Wanted: Grand Cru Recipe

[el beero]

So I found out that my stepdad, who proclaims not to like Belgian beers (it is the cool thing to say bc my brothers dont like it either, so Im the only one and since Im the beer snob...yadda). Anyway, he recently sampled an Allagash Grand Cru, and loved it (saved the bottle so he'd buy himself some more if he ever found it). I dont know that I have explicitly had a Grand Cru before, nor am I 100% about what makes it what it is. I searched briefly and saw one recipe that looked an awful lot like a Wit more than anything else (in fact, I suppose other than the absence of any wheat elements, I couldnt note any flavor differences). Anyway, does anyone have any guidance for an extract brewer who would like to make a Grand Cru?

[beerking]

First, a bit of an explanation. "Gran Cru" is not really a style, per say. There have been many more reconized beer experts than my self who have decried the use of the term as an actual style name. The term actually comes from the wine world. The wine dictionary at www.epicurious.com states:
"1. The French phrase for "great growth." 2. In BURGUNDY, grand cru is the top ranking a vineyard can receive."
The definition goes on to list other regions and the exact meaning for each region. Bottom line, this is NOT a style name.
I suspect what you are really after is a recipe to clone Allagash Grand Cru, since any other beer labeled "Gran(d) Cru" may or may not have any real similarities with Allagash.
That being said, I have never tried to clone Allagash, so I don't have any recipes for it. Perhaps a search on the web for homebrewer recipe pages for said recipe.
I don't have the time or bandwidth here at work to do a search, but you should be able to find something. I would look in the recipe section of this board first.

[wild]

This is the only one I have:
Grand Cru

Style: Saison
Brew Type: Extract
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Boil Volume: 3 gallons
Boil Time: 60 minutes
Amount Item Type % or IBU
4½ lbs. Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 43.9 %
4 lbs. Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 39.0 %
2 oz. Hallertauer [4.00%] (60 minutes) Hops 12.2 IBU
½ oz. Saaz [5.70%] (60 minutes) (Aroma)
⅛ oz. Galangal (Boil 5.0 minutes)
½ oz. Coriander Seed (Boil 10.0 minutes)
0.70 oz. Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 10.0 minutes)
1 ea. Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 minutes)
1¾ lbs. Cane (Beet) Sugar (0.0 SRM) Sugar 17.1 %
5 gal Water
1 pkg. Belgian Witbier (Wyeast Labs #3944) Yeast-Wheat

Beer Profile
OG: 1.085 SG
FG: 1.010 SG
Bitterness: 12.2 IBU (20.0-40.0 IBU)
Alpha Acid Units: 1.6 AAU
ABV: 9.8 %
Actual Calories: 386 cal/pint
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar
Carbonation Volumes: 2.5 (2.3-2.7 volumes)
Temperature at Bottling: 60.0°F
Age for: 4.0 Weeks
Storage Temperature: 52.0°F
Notes
Wort is boiled with only the DME.
The sugar and LME is added with 15 minutes left of the boil.
FG = 1.010.

Good luck,
Wild

[el beero]

I think I may just need to find the allagash grand cru and see if I can replicate by flavor...thanks for the replies and info!