Grand Cru
Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

Grand CruGrand Cru
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From:
Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu
 
Belgium
Style:
Quadrupel (Quad)
Ranked #38
ABV:
10.5%
Score:
93
Ranked #4,119
Avg:
4.16 | pDev: 10.34%
Reviews:
198
Ratings:
465
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 04, 2024
Added:
Dec 02, 2006
Wants:
  66
Gots:
  77
Dark in color, with a brownish and creamy head, the Grand Cru is a rich, whole and powerful beer with a delicious long aftertaste.
We find complex and surprisingly sweet aromas in view of the high degree of alcohol, subtly hidden.
The caramel mousse and roundness in the mouth are in perfect harmony with a medium bitterness and coffee flavors. Produced with heavily roasted malt from
which it derives a more tangy taste.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DenverLogan:
Photo of DenverLogan
Reviewed by DenverLogan from Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Corked bottle...nice pop...poured in a Corsendonk chalice. Cork says 10/2014.
Dark brown with a beige head.
Rich aroma of sweet malts, slight plum, pear & prune.
Significant carbonation and big mouthfeel.
Flavors of candy sugar, molassas, dark roasted malts, caramel, cocoa, slight carob, rosemary, sarsaparilla...lets give this a few minutes...
Yeah baby...there's a small remaining head and the aroma remains strong and sweet...flavors are strong with a sweet biting malt distinctiveness.
I'll admit I did represent this brewery in California in 2007 and found all their brews excellent...great yeast and big malt profiles. The Grand Cru has a touch more of a bite than the others, but nevertheless a lovely beer, fresh or with a few years age.
Mar 24, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I had this on draft 2/20/24 @ the Hopleaf.

Opaque dark brown appearance.

Nice khaki head; strong lacing remained.

Strawberry jam & mild brown sugar notes in the nose.

Creamy medium thick mouthfeel.

Plum, leather & wood flavors up front; mild booze heat & strawberry notes on the finish.

A bit, bold, boozy Quad. I'd have another!
Mar 04, 2024
 
Rated: 4.93 by superwho24 from Arkansas

Feb 25, 2024
 
Rated: 4.32 by RayCannata from Louisiana

Feb 06, 2024
 
Rated: 4.24 by Plainview from Oregon

Feb 04, 2024
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.24/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured at fridge temp. Pours a dark brown with surprisingly little head. Most quads have much more head than this. The nose is fantastic. Malts, toffee, yeast, gingersnap cookies, raisins, a bit of port, and prunes.

The taste is super smooth and delicious. Sweet toffee, loads of malts, some Belgian yeast, graham crackers, slight maple, apple pie, slight bitterness, and raisin. Lovely beer with a super smooth mouthfeel. Definitely not drinking like it's a 10.5% beer.
Sep 01, 2023
Photo of LukeGude
Rated by LukeGude from Iowa

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
8 oz on tap at Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn. Strong but tasty!
May 20, 2023
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.27/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
330 ml stubby bottle, dated best by 01/08/24

Pours very dark brown, but pretty clear. Thick layer of off- white head. Great head retention. Aroma of candied sugar and crusty bread but also fruity plum and boozy peach. Taste is similar but with an earthy dry finish. Medium bodied, very smooth carbonation.
Apr 08, 2023
 
Rated: 3.97 by bplabernie from Michigan

Feb 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.14 by arini10 from Oregon

Feb 11, 2023
Photo of Orca
Reviewed by Orca from Washington

4.19/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
750mL (best by 2/2/2024) into a chalice. Pours a deep clear mahogany with a 1/2 finger khaki head, lively carbonation rises from the bottom of the glass.

Aroma is vinous and sweet—dark stone fruits, figs, dates, raisins. Toffee, caramel, candi sugar. Bready malt, Belgian yeast.

Taste follows nose—sweet dark dried fruits, complex sugars, Belgian yeast. Clove and spice. Almost no hint of alcohol but still nicely warming.

Mouthfeel is clean and balanced, wonderfully carbonated, with a deceptively dry finish for such a high ABV beer. Goes down easy, full bodied but not at all cloying or sticky.

Overall an outstanding Belgian dark ale, expertly crafted, delicious.
____________________________
Previous review from 11/28/2011 (saved for posterity)

4.13/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
750mL (best by 12/11? on cork) poured into a chalice. Crystal-clear mahogany color w/ a 1-finger khaki head. Nice bright carb.

Aroma is vinous grapes and some dark sugary fruits.

Taste is plums, dark candi sugar, grapes, and sweet malt. A little alcohol burn too, which I actually like.

Mouthfeel is velvety and smooth, with a clean dry finish.

Overall this one surprised me, I really liked it as a sipper over a dinner of Thanksgiving leftovers. Nice and warm and tasty.
Feb 04, 2023
Photo of Edward_Dumay63
Rated by Edward_Dumay63 from Netherlands

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Nice, barley wine, not sweet. But nice with cheese. Heavy beer. Good to drink slowly and no driving afterwards.
Jan 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by RMW66 from Australia

Jan 07, 2023
Photo of guidodewaal
Reviewed by guidodewaal from Netherlands

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Hazy dark brown. Half a finger of white foam that leaves a bit of tracing in the glass. Smells malty with a bit of clove. Taste follows with some extra honey. Medium body that glides with ease due to the soft honey taste. Amazing mouthfeel. A bit sour before a bittersweet aftertaste. Pleasantly surprised.
Nov 26, 2022
Photo of vette2006c5r
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Grand Cru pours a hazy, dark brown, with a small, fizzy head. Sweet sugary aroma, and spices with candy notes. Flavors are the same, sweeter, sugary, sweet spices. Good body and feel.
Aug 07, 2022
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

4.18/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
11.2oz bottle Best before end 27/05/23 poured into a teku glass at 50° Fahrenheit 10.5% ABV 19 IBU per label. The beer pours dense medium to dark brown with light brown head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island leaving behind some rings of lacing. The aroma is mild, yet rich, with sweet, bready malt, dark fruit and notes of dry red wine. The taste is semisweet burnt sugar caramel, blackberry, cherry, and oaky, dry red wine. Minimal bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with average carbonation and a semi dry finish. No hint of the ABV in the aroma or taste. Overall, very good.
Jun 04, 2022
Photo of ZenAgnostic
Reviewed by ZenAgnostic from Texas

3.7/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
11.2oz bottle poured into teku glass. Picked up from liquor store for a few bucks. 06/03/21 printed near bottom of back label, presumably that's the Bottled date. So this is only 1 year old. A little young for a quad maybe, so I'm expecting it to be a bit sugary.

Appearance - Some medium-sized floating sediment floating near the bottom of the bottle. Surprisingly little for the style in my experience. Is this not bottle conditioned? Pours 3-finger tan to light brown head with fine mostly-even sudsy consistency. Fine lacing and great stick. Clear black body that reveals a deep ruby-mahogany color only when backlit. Strangely enough, the second pour from the same bottle reveals a more luxurious head with a fine foam, also with great retention, but little to no lacing or stick. Very strange to have two completely head-pours from the same bottle, not sure I've ever encountered that before. 4

Smell - Yeast. Coffee. Banana. Booze pokes through as the head dies down. 4

Taste - Boozy. A bit of delicate coffee notes. Lacks pretty much any complexity. Boring. Maybe when it warms up something will happen. Not getting almost any of the candied sugars other people note. 3.5

Mouthfeel - A little harsh and astringent at first, but some creaminess comes through as it warms. Fairly clean and delicate as it warms. 3.5

Overall - You definitely want to have this at the right temperature. When it's too cold, it's harsh and one dimensional. As it warms, it opens up and becomes more delicate. There's not much complexity here though. But aside from the first sip, there aren't too many flaws either. It's a solid, if boring beer. 3.75
Jun 01, 2022
Photo of KT3418
Reviewed by KT3418 from Colorado

3.77/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Very heavy on the banana clove flavors and candied sugars. Definitely a solid quad that I've had but not a personal favorite. Although having this on tap is pretty sick. It does seem the keg is a wee bit over-carbonated though so that's a knock.
Mar 27, 2022
Photo of dbean3
Rated by dbean3 from Texas

4.96/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
One of the best beers I've had.
Mar 19, 2022
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

3.87/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Bottle from Market of Choice. Haven't had a Val Dieu beer in, oh, 12 years since Max's

A deep mahogany brown with a dense, light brown head with good retention and lacing. The nose is very yeast forward, with rising fruitcake, dark fruit, yeast phenols and spices present. Dark brown sugar, dark caramel, raisins soaked in rum, leather. Its hard to overstate how yeast forward this is. On the palate, this is yeasty, fruity, spicy with loads of rising bread, fruitcake, brown sugar, caramel, dark honey. Rich, sweet, medium full bodied. Alcohol is well hidden but man!the yeast! As it breathes, it takes on a slightly metallic note with autolyzed yeast/marmite notes present. Sweet, fruity, spicy on the finish. Solid stuff.
Feb 27, 2022
Grand Cru from Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 465 ratings