Valley Brew Decadence 12

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

Growler. Slightly hazy amber golden with a small, creamy off-white head. Aroma of caramel, fruit and licorice. Quite full-bodied, sweetish fruit - also overripe fruit - and caramel. Absolutely no bitterness. A bit on the sweet side. 110709

From growler, RBSG2009. Pours hazy dark red to light brown with a small white head. Fruity and mild malty aroma. Sweet and fruity flavoured. Light bitter too Sweet and yeasty fruity finish. Light acidic to phenolic note coming through. Phenolic and roasted flavoured finish.

Date: 06/09/2007
Mode: Hand Bottled
Source: Tasting, Noog 3D

clear dark amber, headless, sweet hot dark caramel aroma, lots of sweet caramel malt flavor, touch of alcohol,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Slightly hazy amber. Medium head. Slightly peachy, orangey aroma. Sweet, well-balanced. Peach, pear fruitiness with brave candy notes that manage not to be cloying. Fun brew.

(Bottle) Pours a clear deep copper body with a spare off-white head. Aroma of tangerine/apricot, candi sugar, and dried mandarin orange. Flavor of orange, peaches, watered down rum, caramel, some honey, and golden raisins with a warming alcohol presence.

12oz bottle. Poured a deeper orangish color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of fruitiness, yeasty, musty, dark fruits, and caramel. Tastes of dark fruits (lots of raisins and prunes), caramel, brown sugar, and toffee. Medium alcohol burn in the finish. Light lacing left on the glass.

Strong munich malts outburst is toasty and richly sugary (candi sugar). In the glass, the liquid is of a nice caramel colour, slightly glowing, but failing to raise a firm head. While it is warm indeed, the 12% remains wll concealed. Like the other Valley belgianesque beer that I’ve had (their tripel), you can feel a lot of residual sugars in there, it certainly is not as attenuated as trappist ales and does not quite reach the same ample mouthfeel than most great examples. The carbonation stays timed and lacking a bit in confidence. No hops noticeable, but a generous dose of caramel, vanilla, highly fruity (grapes), toasty malty nuances. The yeastiness is limited to enhancing the bready profile and this might be what makes it less complex than many ales of similar caliber. Nevertheless, I found it rather fun to drink. it is a rather clean strong dark yeasty, caramelly ale.

Bottle courtesy of aspidites sampled on 9/15/07: Pours a transparent amber copper with a wispy-lacing off-white head. Aroma of toasty, doughy Belgian malt and some dark caramel sweetness. Body starts fairly full and caramely malty sweet with good light fruity complexity and a touch of clove spice. Enjoyable and well-balanced toward a doughy sweet, slightly warming finish. A nice quadrupel.