Founders Bad Habit Quad

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

12oz btl. I had this on tap at La Cave Du Vin in Cleveland in late 2005, but as I didn’t write anything down, I’ll have to stick with the more recent bottle rating. For the record, when I tried a draft sample of this I thought it was one of the most quaffable, albeit unique, Belgian style beers I had ever tried. Pours out a hazy brown/red with a cream colored head, decent retention. Lacing was tremendous on this one, so good I was worried most of the flavor was stuck to the glass. Roasted malts and grainy fruit flesh, like leftover orange skins, dominate the aroma at first, eventually giving way to banana, bubblegum, mint and estery yeastiness that is a little too intense for my liking. Flavor is somewhat redeeming, with more mint and banana, also a ton of delicious malt and theslightest of hops, though I may have imagined that part. Sweet, long, nicely balanced finish.

Bottle from secret santa. Really not too bad. Aroma is kind of sweet, doughty, cinnamon, alcohol heat. Flavor is peppery sweetness, slighty acidic, nutmeg. Good palate for 10.5%. There is heat, but it is warming and non-invasive, and suits the beer well.

Bottle: Amber color with an off white head. Aroma, fruits, sweet malt and some spice. I think I’m getting some alcohol as well. Flavor, really sweet malts, caramel, molassas, there is some spice, and a bit of heat. Some cinnamon. This is the first thing I’ve had from founders that I didn’t like.

12 oz. bottle Hazy amber with a collapsing medium white head. Very fruity aromaof apples and pears, hints of spice, and some noticeable alcohol. Medium body, light carbonation, some stickiness. Comes through as quite sweet with a caramel/brown sugar character, and although there is an attempt to balance the sweetness with some spicy hops, the effort falls a little short with a finish that is too much on the sweet side for my tastes. Still, it’s pleasant enough and easy to drink.

Cloudy amber body with a small white head. Sweet malt and spice aroma. Sweet malt flavor with some caramel and a touch of spice.

Bottle. A hazed amber color. A candy spiced and malty flavor and aroma. I was surprised at the light color, and it was relatively non-descript, although fine to drink. This one rated #3 out of 8 in our annual Christmas gathering (12/22/06).

Bottle from Styles. Pours a reddish brown color, pretty clear. Decent off-white head forms and fades at a moderate pace to a ring at the edge. No lacing left. Aroma is fruity, grapes, slight bananna, actually its pretty intriguing on the ester profile. Medium to full bodied, a touch syrupy. Lower perceived carbonation. A touch boozy, not really abrasive, but the alcohol is noticeable. Slight fruits and esters in taste. Moderately dry. Decent, although not something I would seek out.

12 oz bottle. Deep reddish copper in color with no head. Sweet alcohol aroma. Sweet flavor. Sweet tasting. Boozy flavor. Grapes and apple notes. Sweet. Ok.