Hello everyone.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Schlafly Grand Cru made by the St. Louis Brewing Company located in St. Louis, Missouri.

Schlafly has been a brew that I’ve always picked up whenever a new bottle hits my bottle shop.  They make a solid product, so they are worth the risk in my opinion.

The website, schlafly.com, had this bit of information.

Our Grand Cru rewards like dry champagne with aromas of passion fruit and exotic spice.  This rich, golden-colored ale is fermented with a distinct Belgian abbey ale strain, then bottle conditioned with extra sugar and yeast for at least two weeks. Bottle conditioning creates the effervescent mouth feel, as well as the distinct Belgian lace prized in Belgian beers.  Enjoy the complexity imparted by technique and craft.

Cool.  Let’s sip.

This brew came in a 25.4 oz. bottle and it had a 9.0% ABV.

It poured a hazy orange color with a white, soft, fluffy, semi-rocky head.  It was sized very well I thought.  Plus, the retention time was adequate and the lacing seemed ok to me.  Not a bad looking beer at all.

The nose produced some hints of orange citrus as well as some banana fruitiness.  Spices of clove and coriander mixed with some yeast and bready aspects made it smell a lot like a Belgian Tripel.  As it warmed some floral tones were exposed along with a slightly tart smelling green apple and freshly cut grass.  A light fragrance of alcohol and “funkiness” were found buried underneath when I took long, deep whiffs.  This was a nice smelling brew.  Very complex and bold in my opinion.

The taste was very similar to the smell with only a few exceptions.  The flavor added some peppery spice and the green apple appeared to be quite a bit more prominent.  The orange citrus, banana, breadiness and yeast held true, while the funk remained relaxed.  The brew opened up to release a nice, sweet malt and tartness and a pleasantly “sharper” spice.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied.  It was just a wee bit sharp, however it was also dry, semi-refreshing and crisp.  The carbonation was lively and a light feeling of warmth was had from the high ABV.  A good shot of flavor was left behind for me to enjoy between sips as well.

Overall, I found this to be a very nice beer that’s definitely worth a go if you can get it.  I would have no problem drinking it again that’s for sure.  The relative ease of drinkability would make this a very welcoming beer to have during the Spring season.  Schlafly, to me, doesn’t necessarily make the best beers on the planet, yet everything I’ve had from them has always been solid and true to the style.  For some reason they always get overlooked in my area and I don’t know why.  Either way, if you guys run across the Schlafly Grand Cru, pick it up and see for yourself.  I’d be willing to bet that you’ll like it.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  4.0 out of 5

Grade:  B+