. Some floaters and a few spots of lacing.

Nose- Starts off like a basic sour and then mellow very quickly. Some tart cherry, some tart apple. A little bit of Pinot Noir and raisins (I'm guessing that's from the sultanas which are yellow raisins, I believe). Even a little bit of a port/sherry character. Swirling makes the raisin notes medicinal. Overall, I would say it's enjoyable.

Taste- Very vinous- not exactly Pinot Noir as it reminds me of something a little lighter. Tart cherries and apple- this is very reflective of the nose. A little bit of yeast bitterness. Definite acetic acid but it's somewhat rounded. Nice dry finish causes the Pinot Noir to seem lighter. Raisins aren't as conspicuous as they are on the nose. Some funkiness- a little bit of straw, mushrooms, stinky cheese. Not exactly horse blanket but interesting. A bit of oak. Absolutely no alcohol. I really wish this beer had a lot more presence. I like the flavors that are there but they are a little bit too delicate for me. However, the integration and balance is remarkable. Definitely a solid beer but it leaves me wondering what it would taste like with less age. The raisins begin to show themselves more and more and give my palate something it can grasp. This beer is rather understated but its simplicity is beginning to grow on me. A little bit of smokiness and prunes as well. Not really that sour at all. A little bit of spice (mostly cinnamon) on the finish.

Mouthfeel- A little more than light bodied with faint wine texture. Nice zip of carbonation and the dry finish really cancel out the syrup and make this a refreshing beer.

Drinkability- Easy on the palate and the alcohol seems invisible. The one thing it's not easy on is your wallet. At 13 bucks for a 375 mL bottle, this will not be a repurchase.

Overall- Solid beer that is definitely capable of raising a wine snob's eyebrows. Or could convert a cider drink. Definitely worth a try no matter what you drink. Considerably different from many BSDAs but not really a deviation from such a loosely defined style.
Aug 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by brotherloco from California

Aug 25, 2013
Grand Cru 2011 from 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 25 ratings