Beer of the Weekend #864: 17 Grand Réserve (2013)
I'm dipping into my collection of aged beers for this weekend because I need to drink them. Here's a beer I received from Mervgotti when the ol' distribution company was sold and the warehouse was cleaned: 17 Grand Réserve, brewed by the Unibroue of Chambly, Quebec, Canada.
This is the beer's 2013 edition.
The color is cloudy, muddy brown. It is a very unique color; it looks like diarrhea, to be frank-but in a good way, if there is such a thing. The brewery, though, calls it dark amber. Go figure. A half finger of light tan, bubbly, buttery head leaves an uneven skim and a ring around the edge.
The aroma is very oaky and vanilla is very prominent. There are shades of barrel-aged booze, like whiskey, too. It is intriguing and complex. Along with the scents of oak, vanilla, and whiskey are scents of caramel, chocolate, a light spice that tastes like a mixture of clove and pepper, and a bouquet of fruit, mostly apple. Alcohol is noticeable, too.
The mouthfeel is silky smooth, and the first sip goes down easily and invites a second and a third. The flavor is very interesting-though it is thankfully not comparable to diarrhea. It is a complex mélange of spice, malt, fruit, aged liquor, and barrel wood. There are characters of barrel char, aged liquor, oak, vanilla, caramel, light chocolate, clove and maybe pepper spice, yeast, and the bouquet of fruit. Alcohol is noticeable, but it is not off-putting or distracting.
Fun facts about 17 Grand Réserve:
• Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale.
• Price: I'm not sure. It comes in a 750 ml bottle, though.
• Alcohol content: 10 percent ABV.
• Serving temperature: Unibroue recommends 54-57ºF.
• 17 Grand Réserve was first brewed in 2007 for Unibroue's 17th anniversary. It is now brewed once every year.
• Printed on the front label is what I think is the individual bottle number: 2013-001076.
• According to the brewery website, 17 Grand Réserve can be aged for three to seven years. The best before date printed on this bottle's back label is "02-28-2018."
The Quiet Man's grade: A-.
This is the beer's 2013 edition.
The color is cloudy, muddy brown. It is a very unique color; it looks like diarrhea, to be frank-but in a good way, if there is such a thing. The brewery, though, calls it dark amber. Go figure. A half finger of light tan, bubbly, buttery head leaves an uneven skim and a ring around the edge.
The aroma is very oaky and vanilla is very prominent. There are shades of barrel-aged booze, like whiskey, too. It is intriguing and complex. Along with the scents of oak, vanilla, and whiskey are scents of caramel, chocolate, a light spice that tastes like a mixture of clove and pepper, and a bouquet of fruit, mostly apple. Alcohol is noticeable, too.
The mouthfeel is silky smooth, and the first sip goes down easily and invites a second and a third. The flavor is very interesting-though it is thankfully not comparable to diarrhea. It is a complex mélange of spice, malt, fruit, aged liquor, and barrel wood. There are characters of barrel char, aged liquor, oak, vanilla, caramel, light chocolate, clove and maybe pepper spice, yeast, and the bouquet of fruit. Alcohol is noticeable, but it is not off-putting or distracting.
Fun facts about 17 Grand Réserve:
• Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale.
• Price: I'm not sure. It comes in a 750 ml bottle, though.
• Alcohol content: 10 percent ABV.
• Serving temperature: Unibroue recommends 54-57ºF.
• 17 Grand Réserve was first brewed in 2007 for Unibroue's 17th anniversary. It is now brewed once every year.
• Printed on the front label is what I think is the individual bottle number: 2013-001076.
• According to the brewery website, 17 Grand Réserve can be aged for three to seven years. The best before date printed on this bottle's back label is "02-28-2018."
The Quiet Man's grade: A-.
