From one of my favorite hoppy beer houses, Green Flash Brewing Company of San Diego, I’m having a “mysterious dark ale” they call Grand Cru.   It’s actually a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, but in typical Green Flash style, it’s hopped up quite a bit over a traditional brew in this style.  The nose has some fruit and yeast, and you’d expect from a Belgian, but there’s also some grassy hop notes in there.  The middle is plums, cherries, and pepper fading to a citrusy finish with a good bit of pine.   This is a really outstanding marriage of of Belgian Strong Dark Ale and a West-Coast style hop-bomb.  For me, it’s one of the best beers I’ve had in a long time.   If you enjoy both big Belgians and West-Coast IPAs, you need to give this a try.