Grande Armada Réserve
Benelux Brewpub & Café

Grande Armada RéserveGrande Armada Réserve
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From:
Benelux Brewpub & Café
 
Quebec, Canada
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
11.9%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.04 | pDev: 6.19%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
35
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 19, 2018
Added:
May 14, 2011
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  4
Brewed in partnership with Brasseurs Illimités to commemorate Benelux's 5th Anniversary.

This Double American Brown Ale was aged 8 months in a whiskey barrel.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jrenihan:
Photo of jrenihan
Reviewed by jrenihan from Canada (ON)

4.09/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2012 Vintage. Bottled November 2012. Thanks to Papat444 for the bottle!

Beer is dark brown, with hints of red. Small tan head. Fades quickly.

Bourbon scents are huge in the nose. Vanilla and oak. Some dark fruit and brown sugar. Barrel by far overpowers the beer, but still nice.

Taste still contains plenty of barrel, but it is tempered somewhat by the beer itself. Lots of bourbon, oak and vanilla, with a malty and nutty backbone. Quite sweet, with brown sugar. A bit of molasses. Alcohol is quite noticeable in the finish.

Medium to full bodied, moderate carbonation. Sticky.

Overall, quite tasty. My first Benelux beer and definitely a good way to start.
Mar 06, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.91 by JOhn_Molson from Canada (QC)

Mar 19, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Erik-P from Canada (BC)

Dec 11, 2017
Photo of 3Vandoo
Reviewed by 3Vandoo from Canada (QC)

4.49/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Amberish burgundy with a shy head

smell is sugary, woody? ssmokey with hints of vanilla.... and pepper??

taste is smooth, shy hints of sourness with sweet points. Sugar candy flavours are present with a bit of cinnamons. a very present prune flavours is there with a reminder of grapes and sherry port

very nice indeed
May 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.91 by Jerk_Store from Canada (QC)

Oct 22, 2016
 
Rated: 3.79 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Sep 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by SocalKicks from California

Oct 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

Mar 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Franck from Canada (QC)

Oct 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by andreizm from Washington

Jul 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Coronaeus from Canada (ON)

Jun 22, 2014
Photo of TheSevenDuffs
Reviewed by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
I'm pretty sure this bottle was from Tom - thank you!

A - Poured a murky dark brown and settled almost black with only a very small amount of light passing through and a thin layer of cream coloured head.

S - Whiskey, oak, vanilla and a slightly sweet nutty character in the background.

T - Huge barrel qualities hit the tongue first with charred oak, whiskey and a light vanilla flavour present. The base beer adds some sweetness and a lighter nutty flavour. Overall, the base beer doesn't come through very much, but it is still present. Definitely a barrel bomb.

M - Full bodied. Silky. Light carbonation.
Feb 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by tom10101 from Canada (QC)

Aug 23, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by davegray from California

Aug 12, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by Krakpoff from Canada (QC)

Jun 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Molson2000 from Canada (ON)

Jun 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Apr 17, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by chickenm from Canada (BC)

Apr 02, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by oldp0rt from Canada (QC)

Mar 17, 2013
Photo of 4ster
Reviewed by 4ster from Canada (ON)

4.27/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Reserve 2012 Bottle. Brewed over Christmas 2011, aged 9 months in Whiskey Bourbon barrels. Bottled November 2012.
Poured into a large wine glass, let warm up out of fridge a bit. (still fighting a cold, so while hesitant to drink/review beers, but sometimes you've got to bite the bullet.... take it for what it's worth)

A: The colour of a rich bourbon, dark copper highlights held up to the light...dark brown and clear, decent head on first pour, dies off to wispy lacing and micro-bubbles around the rim. Some alcohol lacing sitting around the edge :D

S: (cold=blurred smells, so will slightly echo other reviews here) But for sure I can smell a ton of whiskey on the nose... sweet, some vanilla and slight oakiness, with a wiff of alcohol... smells more like bourbon than beer, just not 40% burning smell, mellow sweet malt like.

T: Sweet, dark sugars, burnt slightly bitter molasses, I'm not personally getting much vanilla (but it's always light anyway), but on the finish, lots of oaked whiskey alcohol... in a good way!

M: Light carbonation, well balanced, no real alcohol burn (even if it's present in everything else), not really sticky...

O: No idea what to expect from this, except that I really like nearly all of Benelux's beers, so I'd say I'm not surprised at the quality, but I am happily surprised at the style of beer.... I'm currently working my way through a tasting of 10+ different barrel aged beers this winter, and this one has raised the bar.... I can honestly say this tastes more like bourbon than anything I've tasted yet, it's on the nose, it's in the taste... going down you have to remind yourself this is a beer....perhaps there was still bourbon in the barrels.. :D Anyway, no complaints, will buy this again if I see it, and if you like Whiskey, I'd recommend you get your hand on some...
Feb 28, 2013
Grande Armada Réserve from Benelux Brewpub & Café
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 35 ratings