Barrel Aged Belgian Style Quad Ale - Brau Brothers Brewing Co. LLC

MasterSki

Illinois

3.99/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by thetomG. Served in a Half Acre taster glass.

A - Off-white foam settles to a thick collar, wisps, and minimal lacing. Transparent amber-brown body.

S - Lots of whiskey presence, with some wet oak, and sharp, phenolic, Belgian yeast underneath. Fairly low sweetness, with mild anise, and clove spiciness. Only faint notes of candi sugar and dark fruits in the periphery.

T - The taste reveals more of the latter flavors, with brown sugar, dark fruits, and mild caramel. Less overt whiskey and barrel character, with perhaps a touch of oaky vanilla. Yeast is more subdued here, and if I had nose plugs on I might have guessed this was a (Belgian?) barleywine from taste alone.

M - Very dry finish, but with some stickiness that lingers through. Medium-full body, with moderate-to-low carbonation, and a bit of alcohol warmth to it. Still, fairly tame for the listed 11.5%.

D - A solid brew that seems a bit schizophrenic between the smell and the taste. The latter is a tad off-style, but this was more enjoyable that most American-made quads. I've got another bottle of this around, so perhaps I can tease out the subtleties in a more controlled tasting environment.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 18:22:45 | More by MasterSki

morimech

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark, caramel color with barely one finger of head that slowly settled to a thick cap. Moderate amount of sticky lacing is left down the glass.

Very interesting aroma. A little too dominated by the rye whiskey but there is a vinous quality I like in my Belgian inspired beers. More subtle notes of bananas and vanilla.

Just like the aroma, the flavor is dominated by the whiskey. Not much Belgian gets through. Hints of caramel, raisins, dates, and vanilla. Surprising this is not overly hot with alcohol. There is warming and slight booze flavor, but not as much as I was expecting.

A body that feels like an 11 % ABV beer. Big and solid. Nice, smooth carbonation.

Too barrel dominated. Compared to Boulevard BBQ, this one is definately rougher around the edges and one noted. Not overly priced for a barrel-aged beer. Worth a try. May get another and see what some age does for it.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 18:19:30 | More by morimech

jera1350

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From Brau Bros. website:

Just as simple as the name implies! This beer spent months on some of our favorite barrels - used Templeton Rye Whiskey Barrels. That trademark caramel and vanilla come through strong, while mild belgian ale fruit waft in the background.

The same barrels that housed Rye Wyne previously. Coppery amber colored body with a short, yet dense head of creamy khaki foam christening the top.

The nose is absolutely mouthwatering. A rich malty sweetness is followed by an earthy and slightly tart smelling whiskey. Fruity with lots of banana coming through.

Absolutely delicious. Very complex and evolving flavor. Caramel sweetness followed by a mild tartness with vanilla and toffee coming to the forefront. Some fruit and bourbon notes with a bananas foster finish. Wonderful.

Lighter than a full body feel, lower carbonation. Smooth with a dry finish.

This is a really well done beer. The barrel aging is terrific and immediately drinkable. No need to age here as there is no boozy heat. The barrels compliment the taste right now and they both work harmoniously to create an excellent overall beer. Brau Bros. have done it right yet again. These guys are really dialing in some wonderful brews.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 04:12:49 | More by jera1350

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.

Pours a very nice hazy muddy caramel colored light brown with some golden hues on the edges. There is a nice dense half inch head that forms that is slightly off-white. The head is dense and creamy and slightly sticky.

Aroma is delicious. Slightly yeasty and spicy nose kicks things off. Very Belgian with some slight medicinal phenols. Then a nice sweet bourbon kick comes through with some nice molasses and slight vanilla and oaky hints. There is also a nice clove and banana note from the yeast that comes in with the bourbon notes.

Flavor starts off with the Belgian yeasty medicinal notes more common to Quads with some nice slight spice. Then the Bourbon comes in with some nice surprising heat and then the nice molasses and vanilla notes. The heat from the Bourbon is pretty intense but it is not too bothersome to me 'cuz I love bourbon but I can see how others might be turned off. There is a nice oaky note in the end that finishes the beer off along with the heat and a faint sweetness trying to cling on. Mouthfeel is nice and creamy with some good carbonation but a bit light for me.

Overall, this was a nice surprise. Good Belgian notes of yeast and some spice with good malt sweetness an some dark fruit notes that then get jacked up by some good whiskey sweetness, vanilla and heat.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 23:10:54 | More by JoEBoBpr

hardy008

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear dark mahogany, with a creamy one finger beige head, with nice retention and lacing. The aroma has caramel malt, dark fruit, candy sugar, phenols, whiskey, and a little Belgian yeast.

The taste is sweet and the alcohol is noticeable. There is caramel malt, dark fruit, candy sugar, whiskey, oak, vanilla, anda little Belgian yeast. The alcohol is warming, and not burning. I wish that the alcohol was hidden a little bit better, and I wish this beer wasn't so sweet. It also has too many of the Belgian qualities hidden by the whiskey. Still has a nice taste to it though.

Medium to full bodied with modest carbonation. Has a sticky sweet feeling in the mouth. A nice effort from Brau Brothers. with a little tweaking, this could be a really nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 03:10:38 | More by hardy008

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

No freshness dating.

A= Pours a dark hazy brown color with a thick half finger of head that holds steady retention and lacing on the side of the glass. Solid lacing also comes through.

S= It smells like bananas at at distance for sure. Sticking my nose in there there is a heavy barrel character that comes through without being overly boozy barrel character. Loads of vanilla and oak coming through as well as some nice quad notes. Belgian candy sugar and some dark fruit notes.

T= The taste is very smooth. It doesn't taste anywhere near 11.5% abv. There is a nice barrel flavor as the nose leads on. Lots of vanilla and caramel in the nose with some great oak. The quad takes a sort of following role with a nice supporting dark fruit and toffee notes. Really tasty.

M= Well carbonated. Most quads are a little high for me but this one keeps it on track.

O= This beer should be talked about more. This is quite amazing. A very very drinkable quad aged in some awesome barrels that come through nicely. Check this beer out if you can. I'm glad I bought several bottles.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 04:05:54 | More by jjanega08

Treebs

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml waxed bottle served in a Southern tier tulip. Thanks to supercolter for the beer.

A: Pours a hazy brown color with a light khaki head. It recedes quickly to a thin fizzy head. Some splotchy lace is left down the glass.

S: Some tobacco and dark fruit flavors with a little kick of whiskey. Roasted malts with an underlying brown sugar sweetness.

T: Lots of sugary sweetness and dark fruit flavors. Some leather with the fruity Belgian yeast. Whiskey bite with some oak.

M: Medium bodied with a medium carbonation level. The finish is a little boozy, but not hot.

O: This was a solid BA quad. The booze was noticeable, but it wasn't hot and didn't detract from the overall flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 18:02:30 | More by Treebs

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 750 ml bottle into a Surly Darkness Chalice.

Appearance: Pours a deep brownish amber with some hints of ruby red. Moderate amount of bubbles and about one finger of off white head that quickly fades away. Moderate lacing is left on the glass.

Smell: The barrel really comes through with big hints of whiskey along with oak, wood, and vanilla. Sweet toasted malts with lots of caramel, toffee, and burnt candied sugars. Rye and clove spices. Fruity esters of banana and apple. Dark raisin, fig, prune, plum, and dates. Even a tiny hint of roast chocolate. Pretty whiskey forward aroma.

Taste: In the taste the barrel elements are still strong but considerably more balanced and smooth. Taste of rye whiskey with wood, oak, and vanilla. Some candied sugar and clove spice. Sweet and bready malts with big notes of caramel, toffee, and biscuit. Some fruits including banana, apple, and a little pear. Dark fruits including raisin, dates, plum, and prune. Light earthy hop presence. Very complex and good taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy body with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, slick, and somewhat syrupy. Smoother than expected and the alcohol is hidden fairly well.

Overall: A really good take on a Belgian Quad. The barrel adds a nice kick and isn't overwhelming in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 01:12:08 | More by MattyG85

yamar68

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bright, clear mahogany/ruby with a finger of off white head that doesn't last, fading into a thin collar that laces nicely.

Curiously reminiscent of their Rye Wyne. I'm guessing these were the barrels that had already been used to age that beer? A bit more heat on this one. Some dates or raisins.

Again, the flavors are hardly indicative of a Belgian quad. Loads of tart/spicy rye and sweet syrups. A ton of caramel/vanilla, even some toffee. Pretty weird I think. I love the idea of filling the old Rye Wyne barrels with a good quad but either that idea sounds better on paper or this quad was kind of a miss to begin with. I'm intrigued enough though to give this another shot sometime down the road.

Give it a shot if you're curious.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 00:07:46 | More by yamar68

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 750ml waxed dipped bottle into Globe glass.

A. Pours 2 fingers of head. Decent lacing. A quick desolve of most of the head leaves about a centimeter of collar. Color is dark amber brown.

S. Yeast, whiskey, caramel, some dark fruits. As it warms has some nice bourbon barrel aroma, vanilla, oak. Pretty sweet malt smell lying beneath the pretty powerful rye smell.

T. Taste is good. Quite a bit of traditional quad flavors, sweet malt, dark fruit, candied sugar. Get some nice barrel aged characteristics as well. Has an oaky, woody finish on the tongue. The bourbon flavors are not overpowering at all, but definitely enhances the beer. Honestly I get a pretty amazing combination of dark fruit mixed with an oaky vanilla.

M. Medium/full bodied. Medium/low carbonation. Finishes a little sweet.

O. I had my doubts coming into this, but overall I am happy . I would have like to try the base quad beer before having this, but overall I am pretty impressed with the flavor of this. I am pretty surprised at the lower reviews this has got.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:07:35 | More by siradmiralnelson

mwilbur

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 750 mL wax-sealed bottle into snifter.
A: Pours a murky medium-brown with 1/4 inch tan head that quickly recedes. Looks a bit on the light side.
S: Dark dried fruit, sweel caramel malt, whiskey, vanilla, and a hint of cola. Good, but lacking that belgian quality.
T: This is where the wheels come off...whiskey and alcohol notes are too powerful. Complete lack of belgian (yeast) qualities. Muddled caramel malt and dark dried fruit.
M: Thin and watery for style. Overly sweet. Moderate alcohol burn.
D: Not one I'd recommend. To be fair, I like the direction Brau Brothers is heading in...more inventive and more styles...and much better than where they were a couple years ago.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 04:03:12 | More by mwilbur

deebo

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-a clear brew with a amber/copper color with a weak light tan head that laces
S-smell of whiskey is huge. Overpowers any of that delightful quad that might be in there. The rest of this beer smells barley wine-ish
T-whiskey is dominant. Malts are sweet
M-fairly high carbonated light bodied for a quad. Alcohol is well hidden
O-I wouldn't consider this a quad. The whiskey is intense but it is obviously high quality. Smooth and clean. An interesting beer

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 04:29:21 | More by deebo

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Tulip Glass

Appearance - Dark Brown and mildly hazy with a few carbonation bubbles cllinging to the sides. Pours a 1 1/2 finger dirty white head that disappears after about a minute. It does leave behind some lacing along the sides.

Smell - Plums, Figs, Caramel, Oak, Rye, Malts, and Hefe-Cloves. Since the barrels which the brewers used used to age this Quad was used to also age their Rye Wyne, you can sense the rye aspect quite clearly along with the strong oak scent.

Taste - Caramel, Plums, Chocolate, Oak, Yeasts, and Malts. Very rich flavors, but at the very end there is a noticeable booziness that makes up the finish, throwing the flavor off balance somewhat.

Mouthfeel - Fairly thick bodied with some moderate carbonation. Thanks to the thickness of the body itself, the carbonation does not interfere with the flavor itself.

Overall - This is a Solid Quad considering the size of the brewery. The flavor could've been a little more balanced, but aside from that I enjoyed this quite a bit!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 14:38:27 | More by NuclearDolphin

Herky21

Iowa

4.49/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Cloudy light brown colored beer.

Smell: Banana, slight clove, dark fruit and tobacco.

Taste: Lots of dark fruit and banana. There is a little raisin, sweet and pungent fruit.

Mouthfeel: light, fairly thin bodied - dry finish, low carbonation.

Overall: a fantastic quad with a sweet, sticky side that is pretty dried out. The beer has a good finish and the tannins from the wood contribute a good flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 01:26:14 | More by Herky21

Joshtoman

4.73/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lots of things going on in this beer! Very good! It has a hit of sour not overpowering at all. This is my 1st belgian quad, so not really a beer to compare 2. I would definatly recommend this if your able to find it. Got mine at chicago liquor in minneapolis mn. Big thanks to the brewer!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 19:31:15 | More by Joshtoman