Weyerbacher Quad

Brewed by Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Easton, Pennsylvania USA

Tosa Tasting - June 24, 2006

This had been on my want list for a while. After having it, I’m not sure I wouldn’t mind another bottle but only after laying it down for a while. I have no idea the age of the one that was opened but it was pretty hot even for a Belgian quad. Still, if the alcohol had time to settle down this would be a nicely balanced beer.

Aroma / Appearance - A tart combination of caramel, toffee, cherries and honey greeted my nose. The wonderfully dense caramel brown body had a weak head which barely covered the top before dying down. It left no trace of having ever existed, swallowed by the rich liquid.

Flavor / Palate - The first thing to hit my overwhelmed senses was hot alcohol. I began to wonder if this was a quad or some form of colored spirits until the sensation finally subsided. Only then was I able to detect a sweet honey flavor mixed with caramel, toffee, cherries, grapefruit and very subtle malts and hops. If only the alcohol didn’t burn so much this would be far more enjoyable. Still, if you are out of antiseptic, try using this instead. It might be able to sterilize the wound and leave you smelling good.

Pours a light amber color, small white head. Aroma is light and spicy, apples and cherries and very pleasent to the schnozz. Flavor is also very well balanced, offensive in no way. Also hides its alcohol very well.

Bottle - Pours reddish-copper color with very thin off-white head and not much lacing. Aroma is sweet with brown sugar, malt, dark fruits. Palate is medium in body and fairly smooth. Upfront taste is sweet and malty with notes of molasses and brown sugar, also some sweet banana tastes. Follow through adds some bittersweet dried fruit notes of raisins and plums. Aftertaste is still sweet, but balanced out with some citrusy notes and a good alcohol warming on the way down. Overall, this is an excellent complex beer with a lot of flavor. I haven’t had many Quads yet, but this one is quite tasty and drinks like a lighter port.

I have NEVER tasted anything this good. Except the kiss of a beautiful woman. Which is the best way to describe this phenominal beer. It’s smell is spicy, with a hint of alchohol. It has a rich, beautiful amber color. It has a taste reminiscent of apple cider, but better, all-spice hints, and a bitter bite at the end, with a beautiful yeasty aftertaste.

Bottle. Pours a clear dark golden-orange with a huge lasting off-white head. Aroma of Belgian yeast, citrus, banana, spices and sugar. Sweet malty flavour with some yeast, sugar, fruit and quite a bit of alcohol. Medium bodied. This is O.K. but it’s somewhat one-dimensional -- it’s a little too sweet and boozy for my liking.

Pours a nice copper with small tan head. Aroma is bananas, plums. Sugary, syrupy. Very malty. Strong alcohol presence. Dry, sweet finish with some bitterness.

Bottled Vintage 2002:Brownihs coloured. Uncleaer. Light brown head. Fruity arorma. alcoholdense with prunes. Flavour is sweet marzipanny, with notes of prunes, plums some chocolate, light spices and loads of alcohol. Is wellbalanced and has a full body. Is warming and light dry. Ends on a chocolatish alcoholdense note. Seems to be a bit past its prime. Thanks to Probiere for trading me this.

Poured a nice amber-brown color with a small head. The aroma was spicey and malty. The flavor was a bit too sweet with some light caramel malts detectable, some spices (almost like an oktobefest class of spicing), and a sweet finish (some doughiness in there).