Oak Aged Grand Cru
Town Hall Brewery

Ratebeer Winter Gathering. JW77 I believe.

A: Pours a nice amberish orange with a small wispy white head. No retention or lace.

S: Aromas of Belgian yeast, honey, hints of butterscotch candy and mild notes of dark fruits.

T: Yeasty with very mild barrel tones. Hints of vanilla and dark fruit, tasty for sure.

M: Medium smooth, I enjoyed it.

D: Good.

Growler received in a trade with DBhog thanks Bill!

Appearance: Pours a dark "iced tea" with honey folds. The crown is 1 finger, off white, shows a hint of retention and lace which isn't surprising considering the 10.00% abv.

Smell: Nice blend of rum soaked raisins, plums, sweet oak, and a hint of alcohol.

Taste: Didn't enjoy it as much as the nose. A bit tangy with little to no hop presence and a strong cantaloupe / melon presence. Let it be known I hate cantaloupe / presence. The malt and the oak come off sweet which helps offset the "unripe melon" quality.

Mouthfeel: It drinks a touch thick and would benefit from a touch more carbonation IMHO.

Drinkability: Strong, slightly undercarbonated, and with a melon quality in the flavor profile that I don't enjoy so not extremely drinkable for me. As it warms the melon lessens and I find it going down smooth.

It's quite complex and worth seeking out....just not my cup of tea.

Had during Town Hall's anniversary week with a buddy who was in town for the Darkness release. Drank from a small generic snifter.

Appearance- Pours a dark hazy crimson yellow with a small fizzy tan head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving no cap, collar or lacing.
Smell- Big and bold with a dark sort of fruity intensity. Prune, plums, brandy soaked raisins - all the regulars. Slightly yeasty with a big Belgiumy influence that gets really concentrated. Brown sugar and Belgium candy add a bit of sweetness to nose and to the toast. Plenty of alcohol tickles the nose hairs as well.
Taste- Starts out surprisingly woody/oaky with a big vinous red wine influence. Somewhat bready with lots of a red wine influence. Slightly tannic and obviously vinous with a very concentrated, caramel woodiness. It's not necessarily oaky but a small amount of vanilla does come through.
Mouth- Thick and rich, almost syrupy at times. The carbonation is very very light as well.
Drinkability- This is a really really good brew. It's big and bold and full of flavor and the alcohol is really well covered. Too bad this thing probably won't last more than a couple days. F I love Town Hall.

This Grand Cru is one of my favorite beers I have ever tasted from Town Hall. It has a deep amber color, and is slightly cloudy, with a thin head. What I tried was aged in oak barrels, so it had a slightly fruity smell with a tangy undertone. It had a complex flavor, again with the tangy-aged flavor underneath, but a dry fruity flavor that is a little spicy from the hops. At one point I said to my co-taster it's almost like taking a bite out of an apple. It's definitely a bit heavy, so I wouldn't recomend having too many, but its great for starting or ending the evening.

Clear scarlet red. Thin light beige head leaves adequate amounts of lace. Aroma is sweet, winey, oaky and fruity. Quite nice. Just a touch of alcohol noted on the nose. When tasting, I find it quite complex yet subtle to the palate. Fruitiness is based in melons and I like melons. Rum soaked passion fruits come to mind. The alcohol is a little more substantial on the palate, but integrated nicely. Sweet juicy caramel malts form the malty base. The oak is quite subtle. The heat lingers on the tongue a little bit after sipping. Body is a nicely rounded medium stature. Carbonation levels are appropriate. This one is starting to grow on me.