Bottleworks Imagination Series 6th Anniversary Ale

Formerly brewed at Far West Brewing Co
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Redmond, Washington USA

This could have been my favorite beer of the Dark Lord Party.Courtesy of MrFacto.Thanks Matt for this one.Clear brown witha frothy mix of creamy/ orange head.Huge notes of exotic fruits and aromatic spices.Tons of ripe bananas,dates and figs.Cloves and coriander.Needs some cellaring and has a shitload of carbonation which makes it too wild on the tongue.Has the flavor of Cointreau Liqour.

Deep brown with a frothy, off-white head. Huge banana nose, or is it plantain? Lively and sharp carbonation with a rich mouthfeel. Malts were on the sweet side, exuding with caramelized bananas, toast and light nuts.

This was my second favorite abt/quad of the tasting skaughty mentioned: Pours a very deep dark brown with a lightly frothy, light tan head. Sweet candy-like, mild chocolate and lots of cinnamon sugary malt in the aroma. Has some powerful alcohol notes mixed in the sweet sugary maltiness. Starts with a mild bready caramel-candy, well-carbonated and authentically Belgian flavor. Nicely balanced, but could hide its alcohol better. Still, a very nice American-made replica. Thanks Andre’!

Nice head with lacing, but dies much quicker than that of a real Belgian. Very big aroma of bananna, raisins, candi sugar, and maybe brown sugar. Dark off brown color. Full bodied. Bitter chocolaty taste, some bananna and raisin appear as well. Bitter drying finish on the tongue. Great frothy, velvety mouthfeel.

Dark burgundy color with an initially small and bubbly foam, which appears light mocha in color. Outrageous banana ester nose, which gives a somewhat unpleasant scent of discarded, blackened banana peels, along with a touch of chocolate and dried fruits. Overt banana flavors, with hints of chocolate and dark fruits. Fairly flavorful, yet it remains full of banana flavors and aromas (overly so), and the feel on the palate is seemingly artificial, compared to more authentic Belgian Strong Ales. Somewhat sweet for me as well. Seems like a clone of Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer, and not much like Rochefort 10.

Head is initially average sized, frothy, off-white, fully lasting. Body is medium to dark brown. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel, molasses, chocolate), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with a strong note of banana, lesser notes of date and toffee. Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly acidic. Finish is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Medium to full body, syrupy/velvety texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Overly heavy banana ester and a bit too syrupy sweet. Crosling and I agreed that this was more like a Gouden Carolus (Cuvee) than any of the Trappists. Nice, but not stellar.

750ml bottle, sampled in a Duval snifter at near room temp: Pours a slightly cloudy coppery hue with a surprising creany head and outstanding lace. The aroma hints of banana and sour apple along with fig and prune, toasted and bready malts, a very floral hop presence, clove and juniper berry, and a note of belgain candi sugars. The taste starts with a sweet malt and sugary overtone but quickly is backed up by a wonderful sourness and noticeable classic bitters, almost british in it’s bitter qualities. The finish is what sets this beer apart which complex undertones of spice and fruit that linger on well after the final gulp. The palate is lively and sharp, yet has some lushness that is a trademark of the better beers in the genre. The alcohol notes are moderate and do show midway through the bottle. What a brew and again proves American brewers can do any style and produce world-class versions to match the originals. Highly recommended!

2nd place finisher (out of 9) in blind N. Georgia Abt/Quad challenge.
A little port-infused cheese in the aroma here, with the typical dark fruits of a quad. The flavor is fresh with a little roast and a lot of green banana. Unusually present hint of bitterness in the finish - assuming this will mellow with age. Nice and warm, but the high ABV is controlled. A very welcome addition at the high end of american trappist clones.