750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 7/20/2011. Pours slightly cloudy golden amber color with a nice 2 finger foamy and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big apple, lemon, pear, grape, banana, floral, clove, pepper, honey, candi sugar, bread, light bubblegum, and yeast earthiness. Excellent aromas with great balance, strength, and complexity of fruity/spicy ester notes with moderate malt balance. Taste of big apple, lemon, pear, grape, banana, clove, honey, floral, candi sugar, light bubblegum, bread, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of light fruits, banana, clove, pepper, honey, candi sugar, bread, light bubblegum and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice balance and complexity of fruity/spicy ester flavors; with a moderate malt balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a slick and lightly prickly mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent Belgian strong pale ale! All around great complexity and balance of fruity/spicy esters with moderate malt sweetness; and very smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.Earlier Rating: St Stefanus Grand Cru version Total Score: 3.9750 ml bottle into chalice, bottled on 8/28/2012. Pours fairly clear golden amber color with a 1-2 finger fluffy white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of pear, apple, grape, light banana, pepper, clove, honey, bread, cracker, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/spicy ester notes with a fair amount of malt balance; and good strength. Taste or pear, apple, grape, light banana, pepper, clove, bread, cracker, honey, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of light fruits, bread, cracker, pepper, clove, floral, grass, honey, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast flavors with a moderate malt balance; with a great malt/spiciness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a slightly slick, crisp, and fairly prickly mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice Belgian strong golden ale. All around nice balance and complexity of fruity/spicy ester flavors with light-moderate malt balance; and smooth and crisp to sip on for 9%. A very enjoyable offering.