Ovila Quad - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark amber in color with a khaki head. Smells of toffee and bread with a bit of brown sugar. A little bit of dark fruit and maybe even some yeast. Heavy on the dark fruit, brown sugar, and toffee flavors. There’s some bready malt and toasted malts. A bit of yeast and maybe some molasses. Medium body and carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 19:56:30 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Rick's in Alexandria. Served in a wine glass.

Pours a moderate brown color with a good light tan head. Nice lacing on the way down and a thin cap throughout. The nose carries some dark fruits and a bit of malt sweetness. Not too much there. The flavor carries Belgian yeast, but is a bit muted without much complexity. Medium body with a smooth finish. Pretty good, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 20:38:59 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

3.55/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to FosterJM for sharing this one at MrHirschybar's place!

Pours a clear dark brown with a tan head that fades to wisps on film on the top of the beer. Small dots of lace stick to the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, and some dark fruits. Taste is pretty much the same but it's a bit muddled. There is an alcohol burn with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good quad but it's slightly watery and muddled in my opinion.

Serving type: growler

01-22-2012 22:29:46 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: The bottle opens with a huge "pop" and pours a cola color with quite a head; the retention is decent and a few dots of lace linger in the chalice

Smell: Caramel, spicy Belgian yeast, raisin and date elements; perhaps a trace of cinnamon

Taste: Fruit forward, with raisin and date flavors presenting the dark fruits and pears adding a light fruit character; at mid-palate, the fruits are joined by spicy Belgian yeast elements; after the swallow, the caramel makes a brief appearance, with the finish comprising the fruity flavors found at the outset

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body, with a creamy character; moderate carbonation

Overall: A pretty darn good stab at a Quad for an American brewery; not cloying and though it lacks some complexity, it is really rather nice

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 01:47:47 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle - $9.49 at Olde Crabapple Bottle Shoppe in Alpharetta, Georgia. A pleasing package with a quality cork and cage yielding a good 'pop' upon opening.

Appearance: Pours a dark burgundy body with a medium-to-tall, off-white head, though it soon settles back down.

Smell: Finely spicy, sweet-scented, pungently fruity nose with malty touches of bread crust and semi-sweet chocolate. A delightfully harmonious mix of aromas present.

Taste: Deeply toasty, modestly chocolaty malts with a small inkling of roast enveloped by broad fruit flavors ranging from sweet cherries to prunes to figs back to ever-so-slightly tart cherries. Dark brown sugar stirred up with spices. Picks up a bit more sugared sweetness into the mid-point, also a hint of aniseed. The alcohol, while warming (and, thankfully, never hot), helps to dry things out approaching the malty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium-high carbonation keeping things moving well enough along the palate.

Overall: A fine big Belgian-style brew all around. I had the Stone 11.11.11., and there was a big, Belgian-esque beer I struggled through, comparatively, Ovila Quad was one that came together very nicely and, though big and bold itself, was a relatively ease to finish off.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 20:59:54 | More by ChainGangGuy

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sierra Nevada's thrid installment of their Trappist-influenced ales reveal much the same as the previous two: A firm and well constructed ale that's slightly over malted and quite conservative and clean for the style.

Quad pours with a weighted appearance of brown, burgundy, and garnet and perhaps a mild haze. A dense froathy head caps the beer with lightly tanned foam, good retention for half the session, and mild lace.

Flavors and aromas of heavy and sweet malt reveal flavors of brown sugar, molasses, plumbs, grapes, walnut, and raison. Only moderate carbonation keeps the sugary weight sitting on the tongue and provides a near cola-like flavor. Lingering sweetness prevents the dry malt character that classic Belgian varieties provide. A mild spicy bite of black peppercorn and moderate alcohol head help to dry the finish, but only to a moderate degree.

Ovila Saison is a very clean Quad, but it certainly lacks the depth of flavor, texture, complexity, and dryness of even average authentic Belgian varieties. However, it seems on par with most American attempts to the style as they are very simplistic and mundane.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 17:21:14 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice aan amber infused deep chesnut brown with a sticky light tannish colored head atop.a very complex and appetizing nose with dark candied fruit,toasty bread,deep brown sugar,and spiced phenols in the nose,very well rounded with not one element dominating.Flavors of candied dark fruit and yeasty spiced phenols dominate,it's not overly sweet as the alcohol is not overly big, and it has a nice bready malt base.A real nice quad wich is my favorite "Belgian" style,alot going on but in good balance.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 20:44:26 | More by oberon

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Mugs Alehouse, Brooklyn, NY

A: The beer is dark reddish amber in color. It poured with a thin off white head that left lacing on the surface and a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are sweet aromas in the nose along with notes of Belgian yeast.
T: The taste is quite malty with notes of sweetness, caramel and dark fruits.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer makes for a good sipper because the alcohol is well masked from the taste.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2011 00:31:56 | More by metter98

WesWes

New York

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a translucent dark brown/burgundy color with a thick frothy off-white head that fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a rich caramel nose with hints of dark fruit and warm alcohol. It's dry with a touch of roasted character and wonderful fig aroma. The taste is good as well. It has a smooth roasted malt and caramel flavor along with good deal of Belgian yeast fruitiness and a bit of alcohol warmth in the finish. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate/good carbonation. This is a tasty beer that's not overly complex, but drinks well; another solid offering from Sierra Nevada's newest collaboration.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 22:54:59 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark, clear brown color with a large tan head. The aroma is full of dark fruit and candy sugar. I get a lot of prunes and dark cherries, as well as quite a bit of sweetness from the sugar. The flavor is similar. I get a lot of cherry, raisins, prunes and grape notes, as well as some toffee malt and a lot of candy sugar. There is also a Belgian yeast component in the flavor which goes well with the other flavors. The alcohol is noticeable and is warming. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A nice, easy to drink American-made quad.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 05:27:58 | More by Mora2000

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 11/13/2011 at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark reddish brown color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains Belgian yeast, dark fruit, caramelized malts and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of dark fruit, brown sugar and chocolate. Then there is some breadiness that comes in from the Belgian yeast and a hearty malt character. The hops presence is mild but complementary and provides a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, slightly filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a decent strong Belgian-style beer to drink for a while.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2011 19:54:53 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was the one I anticipated the most out of the entire Ovila series. It met my expectations nicely I think. The beer poured out as a deep mahogany color that in low light almost looks black. The head is a very light tan color. The retention isn't too bad here, not much lacing though. The smell of the beer is sweet with some maple like aromas along with some dark sugary fruits. The taste of the beer is very nice also as it follows the same lines as the smell. The mouthfeel of this beer is very smooth with a nice medium body to it. Overall this beer was enjoyable in my opinion. I would drink it again in the future and I would choose it way before the the Saison and Dubbel from this series.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 22:18:32 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.55/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had a chance to try this on tap in NC back in December, but passed to drink some more Olde Hickory Event Horizon

Pours mahogany with a thin tan head. Faint head retention & lacing

S: Dark fruit & woody notes

TL Follows the nose, much figgynes & dryness, a a bit of carob up front. Some oaky notes along with boozey plum once warm, along with jammy notes, just a touch of treacle as well. Finishes with dryness, slight leafy hops & plums & just a little too much dryness for me

MF: Medium bodied, slick with subtle carbonation, warming

Not a bad quad, this one could stand a year or two of aging. Just too dry for me right now

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 05:38:40 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle, opens with a big Champagne like pop,

A: Pours a dark brown with a medium off-white head, some spotty lace, not real sticky.

S: Raisins, dark fruit for sure. Malt heavy.

T: Rich dark malt flavour with that classic play of raisins, dates, mission fig especially, a medley of dried fruit.

M: Medium to full-bodied. Soft elegant carbonation which I love in American made Belgian-style beer. A tad cloying at the end which is rough, but a lot better than I get with a ton of American examples.

O: This is good stuff. A tad cloying as I said but I think that will go away with 2-3 years of aging. I've always love the soft mouthfeel, true Belgian feel of these Ovila beers. The Dubbel was the best of the 3, this may be the 'worst' of the 3, but it's still in the upper echelon of American quads easy. When I say the worst of the 3 it's in pretty good company. This is good beer, simple as that. I'd love to see where it goes.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 06:45:21 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a dark brown color with a short 1/4" head that falls apart quickly.

Smell: loads of malt and fruit sweetness, and a hint of alcohol.

Taste: nice maltiness up front. Molasses, brown sugar, prunes, a hint of spiciness, yeast,and a decent bitterness round it out. Alcohol is mildly noticeable.

Mouthfeel: heavy in body. Light crispness to start, smooth and velvety at the finish. Long lasting aftertaste.

Overall: a very enjoyable quad that has a nice depth of flavor. It was very easy to enjoy the large bottle in one session in a shorter than usual timeframe for the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 20:59:12 | More by Gavage

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep ruby brown hue with dark amber highlights when held toward the light, beautiful appearance. Light beige head forms silky and smooth above the dark nicely carbonated body fine bubbled, true Belgian style fermentation. Aroma has dark fruits with ripened tart apples, pretty solid nose, dark caramelized sugars are petty tasty. Flavor is sweet upfront sugar coated malt driven flavors with plums, tart apples, and a dry nutty Belgian yeast finish. Alcohol is apparent with the flavor and mouthfeel leaving a bit of warmth on the palate bewteen sips, fuller bodied Belgian ale with a healthy malt bill. Overall a decent quadrupel that will get better with age, keeps things more balanced than most quads out there but it also has a nice aging potential.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 21:12:30 | More by WVbeergeek

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep ruby/mahogany color with about a fingers worth of head that quickly fizzles down to nothing

S: Grapes, some light fig, prune and raisin with a light booziness to it

T: Starts with with a nice Belgian candy sugar sweetness with dark fruits, mainly grapes with a nice light but announced booze sting. Some nuances of figs and plums, light raisin. Not a lot of residual sweetness and sugar which is what I find in a lot of AMerican versions.

M: Full bodied, not overly sweet on this Quad and that is what I dig. Good carbonation, good flavor left on the palate

O: Very good, rather easy to drink for a Quad

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2012 00:47:41 | More by barleywinefiend

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.71/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly darker colored fizzy small head that fades semi quickly, no lacing, very dark mahogany cola colored with hints if ruby light barely sneaking through.

Nose brings plenty of phenols and esters, fruity plum skin, the esters and phenols from the yeast and some phenolic booze come out strong, some sweet candi sugar, earthy tannic molasses, caramelized biscuits, a hint if a cherry with the plum fruit.

Taste brings fruits, dark plum and again hint if cherry juice, plenty of esters again and phenolic booze, light chemically flavor from the phenols and plenty of warming tingly booze. Candi sugar and syrup, light toasted biscuit, caramelized brown sugar, chewy malt. Hint of chewy earthy hop but barely. tannic plum skin and little fig. Finish is still fairly sweet and sticky syrupy, lingering plum skin, chewy malt, phenolic booze, light chemical like and candi sugar.

Mouth is med to fuller bod, sticky syrupy, decent carb, plenty of warming tingly booze.

Overall not bad but def needs a couple years to mellow and for the phenolic chemical thing to drop out.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:01:39 | More by jlindros

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a two finger khaki head that fades quickly leaving traces of lace. Opaque brown color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Dark fruit and alcohol nose and flavor is malty raisin, caramel and some alcohol. $10.99 for a 750ml bottle from Julio's Liquors Westborough, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 22:12:23 | More by jdhilt

mdfb79

New York

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 12/17/11 notes. Had on tap at Rustico in Ballston, VA.

a - Pours a dark mahogany brown color with one inch of light tan head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of cherries, oak, sherry, dark fruits, and bready malts. Lots of cherries, very nice.

t - Tastes of cherries, sweet dark fruits, oak, sherry, alcohol, bready malts, and toasted malts. Taste is quite sweet, and a little more alcohol comes out than in the nose. A tiny step down.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

o - Overall this is a pretty nice quad. Loads of cherries and sweet dark fruits in the nose and taste. A beer I'd have again, and probably my favorite of the "Ovila" beers SN has done so far.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 17:38:26 | More by mdfb79

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at TJ's, Paoli, PA

It's not often I get an urge to spend $15-20 on a bottle of Sierra, so I was glad to see this on tap so I could copt a sampling before it disappears. Poured a mahogany brown color with a small cap of off-white head that retained as a ringlet. Aroma of sweet malts, caramel, dried fruits. Taste of caramel malts, brown sugar, raisins, organic, with an apparent yeastiness, and an obvious hit of alcohol up front that mellowed out decently by mid-palate. Medium body, pretty smooth once you get past the initial alcohol bite. Not the best quad you'll ever have, but still pretty good overall.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 12:11:15 | More by Rifugium

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown and opaque with plum/mahogany edges and a two finger light beige head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Streaks of soapy lacing left behind.

spicy, vinous aroma with lots of estery dark fruit notes and slightly roasted malt.  Slightly medicinal with hints of pepper, plum, raisin, dark cherry and other berries.  Faint caramel malt.

Medium bodied and fuller than expected with a nice balance of zesty spice, sweet and dark fruit and slightly roasted malt. Hints of pepper and clove followed by sweet vinous fruit especially grape, plum, raisin and dark cherry.  More prominent malt character than expected with some caramel, toffee and chocolate.  Subtle alcohol and rye spiciness in finish. Well balanced wih an excellently masked Abv making it deceptively drinkable.  Realy nice.  Wasn't into the dubble but this was very good.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2012 19:42:35 | More by corby112

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's.

The beer pours a fairly dark, ice tea brown color with good head retention and a decent amount of lacing. The nose is indeed reminiscent of a Beglian quad, showcasing brown sugar, sweet ice tea, light cherry and a hint of ginger. The flavor profile replicates the nose almost exactly in this fairly sweet beer, though I thought the mouthfeel a bit thin for the style and abv.

This is a tasty beer, no doubt, but as others have mentioned, the flavor profile is kind of simple and one dimensional. It's tasty enough, but I doubt I'd order it over an actual Belgian quad, unless it was a lot, lot cheaper (which I suspect, is unlikely).

... let the beer warm up a bit (the beer was pretty cold when I first got it), and it really didn't help. Oh well...

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2012 21:33:36 | More by johnmichaelsen

DoubleJ

California

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I've gained much respect for the Ovila series so far, thus increasing my anticipation for the Quad, which will slowly decant from the bottle. 750 ml from a lovely corked and caged bottle. On to the beer:

There's no denying that as it sits in a Duvel tulip, it looks very sexy. The body looks like polished obsidian, and the beige two-finger thick head adds a little extra oomph, especially since it doesn't look like it's going down easy. The nose is soft, but quite tempting. Sugared and buttered pears, ripe flesh of assorted fruits, and even a hint of chocolate pudding.

I must say this is delicious. The overall flavor is well constructed, well balanced, and there is just a little fusel of alcohol interfering with this nectar. Asnwering the call are notes of candi sugar at the begining, followed by getnle waves of buttered pears. Additional gentler notes include red grape, semi-sweet chocolate, and a soft snap of pepper. Its body is insanely creamy and just as smooth. It's almost milkshake-like in that quality. The alcohol is pleasant, as it intially warms the throat and then my tummy. The entire process repeats itself over and over, and quickly, becuase this one is very easy to drink.

A masterpiece. That is all. Now to remind myself to pick up another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 06:53:45 | More by DoubleJ

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dense black in the chalice is topped off by a generous helping of frumpy khaki head that maintains its position well for quite some time. A heavy shower of effervesce is evident upon backlighting. Nice presentation.

S: Dark caramelized raisins, dark fruit of plums with a touch of chocolate roast. Subtle offering.

T: Sweet caramelized malt, dark munich toastiness with some dark fruit highlights. Spicy licorice and alcohol is warming, yet gentle and inviting. Touches of chocolate roast, figs compliment and balance the malty sweetness of this big bodied drink. Plums and a fruitiness from the Belgian yeast has instances of pear and melons similar to their other ovila styles with some caramelized raisins.

M: Light-medium bodied by weight, a bit frothy and creamy with a warm alcohol presence and chocolate morning roast. Beautiful leave of alcohol with sweet malty rum barrel hints.

O: Very nice complexity and complimentary warming of alcohol and Belgian yeastiness supports a rich sweet malty palate. A good drink with a good cause.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 23:23:51 | More by beerthulhu