#4 Annual Grand Cru - BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse

The second beer tonight was courtesy of date night with my 2 year old daughter. BJ's Brewhouse is a California based chain that is modeled after the brewpub style that has become very popular. From their website they say most of their establishments do not brew on premise which is a shame, but in the name of quality control I guess that makes some sense. What I have found on the internet says that all beers come from either 2 of their own breweries or contract brewers.

I have visited a few brewpub establishments over the years and for the most part their products have been mostly passable. My expectations for a large brewpub chain probably fall somewhere between average to slightly above average in terms of flavor and quality. I have been to the BJ's in my neighborhood several times, but usually opt for a beer from other brewers which is a little bit unusual for a brewpub. They have a fantastic selection of Belgian beers for a casual restaurant.

The Annual Grand Cru is brewed every year and is available January/February. It is a heady 10% ABV and has won some awards, so lets see how it goes.

First off I have to comment on the head. It consists of very fine bubble and is very creamy. When I took my first sip I was a little surprised at the amount of creaminess to it and it made for a good start.

The color of this beer is like a light amber, only not clear as say a lager. Definitely in the style of a Belgian tripel although they do not classify it as such.

The nose on this one is muted which I think stems from the temperature of this beer - it is American light beer cold. If you put this one in a Coors bottle the rocky mountains would be blue its so cold. After letting it warm up a bit I pick up a faint smell of banana and some spice along with the slight mustiness of a stale beer. Not sure if this is because of unclean lines, but I can definitely smell it.

Tasting it, this beer has a light mouthfeel. The flavors I pick up are orange peel and coriander, heavy coriander. My first batch of homebrew had a very similar flavor profile which is not the biggest compliment.  There is a lingering bitterness in the aftertaste along with a tinny, metallic finish. This is most noticed when I drink it solo and it is not perceptible with food. I am really into Belgians these days and if I were to crave one, this would not satisfy my craving.

I have tasted most of the brews at BJ's and have found them to be fairly bland, bordering on conservative. It is almost like they are a brewpub for those that regularly drink Bud and Coors and play it safe. This one is probably one of the better beers I have tried there, but again it is probably a little safe for the style of beer. 80 out of 100.