Unleash the Beast

My last post focused on a very special tasting of a very special beer called Founder's KBS. This time I'll be tasting another very special beer, Avery Brewing's The Beast Grand Cru. It is "brewed with Rocky Mountain water, two-row malted barley, honey malt, and imported Belgian specialty grains (aromatic, pale wheat, roasted wheat, and Special B), hops (Magnum, Galena, Saaz, Hallertau, Tettnang, and Hersbrucher), brewing sugars (raisins, dates, blackstrap molasses, alfalfa honey, turbinado sugar, and dark Belgian candi sugar), and a hellion of a Belgian yeast strain." Phew. They make this beer every year and have since 2004, with slight modifications each year. The one I am tasting is the 2011 version, which was brewed last August. This one is the second-highest it's ever been in alcohol content at 16.83% ABV. Woof. I'll literally be giving tasting notes as I taste it for the first time, so here goes.

It pours a beautiful dark amber hue with a small foamy head. I'm using a snifter for tasting this one. First thing that comes to mind is how little sediment there is for having so much sugary content and hop. The smell is super sweet and I can instantly catch whiffs of raisins, dates, and sugar, and perhaps some honey. First taste: wow, very dark and roasty, with a strong alcohol middle and a sweet, dry finish. Definite notes of raisin and date, and a little bit of a dry honey finish with next-to-no hop flavor. You can definitely tell that it is high in alcohol content by its middle. This beer reminds me a lot of Dogfish Head Raison d'Extra. It has similar ingredients but is maybe slightly more complex. The main taste is very similar though, as both feature a heavy raisin taste throughout. The honey, dates, and extra sugars are what sets this beer apart from Raison d'Extra though. The more I taste, the less roasty it feels. The mouthfeel is thick and is something that lingers on the palate. This is definitely a fantastic beer and it's one I'll be trying to find again to age. From what I have heard, it is even better when aged for a couple years. I'm going to go finish this beer. I'll post another update soon on my latest homebrew adventures.