Hertog Jan Grand Prestige is the flagship of this Limburgian brewery: a dark, full-bodied ale at 10% ABV brewed since 1983. It is made with four different malts, including a special crystal malt produced exclusively for this beer. The brewery itself describes it as a barley wine.

In the glass, Grand Prestige shows a deep reddish-brown colour. The flavour is a rich interplay of roasted notes, caramel, dark fruit and spice, with a pleasant bitterness in the finish. This is a beer that rewards cellaring: after two years the flavours become fuller and more complex, and it can develop for up to eight years.

The warmth of the alcohol is present but well-integrated into the full, rounded body. This is a beer to savour in a moment of quiet reflection.