Valley Brew Decadence 12 Cuvee Speciale

Brewed by Valley Brewing Company
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Stockton, California USA

Thanks Jason for sharing this. The beer pours to a reddish orange body with a thin ring of white head. The aroma is caramel and cereal. Light aroma but good. The flavor is extremely caramelized. Think Kraft caramel singles you might get during Halloween. Liquid caramel. Subtle apple pie and clean cereals. The palate is extremely caramelized. Rich creamy and full palate. The palate makes this beer. Subtle yeasts in this one. I simply don’t think it’s a quad.

Many thanks to Steve for the bomber! Poured brilliant, clear copper with just a ring of beige.. loved the color, though. The aroma picked up deep, rich brandy paired with aged caramel, plums, and toffee.. deep and seductive with a warming sensation.. great use of the barrel here. The flavor was brandy-fueled (and a very fine one at that!) with vinous notes and vanilla playing well in there.. drawn caramel, aged toffee, and more vinous notes on the back.. very memorable finish. Heavier-bodied with just enough carbonation on the palate (definitely more that another bottle or two that I heard of).. alcohol was never rough, but this warmed the belly nicely. Great brew!

22 oz bottle consumed on 5/25/08 thanks to pantanap for this one. Pours a hazed brown orange with no head. Aged malts in the nose with raisin bran, the smell of a vitamin bottle, and oxidized malts. Sweet raisins, grainy malts, and brandy notes. Overly sweet and overly boozy. Not bad, but not especially my cup ’a beer.

Courtesy SoLan. Pours a hazy maroon color with a small off white head that fades quickly. The nose shows hints of caramel, toffee, vanilla, and butterscotch. The flavor follows the same lines with caramel soaked apples, vanilla, and butterscotch all playing dominant roles here. The brandy barrel did wonders for this one. The brandy, candied sugar, and vanilla gave this a nice sweet taste and masked the alcohol beautifully. The body was medium-full with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel that led to a sweet and warm caramel apple finish. This is one well crafted beer and I hope I get to try it again sometime.

Courtesy SoLan. Pours mostly clear, darkly brazen color with minimal, swirly, off-white foam at the surface. Virtually no lacing noted. Aromatics are strong and inviting, with gobs of caramel and toffee showing obvious signs of their long and luxurious bath in the brandy barrel. Notes of rich butterscotch meet warm candied apples and vanilla. Flavors again display buttery, caramelized richness honed in by the apple brandy and oaky vanilla. Were it a touch hoppier, I’d call in a barley wine. Medium-full bodied, lightly carbonated, and slightly syrupy on the finish. Overall, a very, very good beer.

Thanks SoLan!!! Poured a beautiful deep, burnished bronzish color. Aroma is a melange of sweet, dark fruits, vanlla, brandy, oak, brown sugar, figs, caramel, even a touch of nougat. The flavor is as bold and amazing as the aroma, with the 13% being so well hidden. Absolutely a masterpiece.

Rating # 500! Sampled some of this divine concoction at the Real Ale Festival at Pizza Port Carlsbad on 6/13. Generously provided by wetherel and WeeHeavySD, thanks a ton you guys! Handbottled. This was a definite highlight of the evening. Probably more like an ultra-soothing aperitif than a beer. The nose is fantastic! Sweet candy sugar and butterscotch toffee with lots of vanilla and caramel malts. Slight nuances of sweet prunes, tannins and just a hint of almond. Deep amber color with no head or carbonation, but a barrel-aged beer like this doesn’t need any. Chewy flavor that is crammed with complex oak, brandy and sweet sugary tones. Extremely smooth, elegant palate that does not deviate from the flavor. Long-lasting warm liqueur finish that is dialed in just right. Wow.

handbottled from rodger. Smooooth. Huge aroma of pecans and walnuts. Malty flavor with a smooth, nutty finish. Reminds me of caramel and pralines. Excellent!