Off-(trap)Piste Belgian-Style Grand Cru
Cambridge Brewing Company

Cloudy, dense bright orange in color. Big ol' dose of white, long-lasting head. Sticky lacing of the glass. Aromas are divine. Huge notes of all sorts of fruits: pineapple chunks, lemons, orange rind mostly. Some peppery spice in here as well as a subtle medicinal alcohol mixed with a yeast flair. Flavor is a melding of citrus juices, caramel/honey sweetness, and spices. Finishes with another bit of spicy bitterness. Mouthfeel is good and, even weighing in at 9.5%ABV, this one is uber-drinkable. Will continues to impress. Cheers!

Appearance – Man, this one is thick. The liquid is a very hazy orange and is just gorgeous. The head is big and fluffy like a pile of white goose down.

Smell – This is the classic Belgian nose. The giant orange and yeast notes are mixed with traditional Belgian spices like pepper and coriander. There’s a small hint of alcohol to keep things interesting.

Taste – The yeast rightfully lightens up at the taste yet isn’t overpowered by the orangish notes. The spices are measured to give a good compliment here.

Mouthfeel – This one is medium-bodied and, in the Grand Cru tradition, is broken down some giving the ale a very sweet and sticky mouthfeel.

Drinkability – This was a stiff, hard core Belgian Ale that was very enjoyable. It is rare to find a good Grand Cru of US origin, but this is one of the few that fits the bill.

Comments – This was the last of four CBC tastings that I had at the 2004 Belgian Beer Fest. I have to say, this brewery was very impressive. Too bad we can’t get these distributed out on the West Coast.

Served in a tulip, this beer was the opening act of last night's CBC Brewer's dinner. The golden ale had an attractive haze, and retained it's white head through most of the course. Aroma was sweet and fruity. Its taste was a dance of fruit flavors, predominately banana but with significant orange and pineapple notes. This light-bodied beer was quite drinkable, and didn't even hint at its alcoholic strength.

Pale hazy orangy yellow. Nice two inch head served in a tulip glass. Smells of belgian yeast, citrus, touch of hops, mellow but nice. Taste is of candied sugar, dried pineapple, some fragrant hops and nice flavorful belgian yeast. Touches of spice and and phenolic twang. Mellow aftertaste and amazingly drinkable for the high abv. Nice work, more authentic belgian flavors than any other brew-pub I've been to.