AleSmith Grand Cru Ale
25.4 oz. bottle poured into my Duvel tulip. Appearance: Deep rusty orange almost red, decent head of about a 1/2" which quickly recedes to a ring, with nice lacing. Smell: Sweet malt, caramel, and a hint of spice. Taste: I seem to be hitting a few of these lately, but this is beer trending more toward the style of a British Barleywine more than a traditional Belgian strong dark ale. Heavy on the malt and sweetness but at least this one includes a nice balance with a touch of spice and hoppy flavor. This provides for decent balance and complexity. Good carbonation and a pleasant level of alcoholic warmth cleans the palate and prevents this beer from ever becoming cloying. Mouth feel: Very good level of carbonation and alcohol cleans the palate, relatively smooth. Overall: Very different version of a Belgian SDA, not a bad beer, but not a beer that merits its cost. I would prefer any other Belgian SDA/Quad to this (plus a few from Unibroue) and that even includes Urthel Samaranth.