Grimbergen Cuvée de l'Ermitage
Brouwerij Alken-Maes

 

 

 

 

330ml bottle. Grimbergen Chalice glass. Amber color, reddish to the light. Off-white froth & close crown showing good retention. Belgian yeast, caramel malts & hues of spices & grapefruit to the nose. Sugary upfront followed by sour touch. Medium body. Soft carbonation. Watery texture. Hints of fruit & candies in the middle & warm alcohol. Sweet/bitter finish. Slight acidic aftertaste.

 

 

For the purposes of this review, this bottle has been aged for two and a half years.

A: This beer poured a nice copper-colored brown, that was fairly dark and hints of red. It had a small creamy, almost caramel colored head that subsided after a few minute, leaving a small hint of lacing.

S: The aroma begins strongly with lots of caramel, and hints of expresso. It definitely has a strong malt scent to it and finishes with a hint of alcohol. The alcohol is definitely present, but doesn't seem overpowering due to the prevailing sweetness.

T: This is sweet, but what I would expect from the style. I get hints of prunes and cherries.I don't taste the caramel and expresso that I initially smelled.

M: I think this could use a hint more carbonation to match the malty sweetness, but it isn't cloying or completely unbalanced.

O: This is an interesting drink and I would partake again if offered, though I don't believe I would buy this again. I prefer others in this style more and they are more readily available. Don't get me wrong, it is a tasty brew, just not as good as others.

 

This beer poured out with a nice reddish brown color with some decent clarity. The head was tan and fluffy looking. The retention was pretty good but the lacing was minimal. The smell of the beer was earthy with some soft Belgian yeast aromas and dark malts on the nose. The taste of the beer was also earthy and had a good amount of malt on the taste buds. The beer wasn't too bitter at all. The mouthfeel was a little like wine to me... Overall this beer was promising, I would probably drink it again sometime.

 

A: crimson red/orange, half finger head, little rising carbonation. beautiful color but very unanimated.
S: Subtle but sweet. Not very fragrant, Cherry/fruity? What i do get doesnt smell so much like beer. Could almost be a soda. But nice.
T: Overall moderate sweetness with a funny tart/bitter backend that i havent experienced before. Lemon rind but more dominated by a fruity malt. tad syrupy. hints of spice. sort of ciderish (but not as in the alcoholic ciders). good but not my style.
M: Medium body, very mild but pleasant carbonation.
O: A good beer, nice for the winter, but not particularly appealing in the summer.

Look: Poured a brown-amber with a small whitish head that doesn’t last too long.
Smell: Roasted malts, caramel, honey raisins and some spicy, almost tart yeast.
Taste: Sweet up front (candy sugar, honey, orange, raisins, caramel, roasted malts), a bit herbal metallic finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation, medium body. Beer is quite balanced.
Overall: Bit too sweet for the style and my pellet.

Purchased at the local Carrefour. Brown 33 cl bottle with label a little different from picture posted here. Apparently the Monk scribe either retired or asked for more of a royalty so now there is a golden eagle on label. Pours a luscious dark amber/brown into my chalice. Not too much head but has some mild lacing. Smell is fruity almost like fruit cake. Tast is like rum raisins ans honey with some taste of belgian beet sugar and yeast. Mouyth feel is medium bodied but not too heavy. Drinkability is fine and dandy-don't really notice the 7.5 ABV. I'd buy more of this- like Optimo Bruno's little brother.

330ml bottle poured in its own chalice.

Best Dubbel I've ever had even not being a big fan of the style.

A: Dark amber to brown color. Huge beige head formed when poured. Medium retention. MANY lacings left around
S: Not a smell but a perfume. Complex. Sweet. Honey and dark fruits are a must. Mainly raisins. Traditional smell of Belgian yeasts and flowery hops. Oak and roasted malts
T: Pretty much like the nose. Taste is dominated by roasted and caramel malts. Honey, raisins, oak, Belgian yeasts. Sweet upfront followed by a nice bitterness.
M: A bit watery. Medium to light body. Medium to low carbonation.
D: Good drinkability. You definitely do not feel the 7.5% ABV

A: Hazy copper colour, small head that lingers.

S: lemon peel, coffee, caramel

T: Caramel up front, this is replaced by an earthy feel with a metallic aftertaste, malts, a hint of orange en pineapple

M/D: body is correct as is the carbonation. Alcohol is there but doesn't bother.

Had this on tap in France. Three 40cl glasses

Dark amber with a foamy head on it that laced the glass throughout.

Smelled of raisins and sweet malts.

Tasted sweet but not overly sweet. It didn't detract from the fine malt flavor and vanilla hints. It was a beautiful beer that had a nice flavor and delivered a great taste.

It was creamy and very soft and smooth on the palate. The carbonation was enough to give it life but not bite your tongue.

Fantastic beer. I loved it. I could drink this all night long

Pours brown dark copper with a huge head and a ridicuous amount of cappuccino lacing - wow

smell is nice ripe fruit with some very bready malts and a significant yeasty capper.

taste is a bit on the sour side with some bready malty notes, the herbal soapy flavours followed by some weird mineral stuff and a bit of a metallic finish...fairly unimpresssed, but decent.

Nicely balanced offering.

Presentation: 33 Cl. bottle. Old seal design around the image of an eagle over stained glass and the motto of the brew over a green background. Sides show different narratives in several languates. Flemish and French note the founding legend, while English, Spanish, and Italian describe briefly the brew. Back notes add again in several languages that it "contains barley and wheat", alongside a few perfunctory disclaimers. Shows best by date (11-04-11) Notes Alc. by Vol. (7.5%). Served in a tulip glass.

A - Deep amber pour. very generous head with great retention, shrinking down to a persistent surface lump, and very rich lacing.

S - Soft fruity notes coating a nice Belgium yeast sense.

T - Nicely balanced taste between a fruity sense and soft barley notes.

M - Medium to light body with fine carbonation and a a smooth finish.

D - Very pleasing and tasty note.

Notes: Nice offering from Grimbergen, again maybe not outstanding but certainly a very solid and pleasing brew.

Poured into chalice. Taken from notes.

Aroma: Of medium strength, this beer presents a bold aroma of yeast, caramel and Belgian sugar with an assertive presence of alcohol on the nose and a whiff of flowers. On the back theres some spices, banana and bubblegum. The aroma is definitely what i enjoyed the most about this beer.

Appearance: This beer showcases a beautiful brownish copper color with tan head. Although the head isn't as sizeable as i was expecting it still leaves decent lacing and has good foam persistence. No perceived effervescence or floaties, although it is slightly hazy.

Taste: Sugary, yeasty and spicy is the best way to describe it. On the back there is a nutty and earthy quality to it although there is a glaring absence of a malt backbone. The taste is VERY underwhelming, but not unenjoyable.

Palate: Medium light body, dry, hot, medium low carbonation, medium low bitterness and assertive acidity. The taste dies out relatively quickly.

Drinkability: A bit unbalanced, and plain BORING. Isn't particularly complex, "charismatic" or tasty for that matter. Needed a bigger malt profile or more "fruit" as the wine geeks say. It may also be a bit too dry. Was expecting something greater since im a huge fan of Grimbergen. The Price is great though.