Gr'ale
The Lucky Monk

 

 

 

 

Picked up a 22 oz. bottle at the restaurant/brewery.

This is a pretty cloudy looking American amber ale for sure. A little Quick tan head, and a half ring of foam for most of the 22 oz.

Dry and yeasty fruit aroma sum it up best. Dry pears and apples atop of almost stale biscuits. Not bad though. Just a little dry precursor.

Chalky dry palate fron start to finish. Dry biscuit powder, hints of green apples, and some toasty carckers make up thsi "Belgain" style amber. The only resemblance to a Belgian beer style is the yeast flavor and palate profile, that's it. Easy to drink and firget in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

Served in a pint glass at the Lucky Monk

This beer was listed as a amber ale with a Belgian yeast strain. Well interestingly enough it is served an amber color with an off-white coarse foam. The aromatics are pretty weak but smell slightly of banana, clove, orange and perhaps some dried apple. Though the aroma was rather weak. The flavors of this beer were rather similar to that of many other beers this place serves. There was the sweet floral banana flavor and the clove and nutmeg spices. The main difference was here on flavor there was a caramel malt addition. It was a different take on the yeast, but I still found it to be a little thinner than I had hoped in the mouthfeel, and just a regular old beer to drink. Not too bad of a beer, but nothing special.

Served in a nonic pint glass at the brewpub.

My buddy Alex seemed to enjoy his glass o' this, so my hopes have been slightly raised. It pours a slightly hazed red amber topped by a finger of white micro-foam. The nose comprises light caramel, flowers, and a decent amount of orange peel. The taste is more of the same, with some extra orange-based hoppy bitterness for good measure. The body is sorta-kinda light, with a moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, an okay brew, but I think the Belgian-inspired yeast doesn't really fit. I can drink this, but I'm not enthused about doing so.

6oz. tap pour at Lucky Monk.

(A)- Pours a cloudy reddish amber color that produced a good off-white head that took a little to dissipate. Left tons of lacing behind.

(S)- A sweet honey-like maltiness with a touch of peach/lemon fruits.

(T)- A nice smooth sweet honey & banana-like sweetness. Finishes dry, with a touch of tart lemon bitterness.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Not too malty, hoppy, or bitter; but a happy medium of each.

(D)- Lighter in body than expected, but it still has a good malty sweetness and hop level; was expecting more hop presence, but has happy with the overall result. An interesting take on an American Amber, but with a belgain style twist.

Appears a hazy amber with a golden hue when held to the light. A small white head quickly fizzles out into a tiny collar. Spotty lacing droops back down into the glass.
Smell seems overly yeasty like the beer was taken out of primary fermentation prematurely. I suppose I get a hint of milled grain in there but it just seems like it wasn't completely finished before serving.
Taste is of the yeasty, grainy aromas with a touch of sweet cotton candy, ripe fruit, and a heavy helping of yeasty bread.
Mouthfeel is bitter with yeast and hops...in need of some balance despite the sweet, sugar, wort-like flavors sticking around.

6 oz tap pour into an American Tumbler at The Lucky Monk in South Barrington, IL. 5.5% ABV, 30 IBUs.

A - Pours a hazy, unfiltered amber red with a decently retained off-white head. Patchy lace is left over on the pint.

S - The nose is really low through the duration of the beer. I pick up a mellow spicy hint in the background of caramel malts and faint yeast.

T - Floral and slightly grassy hops are showcased with a low caramel malt finish and a Belgian yeast hint.

M - Smooth and soft with a low dry bitter finish and delicate lingering flavor.

D - Fairly easy drinking but a full pint would be enough of this beer for me. Not something I'd session.

Served in a pint glass at The Lucky Monk 12/26/09. Special thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

A: Served a hazed copper/amber color with very sticky lace.

S: Interesting aromas of white grape juice/concord grape jelly, and lightly toasty malt.

T: Grape juice, toasty malt, and lemony noble hops.

M: Medium bodied with a slick and sticky finish.

D: A nice, easy drinking beer. I have a feeling they'll sell a lot of this.

A nice ring of intricate lacing tops off the hazy amber orange body of Gr'ale. The nose is pretty mild until swirled, which brings out some sweet worty graininess and Belgian yeast notes. Thin body and dry in the aftertaste. Some minor dried apricot/fruity flavor and mild bittterness. Not my favorite of the bunch, but it wasn't a stinker at least.