Prearis Grand Cru Cognac BA
Vliegende Paard Brouwers

Copenhagen 19/1 2020. 37,5 cl corked bottle from Den Belgiske Ølbutik, Jyllingevej, Vanløse. As “Préaris Grand Cru 2015 Cognac Barrel Aged”. A bit too old (best before november 2019). Crowded brown label with plant-like, flowery forms and stylized, rearing horses in gold.

Pours unclear, dark brown with a red hue. Small sediments of yeast drifting about. Small off-white head. Settles as thin patch of foam unable to cover the surface of the beer. Moderate lacing.

Aroma is strong, sweet and laden with alcohol. Sweet dark, fermented fruits, brown sugar, toffee. Hints of vanilla. Sweet cognac Looming in the background. Wood.

Very light carbonation. Medium thick, smooth, viscous, fat, soft, flat texture.

Flavor is very sweet balanced only by a very moderate bitterness. Aftertaste is rich and sweet. Lingering. Finish is sweet and boozy.

Fine Belgian boozer.

2014. From a micro whose wares I've never drunk before. This purchase was not a good example of risk management. But I sprung for it. And I'm glad I did because I relearned a lesson I've learned hundreds of time: a beer made with effort and skill is still worth drinking despite it being too damn old.

Its excessive age is to be blamed on the retailer (Garfield's, a local liquor/wine boutique in inner gentrifying neighborhoods of Chicago... so at least, bless them for trying to distribute Belgian culture.)

But old is old. Looks are flaccid, no foam. Smells are mute, I can imagine cognac but barely detect it. Tastes are certainly balanced, but lost their complexity. And in the mouth, this feels halfway between ale and wine.

This is my first from Prearis. And I'd like to give a micro-review. But neither the BA or UnTappd links take me to the micro's website. So, maybe next time... most likely when I'm in Europe. A votre Sante' !

 

bottle N° 00567, ~7.2 years old, shared with IGC friends while watching Beavis with original music videos and vinyl spins

roasty rusty cocoa powder alcohol water, brown-black, creepily sitting there with no bubbles, FLAT, but smells pretty dam tasty. still curiously drinkable somehow.... tons of toffee and vaniller and dry booze heat coming from the réme martin. pretty okay???

tastes better than many swills these days

 

 

2015 Vintage bottled on 2.11.2016. Bottle No.557

Appearance - dark brown body with tan head

Smell - cognac, fig, grape

Taste - fig, grape, plum, dates, raisin, brown sugar, cognac

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, low level of carbonation, mild sweetness upfront from the dark fruits, cognac barrel on the back end, smooth finish

Overall - This is a nice take on a Quad. The cognac barrel seems to work in harmony with the other flavors. Give it a shot.

Price Point - $5/12.7 oz bottle

Pours a deep, dark brown coloration with a small, wispy head that immediately vanishes. The nose carries a strong cognac aroma, with additional notes of molasses and dark fruit. Taste is a lot more mellow than the nose might suggest, although there still is a definite cognac barrel presence there, as well as strong notes of bready, caramel malt, molasses and dark fruits: plum, raisin, fig and just a hint of vanilla, licorice, peppery spice and oak. Finishes bittersweet, with a light bitterness and some dark fruit and spice lingering in the aftertaste. Flat mouthfeel with a medium/rich body and no carbonation.

This is the 2012 vintage, which seems a little past its prime at 6-7 years old now, which kinda says to me that Quadrupels do not necessarily only get better with age. Although it has mellowed very nicely with age, still carrying some cognac notes while not having a trace of sharp booze to it, it's also completely flat and feels a little oxidized as well. Still has some lovely dark fruit and spice notes though. All in all worth the 4€ I paid for this, but I won't buy another one.

Almost 4 years old and already completely flat. Huge disappointment at $19.95/500ml.

Poured from 375ml bottle into glass. Bottling date on label is stamped as '10/07/14'.
Ruby brown colored body, with garnet red highlights when back lit. No real head, with just a very thin ring fed by tiny bubbles. Each sip leaves a level of tiny lacing spots.
Aroma of raisin and plum, and deep rich cognac barrel. Has a touch of brown sugar and vanilla.
Taste is deep dark fruit of raisin, plum, and prune, with a soaking of cognac barrel. The sweeter aromas do not erupt as much as in the aroma. There is a touch of molasses.
Mouth feel is very thin but with a syrupy touch. Low carbonation.
True to style this has a delicate palate, but the cognac soaked dark fruits are the true stars here.

2013 Vintage - Bottle Date 10/07/14

This beer pours a dark caramel color. No head, just a slight amount of white bubbles/foam lacing the sides of the glass.
The nose is deep, and rich with the aromas of the cognac barrel. Some caramel notes. Quite boozy smelling.
The taste is interesting. There's a lot of caramel in the flavor to me. A bit of vanilla, some raisin, and a boozy finish.
There's a boozy feel to it, but it also feels almost watery in a way. Very strange duck.
I do have 5 more of these, and I'll pop them open over the next few years to see what changes, if any, I detect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured at Stout in LA. Six ounce pour in a mini-tulip.

Ruddy brown color and oatmeal lace instead of head. 4

Oaken and plum heavy. Light vanilla and brown sugar. 4

Like these flavors. Toasted oak, hazelnut, brown sugar, raisins and vanilla. Delicious. 4.25

A tad thin but it's delicate and easy-drinking so it works. Doesn't feel like a 10%er. 4

Glad I tried. Good.