Thursday 25 December 2014

Grimbergen Double-Ambrée

Happy Holidays from the Stout Man!

Let's talk about Grimbergen Double-Ambrée. There's 6.5% alcohol in this little number that's billed as a bière d'abbaye and a double-ambrée. I picked up a sixer of these guys--330mL bottles festooned with a phoenix and the righteously badass motto "Ardec Nec Consumitur", which, as the label informed me, means "burned but not destroyed". The label also refers to Grimsbergen Abbey, though this beer is actually brewed by Kronenbourg in Strasbourg, France.

It's a dark ruby ale that poured with a bit of cream head, but which vanished quite quickly. Its engaging malt aroma has lots of fruit notes, particularly a slightly sweet cranberry essence. The label mentions that the flavour has "subtle hints of caramel", but that's not what I found. I got fruity, malty, and ever-so-slightly tart.

Not a bad little dubbel-style beer from one of the big players in French brewing. A bit on the sweet side and a bit lacking in depth, but otherwise quite enjoyable. I really like the cranberry notes--something a little different. This six pack languished in my fridge for an unusually long time before they were all consumed--several weeks. Make of that what you will.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

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