Grinch

The portrait

The Grinch is our Christmas anti-hero transformed into an elixir. Imagine a Barleywine that's decided to steal Christmas... all the better to celebrate it. With its 10% alcohol content, this beast is part of our Éphémères series—those creative brews that appear and disappear like comets in our brewing universe.

We fermented this bad boy with figs. Yes, figs. Because why keep it simple when you can create a symphony of flavors? The result defies the laws of hoppy physics: despite its 63 IBUs, the bitterness is discreet, tamed by a powerful body that rolls out its red carpet of aromas. Morello cherries, raisins, caramel—it's Christmas in a bottle, dark version.

This Barleywine is a great beer for aging. It's a beer that ages like a fine wine, improving in the darkness of a cellar. The kind of bottle you jealously stash away for special occasions or deliberately forget about for a surprise in a few years.

The story

The Grinch is part of our line of Éphémères, experimental creations that allow us to think outside the box. Born from our desire to twist the traditional Barleywine style, we decided to incorporate figs during fermentation. A risky bet that turned into a success story.

This beer embodies our limited brew philosophy: explore, surprise, then disappear. Like its Mount Crumpit namesake, the Grinch appeared to disrupt convention before returning to obscurity.

Food and beer pairings

The Grinch reveals all his complexity with:

• Simmered winter dishes and game in sauce

• Platter of mature cheeses (especially blue cheeses)

• Foie gras and festive terrines

• Intense dark chocolate desserts

• Fig tart (obviously)

• In solo meditation, by the fire

The final word

The Grinch has joined the pantheon of our legendary beers—those we still talk about years after their disappearance. If you come across a dusty bottle in a cellar, consider yourself the chosen one. This relic of our creative past continues to haunt the taste buds of those lucky enough to taste it. Was cave aging recommended? Perhaps some bottles still follow that advice somewhere...

Cheers! 🍻

The recipe