Brought to you by:
BrewTools Homebrewing iPhone App

Latest Reviews

Double Dry Hopped pseudoSue
Toppling Goliath
Modus Vivendi
Wild Beer Co.
Spaceman
Brewfist

Recent Articles

Shameless
Craft brewer sellouts become as tone-deaf and underhanded as their new overlords. Great Taste Eve
Check out the burgeoning Madison beer scene the night before the best fest in country. Good Beer Makes Good Conversation
The effects of drinking beer worth talking about. The Beers of Walmart
The largest retailer in the world now has its own line of beers. Our Take on the Lagunitas-Heineken Deal
Fuck Lagunitas. archives »

Beer Reviews

Celis Grand Cru

Michigan Brewing Company
Webberville, MI
USA
http://www.michiganbrewing.com/

Style: Belgian Strong Ale

Eddie’s Rating:
   (Recommended)


Comments:
Once again I pay a visit to a world style that I feel is the hardest for brewers to master, the abbey tripel or Belgian golden ale (technically they’re different styles, but to be honest, they’re pretty much the same in my book). Some of the best beers in the world fall under these groups—Duvel, Westmalle Tripel, Tripel Karmaliet, to mention three—and American craft brewers are still trying to find their bearings when it comes to them. So when I stumbled across another take on the style from a Midwest brewer—Michigan Brewing Company and their Celis Grand Cru—I had to grab a six pack and see how it stacked up to the Belgian masters.

The color is extremely pale—the beer gathers in my tulip glass a slightly hazy yellow. A finger of sticky snow white foam caps the pour.

Strong Belgian yeast phenols are the star of the sniff, with sharp spiciness in the background, fighting for attention. The sip starts with light (really light), dry malt mixed with herbal spiciness. This fades to an airy middle, into a nice tart, clean finish, letting only a hint of sugary sweetness to linger. The body is barely there, and even some restrained carbonation can’t keep smaller sips from disappearing at times. As it warms, the body opens up a tad bit, and some sweet notes start to form around the edges of the malt.

This is an admirable entry from Michigan Brewing, but their Celis Grand Cru is a little light and breezy to stand up to some of the masters of the style. Still, it’s a great beer to have on hand when you feel like quaffing a Belgian but are in a light and airy mood.

Reviewed by Eddie Glick on May 4, 2010.

Drinkin’ And Thinkin’

Beer Dorks News

Deschutes long-delayed Virginia brewery is apparently being downsized. Anyone else sense where this is going? More on Green Flash: Apparently not just a "sale", but a complete collapse of their business. Let's hope this is a one-off. Green Flash, already having dropped most of the country from its distribution footprint, is auctioning off its East Coast hub in Virginia. Brewpubs in ballparks are trending. In this case, Revolution provides the only reason to go to the garbage dump that is the White Sox stadium. Brewers Association creates category for NEIPA's, called "Juicy/Hazy IPA's". We prefer our title choice, "Non-IPA IPA's". Peeps beer. Because of course... 19th century-era aluminum tariffs imposed by a "very stable genius" likely to lead to higher costs for consumers across the beer industry. The New York Times covers the positive economic impact of the continued growth and localization of craft beer. Girl power: The women of Revolution Brewing team up to create a special release brew. Stone Brewing suing the MillerCoors Big Beer Evil Empire over emphasis of "Stone" on packing of shit beer Keystone.