About Grimbergen Double Ale: Born from double fermentation, the Grimbergen Amber is a generous beer with a dark robe, thanks to the mixing of different malts. It is rich, deep and ample in the mouth. This amber beer boasts flavors that are both sweet and bitter; with subtle notes of caramel.
The powerful alcohol aroma plays alongside doughy and ripe plum scents. The flavor initially washes the palate with a mild mix of plum and red grapes and floral, spicy hops that just tickle the tongue. While lovely flavors, they lack complexity. Full and creamy with soft carbonation and a warm alcohol presence, this drinkable beer finishes very well with lingering fruity aftertastes.
Beer Advocate Score: 85 points
IBUs: 23
Alcohol by Volume: 6.5%
Case Cost: $54
*website: http://www.grimbergenbeer.com/
Now we're talkin'! I really like this one. There are so many flavors that just work together really well. And I like the way that there is a sweetness that wafts up through my nose with each sip. The monks got it right. :-)
ReplyDeleteUgh. First, what the hell is a dark robe? This tastes like it should be 11% ABV, so I definitely agree that it has a powerful alcohol aroma. I think I do get the plums. And I don't like plums. I am not a fan of this at all. It's not tickling my tongue, it's beating it into submission. Also has that flat taste again. I rate this somewhere down with Team Lager.
ReplyDeleteCrap. Forgot my one liner. This beer is grim.
DeleteWhoa. Drain pour. Sour and gross. D-. Only reason it's not an F is because I'm giving it credit for making the journey across the pond and maybe it would have been better right after brewing.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite enjoying this tasty beverage. Must be because it's so "ample in the mouth." Wait, what?!? Anyway, it's going down quickly, which means I must like it!
ReplyDeleteThis beer is my favorite to date. Smoooooooooth. Not bitter and compliments my steak dinner. Feel like I'm a lantern lit pub of yore.
ReplyDeleteI liked this beer at first; the flavor, the aroma, the color. But by the end of the beer it became too sweet. Too much fing Plum and grapes I guess. Boy did I like the way it started though!
ReplyDeleteRating: 6.5
This is an interesting beer to me. I get the sweetness and bitternes. I think I like it but I'm not sure. I would try it again. 7 out of 10, C-
ReplyDeleteSo this is how our night went....my parents are visiting and after dinner we told them we are trying the beer. Tony pours a little bit into a glass for my dad and he refuses because it's dark (he's a Coors Light guy). Tony and I take a sip of ours and say it's not too bad. My dad still refuses. My mom takes the glass and gives it to him and says "don't be a pussy." This is the first time I have ever heard the p-bomb from my mom. We all laugh as my dad slings back the beer like a shot, I'm sure he didn't even taste it. He says it's disgusting.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion - not as bad as I thought. My first couple of sips were pretty good. As it got warmer, I noticed the coffee flavor and decided it wasn't good and didn't want to finish it.
So I've got my beers just sitting in the garage in the box. I got worried that it wasn't cold enough today and I should be refrigerating a few days' worth at a time. But I like having them in the garage - I'm really getting into my new ritual of coming home from work, looking up the beer of the day, going out to the garage to find it, bringing it in, perusing the info on the label, deciding what glass to use, etc. etc. I stuck this one in the freezer for 10 minutes, thinking it wasn't cold enough, but as it turns out it's supposed to be served between 45 and 55 degrees. I checked with a food thermometer (is everybody doing shit like this or it just me??) and it was at 50F when I drank it. How fortuitous! I think I must have got it at the perfect temperature, because this beer was delicious. I thought it smelled like wine, and it did taste very sweet so I probably wouldn't drink more than one (or maybe two - if you twisted my arm... or if I HAD two). It was creamy and full-tasting - I don't know if it's what Brad would call well-balanced, but everything about it just seemed right to me.
ReplyDeleteMy better half (who doesn't like beer) was intrigued enough by the smell of this one to try a sip. These were her comments:
"It's not the worst beer I've ever tasted", "It smelled good", and then 10 seconds later: "Eow - I need something to get that taste out of my mouth" (as she reached for a "Vanilla Chai Tea" flavored tea & soy beverage).
Now I feel the urge to go out and buy a "beer thermometer."
DeleteDagnabbit, dem Monks knew what dey was doin!!! I thought this beer was most excellent. Definitely my favorite so far. Different flavors from the touch to the tongue to the finish. Loved it. Call me a Monk-ee!
ReplyDeleteSo, what I really like about the 24 Days of Beer is that I try beer I normally wouldn't try. That's about the best thing I can say about this beer. Yick. How can a beer be sweet and sour at the same time?
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of abbey beers and have had some good ones, so I was looking forward to this one. So, I was surprised to find that I just didn't enjoy it much at all. I agree that it has a strong alcohol taste/smell - too much for me - reminds of some homebrews that I've made and had that have that alcohol/medicine thing going on. Also, I get the plum thing, but to me it was more like prunes. Oh well, I am at least happy to support the hardworking Monks of Grimbergen and their fine work in the community!
ReplyDeleteMaybe my nose was stuffed up tonight from the sudden heat wave we've been having, but I couldn't discern any noticeable aromas on the nose for this one. However, I definitely got the plum and even a raisin flavor on my tongue after the first sip. It's a very interesting beer I thought. I started drinking it fresh out of the fridge and didn't notice until I started reading the comments that I should drink it at 45-55. So I decided to let it warm up by taking a few minutes between sips. That really helped bring out the flavor a bit more for me. Sweet with slight bitterness, it's well-balanced I thought. I like almost anything out of Belgium, especially from those ingenious monks, so I'd probably try it again. Nice selection, guys.
ReplyDeleteThis was an intresting one. The first sip reminded me of something but I could 't quiet explain it, so I drink it slower in hopes I'd remember but still couldnt put my finger on it. My first sip seemed like I was drinking some carbonated beverage, maybe it was the double fermentation. Other than the weird taste, I thought it was very light and kinda enjoyable. I probably wouldn't run out to get this on its own but if someone offered it to me I wouldn't turn it down . C
ReplyDeleteI can't say I've ever had a beer like this before, but I'm glad I have now. I doubt I would make this part of a regular rotation, but it was pretty good experience with the aromas, a little bit of extra carbonation and a little tanginess giving it a nice little kick. All in all, an enjoyable brew... but do I get religious credits for drinking it?
ReplyDeleteF---ing amazing! Beers like this make me want to explore Belgian beers more! Bold and powerful, though the sweetness is borderline too much. I don't have anything really negative to say about this one. A!
ReplyDeleteThe beers keep getting better and better! Thanks for putting this together guys!
Late night consumption on this one...workin late tonight. Started with the gingerbread as I missed that last night (not a good enough porter to go so light on the gingerbread). I love belgian abbey ales! They are always so interesting and different from the beers we commonly see around here. This one did not disappoint...never had it before and am really glad that I got a chance to drink this one.
ReplyDeleteI would pick up at sixer (although this one prob comes in a 4 pack) and fondly say I've tried this one...if I ever ran into it while shopping for beer.
I liked this quite a bit. I probably would never order this at a bar or buy it at the store. But that's why I'm really enjoying doing this 24 Days of Beer thing. I'd definitely have more of these.
ReplyDeletevery good and classic Belgium style amber double fermented ! like the finish a little expensive for the category (f.y.I tony)
ReplyDeleteRating 7.0
Ugh. Usually I love Belgian beers, but this one just didn't do it for me. The Mrs. and I have dubbed it 'Belgian Cardboard'
ReplyDeleteOK - have a few posts tonight to make up so we'll start here. First, let's start with the bottle: how could you not like this beer. Right off the bat, there's a money golden phoenix that gets me instantly cised. Second, what a phenomenal backstory: brewed for over 500 years in some Abbey? Same recipe? I'm all in. So basically, you're starting at an 8 out of 10 with a silly phoenix on the label and a great backstory that you can use to daydream that you're on your way across Europe to pwn people in the crusades and you happen to stop off for a few mugs of Grimbergen - sold. The beer itself fully lived up to it. Great color, better flavor........this is getting added to my rotation as soon as the 24 days are over. 9.5 out of 10 (note, to get a full 10, it's got to elicit the same reaction of Jan Wolfhouse in Beerfest when he takes the first sip of Schnitzengiggle)
ReplyDeleteThis ones way to sweet. I didn't like it
ReplyDelete