Try?
As I type, it’s July the 30th, and my annual penchant for sampling Christmas beers in the sweltering summer heat is about to draw to a close. This year, one of the beers I saved to savor in summer is Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter Reserve Bottle Conditioned Belgian Style Ale. To be sure, it’s been a very hot summer, and as I type I have the air cranked to provide a bit of a respite from the brutal near-triple digit temperatures outside.
I need a beer, I think, to help cool me down further, and what better beer then than a Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter Reserve Bottle Conditioned Belgian Style Ale to both refresh and keep things in the spirit of Christmas in July? This winter seasonal from Cherry Hill, New Jersey’s Flying Fish Brewing Company is light on the palate yet still very flavorful. I found it easy to drink in the midst of winter; it’s equally welcome on a hot July day as well.
Flying Fish calls this a Belgian Golden Strong Ale on their website, a style admittedly that allows a lot of latitude. Here are the specs from their website:
Malts:
Two-row pale, Cara-Pils, white wheat, Demerera sugar
Hops:
Magnum, Styrian Golding
Yeast:
Belgian Abbey Style
Original Gravity:
16.6 plato
Alcohol by volume:
7.2%
Formats:
12 oz. bottles,1/2 kegs, 1/6 kegs, cask-conditioned
Availability:
October 1 to February 1
At 7.2% alcohol by volume, this isn’t a hugely strong example of the style (some go over 10%). That makes it drinkable, though, and more suited for my Christmas in July plans. The yeast throws off flavors of spice and fruit, and although it is common to add real spices to Belgian brews, Flying Fish claims to add none here.
Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter Reserve Bottle Conditioned Belgian Style Ale pours to a golden straw color with a light creamy head formation and a spicy clove nose. (The beer in my glass became a tad cloudier when I roused the yeast at the bottom of my bottle and poured it into my glass).
Don’t let the generally light color deceive you, however: this beer has a rich biscuity maltiness on the palate that is crisp and drinkable, yet very well accented with drying notes of clove, vanilla, citrus and banana. The finish is dry and slightly bitter from the grassy, earthy hops. There’s even a little alcohol warmth to boot.
Overall, a very refreshing and welcome brew for which I paid about $8 for a six-pack last winter at Total Wine. Not bad, really, for so drinkable and flavorful a brew that can be enjoyed in December or July.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
