Iron Hill Bourbon Quadfather

Brewed by Iron Hill West Chester
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
West Chester, Pennsylvania USA

On tap at the West Chester location. Nitro. Poured a deep and cloudy brown color with a large sized off white head. Aromas of oak, bourbon, and dark fruits. Tastes of oak, bourbon, dark fruits, vanilla, and brown sugar. Soft body.

On tap at the West Chester location. Pours a lightly hazy brown with amber notes and a medium creamy off white head that laced. Aroma of vanilla, oak, bourbon, cereal grains, dark fruits and a malty sweetness. Flavor of the same with a bourbon present, vanilla, nuts and dark fruits. The Belgian yeast esters and candi sugar notes are still there, some maple, caramel and woodiness is present. Strong on the bourbon, but compliments the Quad nicely! Keep up the good work IH.

Poured a hazy brown purple color with a small ring of off white bubbles, that left light lacing onthe glass. Aroma of bourbon, dark fruits, vanilla, raisins, maple, charred wood, and brown sugar. Taste of raisins, light plum, molasses, vanilla oak, a bit of smoke, dried fruits, and a dry, bourbony / alcohol finish.

Pours dark mahogany with barely a trace of ruby peering through when held to a light. A half-inch head of beige quickly rose and fell, leaving behind a placid surface and zero lacework. Aromatics are a blend of bourbon and dark chocolate up front, with grape jam and dark fruit following through. Raisins, vanilla, and some woody notes step forward, but the bourbon and chocolate are unrelenting. On the thick side of medium bodied. Fairly chewy and tacky. Approaching the mouthfeel of a smaller Imperial Stout. Rich, dark chocolate and a blast of bourbon lead off the pallet. Dark rum, raisins, grape jam, caramel, and vanilla rise up. A faint note of orange marmalade struggles to peer through the chocolate and bourbon. Finishes with lingering boozy bourbon, bitter chocolate, and dark rum-soaked raisins. Wowza, great beer. Very different from Iron Hill’s regular quad. Thicker and quite chocolaty, and of course the bourbon.

BCTC 2008. Muddy dark copper brown pour, still, with little to no head. Strong nose, first notes of medium-sweet bourbon, tannic wood, some creamy, bready malts, the nose actually reminds me of Fred from the Wood, with a touch of old citrus fruits. Big, sticky, alcoholic, but the sweetness is thankfully tempered by a meaty maple and bacon (otherwise known as baple-macon) flavor. Finishes with notes of nuts, dry wood and semi-sweet, leathery bourbon. Quite nice.

Two items of note: I put this under the West Chester location due to the fact that the other Iron Hill beers at BCTC (Heywood, Cannibalistic, etc.) were listed here; also, this is specifically a different version of the Quadfather from the Oak Aged Quad, which is simply oak barrel-aged (non-bourbon). Latter point was confirmed with the reps at the event. Draft @ BCTC. Pours a murky, oily golden-brown color; thin light tan head. Loads of soft, sweet bourbon, dark fruits, butter, and toasty vanilla in the aroma; minimal alcohol. Full mouthfeel: sweet, chewy bourbon, dried dark fruits, toasty barrel and vanilla presence; really nice, soft, generous barrel character; relaxed carbonation; chewy, dense, sticky sweet bourbon character; dense and very enjoyable beer. Lengthy finish: sweet bourbon, toasty malts, and loads of dried dark fruits; lasting sweetness, but not overly sticky.