New Glarus Unplugged Belgian Quadruple

Formerly brewed at New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

Bottle. Belgian candi sugar, fruity nose. Some allspice. Hazy, reddish copper body. Large, yellowish off-white head. Lasting. Plumes of carbonation rise from the bottom of the glass. Excellent lace. Sweet and alcoholic. Belgian character, although an American bent is fairly evident. Well made. Plenty of flavor. Very tasty, not cloying. This is not an extraordinary example of the style, but it is an excellent beer in its own right.

Thanks for the brew tangfoot. Pours a clear medium amber, looks freaking good. Head dissipates pretty quick. Strong flavors in this one. Fruits, with a nice tart finish. Great brew.

Bottle (Thaks Ughsmash). Pours a slightly hazy copper/amber color with a medium sized head. Aromas of yeast, alcohol, some spices, slight sour funkiness and some fruits. Flavor is much the same, with alcohol becoming a little prevalent and the Brett coming into light. A bit on the hot side, but still tasty.

One of the better beers of the series if you understand this is NOT a classic quad. If you’re thinking of this only as a typical quad, I can see how you’d rate this lower. However, if you’re familiar with what Dan’s been doing lately, you’d understand his direction with this beer and what he’s trying to accomplish. Not to be a Dan Carey apologist, as there as some slight flaws which detract from the overall quality, but an incredibly intriguing character helps to offset these. As for the beer itself, the color is quite deceiving and detracts slightly from the overall beer. Crystal clear from filtration that left no sediment behind......unfortunate. Lighter in color than I was expecting. However, this negative is slight in the subsequent tapestry of flavours which nest present themselves. Aroma that reminds me of the old Apple Ale. Nutmeg, cinnamon, apple cider. Light note of brett perfectly accented by hints of bourbon and oak. Creamy mouthfeel, residual sweetness and active carbonation that reminds one of a Belgian ale. Immediately after, a strong presence of cherry, bourbon and a pleasant tobacco/horse character from the brett. A slight warming on the finish that was just a touch hot. Then, the bourbon quickly becomes very assertive, but notes of vanilla remain. A little toasted oak peeps its head as well. I’d love to sit on this awhile and see what happens with the brett and bourbon, but worry about the amount of filtration which may have negatively impacted its ability to age properly. Overall, the slight mis-steps are more than offset by the intriguing complexities of flavour which are interwoven throughout this beer. A must try!

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry & biegaman -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a slightly hazy orange-bronze with a small diminishing creamy off-white head. Aroma’s yeasty, fruity and oaky along with some light spices and sourness. Sweet flavour of yeast, sweet malt, oak, dried fruit and spices -- so well balanced. Nice to have a beer that’s oak aged and done right, the flavour’s not ridiculously over-the-top with bourbon. Alcohol’s well hidden. Medium bodied, syrupy mouthfeel. Unique and interesting -- this is very good stuff!

Bottle from Ryan. Thanks. This is one I have wanted to try for a while, just never got around to trading for any of it. Pours out a light brown to almost red color. Smell is sweet and full of fruits, plums, and some hints of oak. Taste is sweet and somewhat spicy, no alcohol detected in this one. Yet another good one, this one sneaked up on me - I had no idea it was 11% abv. Good stuff, not in the leauge of the real quads, but certainly interesting and worth seeking out and trying. Good stuff

Lightly red and rosey orange with a soft glow and a good amount of carbonation percolating within. Smallish dense capping of off-white foam breathes for a bit before it fades to a soft skim and a few strecthes of inky stringed lacing. Aroma is slightly tinted in a sour cherry realm, light and fruity sweet, a touch of tin within the alcoholic warmth is quite evident. Taste is unique for a quad, a bit more fruity and light, then dark and malty with sweet candy. This has light fruity sweetness tied in with a quick punch of sourness which reaches into cherries, berries, pear, and apple. Rounds off nicely into the finish with a quiet build up of fruit skin dryness of green raisin, cherry, and pear. Uniquely heated with a complexing warmth to its nature. Kinda sherry-ish mixed with a white wine, mixed with a light lambic soured quality thats very easy to handle and not overbearing in any fashion. The malts play out well and keep a nice, sweet balance to measure off the soured tones. More like a fruit beer, but fitting within a Belgian quailty, no doubt. Feel is light to medium in tone to begin, lightly pucking on sour, quick, crisp, but somehow has a malty character that builds from underneath making it a fun voyage on the palate as it flows into the middle and finish. As with the flavors, the balance is quite acceptable with an overall malty solitude that’s noteably bold with a nice twist of sour and snap, crispness, and verve. The warmth is complexing and the dryness very light and pleasing. A nice little drinker for sure;slips down right quick. Perhaps, and yes, quite unusually suited to be catagorized as a Quad. It has a unique character all of owns that somehow speaks to the name New Glarus.

12 oz bottle via Monger (thanks!). Pours a hazy copper with a very alcoholic & fruity nose. Taste reminds me of a cross between a scotch ale and a Belgian Quad. Lots of fruity esters, spicey, medicinal alcohol finish..not hot, but medicinal. Full body, syrupy mouthfeel.