La Trappe Quadrupel

Brewer: Brewery de Koningshoeven
Style: Quadrupel
ABV: 10%
IBU:
Serving Type: 33cL bottle poured into a St. Bernardus chalice

One more Trappist beer for good measure. Enjoyed with some carry-out dynamite sushi (thanks, honey!). Pours a deep, murky brown with more red tones than most other quads I've had. A solid finger of white, big-bubbled head betrays my not quite clean enough glass. Aroma is big and malty, with raisin and fig and a little bit of spice (cinammon?).

The spice on the tongue comes through more peppery, and the sweetness just a touch tart (though still with plenty of dark fruit). Carbonation is nice and prickly on the tongue, does a good job of cutting through the almost cloying sweetness. Medium bodied, with a lingering spice at the back of the tongue.

Pretty good overall, though a touch overboard on the sweetness. The other elements all help hold that sweetness in check, but only just. The spiciness, however, adds enough depth to force me to give it a rare half-star rating.

And how does it pair with sushi? Suprisingly well, actually. The sweetness counteracts the wasabi while the carbonation and spiciness of the beer accent it. The sweetness also plays well with the savory flavors in the soy and fish.

My score: 3.5/5
Beer Advocate: 91/100
Rate Beer: 99/100
Pintley: 4.2/5

Abt 12

Brewer: St. Bernardus
Style: Quadrupel
ABV: 10.5%
IBU:
Serving Type: 33cL bottle poured into a St. Bernardus chalice

"Rich mahogany" sounds to me like either a joke or pretentious, but I can think of nothing better to describe this beer's appearance. A deep and dark brown with a touch of red, lightening slightly at th edges of the glass. A tan finger of head settles quickly to a tin film. Minimal lacing. Raisin and plum and banana on the nose, brown sugar and a little oak rounding it out. A really fantastic aroma.

Sweet, caramel malt and a lot of dark fruits; raisin, plum, and fig are all there, with some banana and cherry thrown in for kicks. Balances with a slightly earthy, slightly spicy bitterness. Very smooth with a pleasently prickly carbonation. A nice alcohol warmth is felt all the way down. Finishes sweet and lingering.

Best of the St. Bernardus lineup and an incredible example of the style. The Rochefort 10 edges it out in my book, but that doesn't stop it from being world class.

My score: 5/5
Beer Advocate: 98/100
Rate Beer: 100/100
Pintley: 4.4/5

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Brewer: Brasserie de Rochefort

Style: Quadrupel

ABV: 11.3%

IBU:
Serving Type: 33 cL bottle poured into a brandy snifter

I had one of these gems a few months ago at the Fly Saucer in Kansas City and loved it. When I saw it at Hyvee of all places, I knew I needed another taste.

The beer pours a thick, deep mahogany with no highlighting. The tan head quickly fades to null. The aroma is very faint at first, but strengthens as the beer warms. Plum, raisin, and fig are are at the forefront, but there's a whole fruit basket to be found here. A hint of Jolly Rancher.

Dark fruit comes through in the taste just as well as the nose. There are also notes of dark candy sugar and just a hint of peppery spice. This is an incredibly complex beer. It's velvety smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. Slightly dry on the finish.

This is an amazing beer. Easily my favorite quad and one of my top beers, period.

My score: 5/5

Beer Advocate: A

Rate Beer: 100

Pintley: 4.5/5

Brother Thelonius

Brewer: North Coast Brewing Co.

Style: Belgian Dark Strong Ale

ABV: 9.4%

IBU: 32

Serving type: 12oz Bottle

Ap: Deep copper/brown with red highlights. Pours with one finger of tan head that quickly fades to a thin ring around the perimeter of the glass.

Ar: Banana bread.

T: Well toasted, malty. Slight maple sweetness. Little alcohol taste, but slight alcohol warming.

M: Medium to heavy body, balanced by high carbonation.

I: Very drinkable considering the high alcohol content.

My score: 4/5

Beer Advocate: B+

Rate Beer: 96/100

Pintley: 3.7/5