This is a blended Quadrupel from the Brewery Ommegang in New York. I picked up a 2007 edition bottle which was 9.8% alcohol. It poured a brownish amber color with a thick, off-white head leaving outstanding amounts of lacing. I notice hints of bread, yeast, spice, and raisins in the nose. The taste is a balance between sweet malts and a tart cherry finish. The mouthfeel is very creamy and smooth. This beer is quite warming, but the alcohol is otherwise well hidden. It would probably make a good pair with dark chocolate for dessert. An interesting beer overall. It lags well behind the St. Bernardus and Rochefort examples in this style. But it is probably not fair to make that comparison since this is really a blended quadrupel in that a cherry-infused ale is added to the underlying ale. It wasn’t bad, but I likely won’t purchase it again.
Another Belgian ‘quadrupel’ that I sampled this weekend. This one pours a dark brown color with a creamy, tan head. I could smell hints of chocolate and a strong alcohol scent (11.3%). Fortunately, the alcohol level is hidden in the taste. This is a very nice beer, but takes a backseat to the St. Bernardus in the quadrupel style.
This is a Belgian ‘quadrupel’ that I drank out of a wider-rimmed wine glass. I let this one warm up a bit (maybe over 50 F). Brownish-amber in color with golden light shining through at glass rim. I could smell malt and raisins and a slight of hint of the alcohol (10%). Carbonation was mild and the taste was extremely smooth. This is a beer that actually warms you from the inside quickly. This is the best beer I’ve ever tasted.
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