Grand Crüe
Sixpoint Brewery

Grand CrüeGrand Crüe
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From:
Sixpoint Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
12.4%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.95 | pDev: 8.35%
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
34
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 06, 2014
Added:
Dec 17, 2005
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Ratings by ClockworkOrange:
Photo of ClockworkOrange
Reviewed by ClockworkOrange from Pennsylvania

4.12/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A 22 ounce hand bottle. I want to say that Alan (NutBrown) sent this to me as an extra in a trade, but I'm not sure. Regardless, I got this back in 2007. Uncapped and poured into my Adnams tumbler. The ale appears a clear crimson chestnut color with a good inch of lasting, light tan foam. Nose and flavors consist of raisins, figs, dark molasses, caramel, cocoa, cherries, prunes, mildly spicy yeast. Body could be a tad fuller, but it's no biggie. Decent carbonation levels and each sip leaves a slick coating on the tongue. Certainly does not come off as a 12% ale. The alcohol heat has mellowed nicely. A really nice beer. Glad I had the chance to try it.
Jan 21, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of seedyone
Reviewed by seedyone from New York

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%
02/13/14 From bottle at Rattle n Hum, NYC.

Late head from slight effervescence. Very cloudy.

First taste impression is figs/raisins & brown/caramelized sugar, but not overly sweet.

This brew & I needed to warm to each other. Less chilled the cloudiness gave way to an almost rosy hue. The flavors mellowed to a port-like richness. Wondrous how the flavors & richness of the oak & the wine started to shine through. Like a port there was a ton of sediment.

Obviously a great experience but not for the everyday.
Sep 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by malfunxion from New York

Aug 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

Mar 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by t0rin0 from California

Jan 27, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by jurbanik from New Jersey

Sep 07, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by 3Hops from Minnesota

Aug 25, 2012
Photo of joefuzz
Reviewed by joefuzz from New York

4.14/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle with a sixpoint keg label on the side no bottle date.

Pours a very dark redish brown with pretty much no head at all. Smells of brown sugar with some bready malt. Taste is very sweet with some very heavy fruit presence almost like cooked pineapple. Mouthfeel and carbonation are pretty on par with a barleywine. Overall this has been a long time want and I'm very glad to have tried it, I get the impression that this bottle is pretty old I would have liked to try this fresh.
Jun 22, 2012
 
Rated: 3.25 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Jun 07, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by TrickkyGangsta from Florida

Dec 05, 2011
Photo of aerozeppl
Reviewed by aerozeppl from New York

4.09/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had been sitting on this bottle for a while. At a random tasting I had a bottle numbered 1 of 3 of this before the release.

A: The beer poured a murky reddish brown color. Quite a bit of sediment in the glass even with a careful pour. A minimal amount of brownish head with no lacing.

S: The nose was really nice on this beer. The merlot barrels came through nicely. Lots of dark fruits. The wine came through quite clearly and paired well nicely with the base beer which was a Belgian inspired barleywine. The barrel aging gave it a nice complexity.

T: The nose was a little better than the taste. Quite a bit of dark fruit with some esters in there as well. The wine taste was in there in spades. A touch of sweetness but most of it has faded since I had this last. The alcohol was there but was more of the warming variety than anything else.

M: Syrupy medium bodied. Carbonation was light but spot on the the ABV.

D: This was kind of a letdown for me. Good beer but for $17 a bomber it needs to be great. Split it with some friends which helps. Funny I just had Bolshoi at EBF and now this. Sixpoint beers hold up quite well.
Mar 28, 2011
Photo of ngeunit1
Reviewed by ngeunit1 from Massachusetts

4.32/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours an opaque red-brown/black color with a finger of fluffy off-white head. The head fades fairly quickly to a ring that laces nicely.

S - Lots of sweet brown sugar in the nose. There is also deeper carmel malt and some dark and light fruit elements to round out the flavor a bit.

T - Starts off with a lot of carmel flavor and brown sugar. Also some pear flavor as well as some dark fruit (raisin). Through the middle the sharpness of the fruit and sugar fades a bit and a smooth blend of them continues with a yeasty flavor added. The finish has the light fruit flavor, touch of dark fruit, and some sugar sweetness that lingers for a while.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. The finish is much more balanced than expected. Little bit of booze is felt on the tongue.

D - Pretty drinkable. Lots of sweetness, but it is nicely balanced by other flavors so it does not get in the way of enjoying the beer. Very interesting mix of the brown sugar sweetness and the various fruit flavors.
Mar 02, 2011
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bottle thanks to Gfunk720. Served in a Cantillon tulip.

Pour brings forth a moderately-dark brown liquid with a good light tan head and a bit of lacing on the way down. The nose brings a nice amount of dark fruit character along with some caramel and malty sweetness. The flavor is fairly loaded with dark fruits with dates really standing out. A fig presence in the background also. However, toward the finish and leading into the aftertaste, there is quite a bit of bitterness that doesn't mesh with the rest of the beer. Drinks pretty well and is a solid American version of the style, albeit a bit thin and with an off finish.
Jan 10, 2011
Photo of CrellMoset
Reviewed by CrellMoset from Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 oz. bomber received as an extra from a generous BA. Split several ways with family members, with my portion poured in to a tulip.

Appearance: Pours a rather unattractive, turgid, bronzed maroon, obscure enough at the center such that the only carbonation that's visible is right at the surface, large bubbled, rustic-looking, and very slow, suggesting a thick, chewy body. The head is average for a beer of this abv%, a fizzy, crystalline, snowy looking thing with good retention that leaves a nice fuzzy collar and a persistent dollop of surface lace. The side lacing bumps it up half a point from a 3.5, though, as successive sips leave swirls of sandy, glittery, clumpy lace sticking up and down the sides of the tulip.

Aroma: An intensely saccharine, fruity notes A slew of canned fruit-like notes reach up and grab you without any need for agitation - granny smith apples, pears, peaches, and a few heavier fruits, everything ripe or overly ripe, browning even. Caramel malts are presents, as are a handful of earthy spices, but this nose is all about the fruits, perhaps somewhat to its (one-dimensional) detriment.

Taste: Better than I imagined it would taste from the aroma. Much dryer, for one, with a nice balance free sugars and dry, toasty malts to make for a pretty varied and enjoyable malt base. Caramel, brown sugar, dark toffee, and earthy, lightly dirty toast create a nice base for a dash of spicy phenolic notes and fruits. The fruits are still here, but are a little more varied and subdued than in the nose. Raisins and dates definitely shine through and mingle well with the base malts, but the yeasty esters of the nose - cherry, pear, and peach most predominantly, but also mango, faint citrus, and passion fruit at times - are still the dominant fruit overtone.

Mouthfeel: Thicker, with soft, subtle carbonation, but enough that it stays away from the heavy, fat, or cloying. Works well with the residual sweetness and the flavor profile.

Drinkability: A good but not great example of the style that probably had a little too much time in the cellar to over express those yeasty fruit esters, I wish I'd have tried this one fresh (though if it was any sweeter than this one is here, maybe not!). As it is, it's definitely a solid, enjoyable beer, though the 12.4% is definitely making itself known - drinker beware.
Jan 01, 2011
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.91/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a mahogany colored liquid that is capped by a rocky, two-fingered head; clumps of lace stick to the chalice

Smell: Figs, dates and burnt caramel

Taste: Dried dark fruit sweetness, up front, followed, by a tannic, herbal bitterness that builds, after the swallow; while the dark fruit flavors persist into the finish, the bitter herbal aspect dominates the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation; considerable boozy warmth in the gullet

Drinkability: Not quite sure where to classify this one; as eithers have suggested, it is more like a strong ale than a BSDA; still, it is a nice beer and it is always a treat to find a Sixpoint beer in a bottle
Nov 25, 2010
Photo of gford217
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
22oz bomber from Beerworld.

Pours an extremely murky light brown with a wispy beige head that leaves a sticky collar which tracks down the glass leaving boozy legs.

Aroma is very, very sweet with candi sugar, caramel and pears. There is also an interesting citrusy presence which takes the form of orange zest. Maybe some licorice and raisins.

The taste is also sweet with more fruit and caramel up front. There is also a hefty candi sugar presence and massive in the background with a very light spiciness in the finish. Definitely some alcohol burn as well.

The mouthfeel is thin the for style for me. It's slick with very low carbonation and dry in the finish.

This is not one of my favorites from Sixpoint. It's too thin and lacks the complexity and body to be considered a serious Belgian dark.
Oct 15, 2010
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Bobby for sharing this fine libation.

A: The pour is a dark amber color with plenty of carbonation bubbles and a fluffy off-white head.

S: Lots of sweet brown sugar and caramel aromas as well as the usual dark stone fruits. Not the most intense nose for a BSDA, but solid.

T: A similar collection of traits on the tongue. Sweet brown sugar, caramel, and dark candi sugar. Plums, black cherries, and raisins.

M: Medium to full in body with a very lively carbonation.

D: Fairly complex and surprisingly easy to drink despite a rather high alcohol content (I was guessing more around 8%).
Sep 04, 2010
Photo of taylorhamrick
Reviewed by taylorhamrick from South Carolina

3.91/5  rDev -1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Got in a trade with NYCWheatFanSC.

Pours an incredibly hazy kind of light brown. Almost no head, only a little ring of loose bubbles around the edges. Not the prettiest beer I've ever looked at by any means. Has a toffee/caramel sweetness to the smell, also a hint of cocoa and cinnamon, and some earthiness. Also some powdery, almost straw like smells from the yeast and pale grains. Pretty good, nice and complex. The taste starts out with a slight burn of alcohol, followed by a big kick of malty sweetness, like a dry caramel syrup - don't get me wrong, there's plenty of sweetness, but it doesn't get to you because of the alcohol, the yeast character (a slightly earthy, spicy taste), and a tiny bit of an earthy bitterness. I'm enjoying this, vastly interesting. The body is a little thinner than I'd expect for such a big beer. It finishes kind of dry with a burntish taste, and the lower carbonation makes the alcoholic finish more noticeable, I think. Overall, I see this as a beer that is good, but could definitely be improved upon. And the power of the ABV would keep me from drinking too much. Anyway, I was glad to have tried a Sxpoint beer without going to Brooklyn.
Jul 03, 2010
Photo of Gmann
Reviewed by Gmann from New York

3.7/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a dirty muddy brown color with a small creamy khaki colored head that settled into a light ring. The aroma is of caramel malt with some prunes and raisins; hints of honey. The taste is of prunes and raisins some honey and caramel. No belgian yeast flavors or candi sugar presence. American strong ale seems to be the correct style. Little to no hop presence. The feel is moderate to heavy, soft carbonation, light grassy bitterness and some alcohol burn. A strong beer for sure, though don't agree with the BA classification as I don't detect any Belgian characteristics. Seems like a strong ale to me. A good malty presense, though could use some more flavor to match the over 12% ABV.
May 22, 2010
Photo of vacax
Reviewed by vacax from California

3.87/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The pour is a deep amber color with some white head though not much retention. The aroma has dates, candi sugar, spicy and perfumey hop, quite nice. It seems like a Belgian amber or barleywine moreso than a typical BSDA. The flavor is intense with floral notes, plum, and raisins then there is a strong alcohol warming accompanies by a grassy and herbal hop bitterness on the palate. The roselike hops stick around on the palate for a minute or two. Body is somewhat heavy with a lower level of carbonation that I like in a strong ale like this. Pretty tasty brew, but the intensity means a bottle of this is intended for sharing.
Mar 31, 2010
Grand Crüe from Sixpoint Brewery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 34 ratings