25th Anniversary Grand Cru
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
- From:
- Saint Arnold Brewing Company
- Texas, United States
- Style:
- American Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 11.1%
- Score:
- 94
- Avg:
- 4.3 | pDev: 5.12%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 10
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- May 16, 2026
- Added:
- Jun 06, 2019
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 5
SCORE
94
Outstanding
94
Outstanding
Our 25th Anniversary Grand Cru is a blend of three bourbon barrel aged beers: Belgian-Style Quadrupel, Russian Imperial Stout, and English-Style Barleywine. It is a toast to the community we’ve worked to build through our passion for beer and represents the quality and innovation we’ve strived to provide over our first 25 years.
In the beer world, Grand Cru can have a couple of meanings depending on the origin of reference. For us, Grand Cru is a blend of some of our most cherished beers, with the hope of delivering a beer that is greater than the sum of its parts. We feel we’ve achieved exactly that. We brewed three classic Saint Arnold recipes that originally appeared in our Divine Reserve series or Bishop’s Barrel series, then laid them down to rest in bourbon barrels. After tasting every single barrel, a total of 190, we sat down to create the final blend:
50% Belgian-Style Quadrupel
25% Russian Imperial Stout
25% English-Style Barleywine
Our 25th Anniversary Grand Cru is a full bodied, complex, yet balanced barrel aged beer. The Quad presents character of plums and dried cherries, followed by bitter dark chocolate, lavender, and subtle roast bitterness from the Stout. The Barleywine provides a backbone of toffee/caramel sweetness balanced by a soft hop bitter finish. The bourbon is delicately laced throughout, uniting all the components of the blend.
25 IBU
In the beer world, Grand Cru can have a couple of meanings depending on the origin of reference. For us, Grand Cru is a blend of some of our most cherished beers, with the hope of delivering a beer that is greater than the sum of its parts. We feel we’ve achieved exactly that. We brewed three classic Saint Arnold recipes that originally appeared in our Divine Reserve series or Bishop’s Barrel series, then laid them down to rest in bourbon barrels. After tasting every single barrel, a total of 190, we sat down to create the final blend:
50% Belgian-Style Quadrupel
25% Russian Imperial Stout
25% English-Style Barleywine
Our 25th Anniversary Grand Cru is a full bodied, complex, yet balanced barrel aged beer. The Quad presents character of plums and dried cherries, followed by bitter dark chocolate, lavender, and subtle roast bitterness from the Stout. The Barleywine provides a backbone of toffee/caramel sweetness balanced by a soft hop bitter finish. The bourbon is delicately laced throughout, uniting all the components of the blend.
25 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by champ103:
Reviewed by champ103 from Texas
4.34/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Pours a near opaque brown color. A small beige head forms that doesn't really rise but sticks throughout as a cap. No lace, but some alcohol like "legs."
S: Tons of wood and barrel up front. Vanilla, brown sugar, baked bread. Warm malts, chocolate and dark fruit aromas. This is excellent.
T: Oh that amazing wood/barrel/vanilla warmness is up front. Baked bread, toasted malts, chocolate and dark fruits. Everything is in great balance.
M/O: A big full body. Higher carbonation than you would think for such a big beer, but everything Saint Arnold does has high carbonation. Still as this breaths becomes very smooth. Of coarse there is some alcohol heat, but it is warming instead of fusel. Which makes this an incredible sipper.
An excellent anniversary beer, and an excellent balanced blend. Anybody in the Houston area that likes the Firestone Walker Anniversary blends should love this. Highly recommended, and happy one of my favorite Texas breweries continues to succeed.
Jun 09, 2019S: Tons of wood and barrel up front. Vanilla, brown sugar, baked bread. Warm malts, chocolate and dark fruit aromas. This is excellent.
T: Oh that amazing wood/barrel/vanilla warmness is up front. Baked bread, toasted malts, chocolate and dark fruits. Everything is in great balance.
M/O: A big full body. Higher carbonation than you would think for such a big beer, but everything Saint Arnold does has high carbonation. Still as this breaths becomes very smooth. Of coarse there is some alcohol heat, but it is warming instead of fusel. Which makes this an incredible sipper.
An excellent anniversary beer, and an excellent balanced blend. Anybody in the Houston area that likes the Firestone Walker Anniversary blends should love this. Highly recommended, and happy one of my favorite Texas breweries continues to succeed.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by jngrizzaffi from Texas
4.05/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.05/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Pours a very dark, murky, brown, opaque color with a small foamy head. Retention is minimal as is lacing. Very sweet candied boozy bourbon aroma. Dark fruits. Sweet plums and raisins with mild bourbon on the taste. Medium bodied with mild carbonation.
Jan 01, 2021
Reviewed by wally_world from Illinois
3.88/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.88/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This beer fell flat for me. The notes were muddled, with light barrel bringing it up a bit. I didn't get strong notes of any of the three blended styles, and when finishing the beer, was underwhelmed overall.
Dec 26, 2020
Reviewed by 10Crumra from Texas
4.52/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.52/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Bottled 05/13/19 Reviewed 10/25/20
A: Dark, almost black. Minimal light tan head.
S: Molasses, currants, plum, wood
T: More of the plum, chocolate, alcohol is apparent but not overpowering, caramel, very sweet
F: Pretty thick, solid carbonation, lingers for a while
O: This was a tasty brew, definitely a dessert/after-dinner drink. Would recommend as a special treat if you can still find it.
Oct 26, 2020A: Dark, almost black. Minimal light tan head.
S: Molasses, currants, plum, wood
T: More of the plum, chocolate, alcohol is apparent but not overpowering, caramel, very sweet
F: Pretty thick, solid carbonation, lingers for a while
O: This was a tasty brew, definitely a dessert/after-dinner drink. Would recommend as a special treat if you can still find it.
Reviewed by Rimbimhoot from Illinois
4.45/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Cherry, prune, roasty, brown sugar, bourbon, caramel, light vanilla, raisin, dark bitter malt, blackberry
Very complex blend with the barrel expanding the base
Oct 15, 2019Very complex blend with the barrel expanding the base
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