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4 Calling Birds
The Bruery
- From:
- The Bruery
- California, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #118 - ABV:
- 11%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #19,156 - Avg:
- 3.82 | pDev: 12.83%
- Reviews:
- 200
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 14, 2024
- Added:
- Oct 25, 2011
- Wants:
- 52
- Gots:
- 365
Spiced Strong Dark Ale. The Twelve Days of Christmas series continues! We took inspiration from the traditional winter warmer for our fourth verse, integrating gingerbread spices into a robust dark ale. Notes of licorice & banana bread mingle with dark fruit, molasses and bitter chocolate for a perfect cold weather sipper!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by sweemzander:
Reviewed by sweemzander from Illinois
4/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750mL bottle poured into a tulip.
(A)- Pours a very dark brown; almost black color. Produced a nice tan head. Some lace.
(S)- A rich body of a brown ale with cinnamon, spice, gingerbread, sweet potatoes, and subtle cocoa. Very festive.
(T)- Very similar to the smell. A rich, but festive profile full of roasted malts, spice, gingerbread, and cinnamon. Finishes with a smooth underlying sweetness.
(M)- A good carbonation level and balance to it. Smooth, but rich and malty.
(D)- Overall, a solid christmas ale. Better than some of the others in this lineup so far. Though, I do not see how this well get any better with time, let alone last 8 more years for the full "Vertical."
Feb 18, 2012(A)- Pours a very dark brown; almost black color. Produced a nice tan head. Some lace.
(S)- A rich body of a brown ale with cinnamon, spice, gingerbread, sweet potatoes, and subtle cocoa. Very festive.
(T)- Very similar to the smell. A rich, but festive profile full of roasted malts, spice, gingerbread, and cinnamon. Finishes with a smooth underlying sweetness.
(M)- A good carbonation level and balance to it. Smooth, but rich and malty.
(D)- Overall, a solid christmas ale. Better than some of the others in this lineup so far. Though, I do not see how this well get any better with time, let alone last 8 more years for the full "Vertical."
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by evanwoertz from California
4.7/5 rDev +23%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
4.7/5 rDev +23%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
picked up a bottle at TJ’s actually. i never go for the highest price point of The Bruery but in my opinion they’re the best in Orange County. i’m a sucker for holiday releases and this one is wonderful. dark, strong, spicy and aromatic. look and feel are on point with a dark and translucent toasted caramel color and a heavy mouth feel. still features some fruity notes like cherry and candied fruit which sit on top and are not too strong or off putting. boozy finish.
Mar 04, 2024Reviewed by teromous from Virginia
3.7/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.7/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
There doesn't appear to be a date code of any kind but this was purchased in 2023. From the front label "ALC. 11.1% BY VOL."
Appearance: It has a very dark brown body which is completely opaque. There is a slight hint of a reddish hue to the brown as well. It starts out with a light tan head which is medium in size when the beer is first poured but it quickly fades out to a thin film of bubbles and a narrow ring around the edge of the glass.
Aroma: It has a bit of a milk scent when away from the glass. Coming closer to the glass there is a bit of a banana note but it definitely has a noticeable Belgian yeast aroma. There is some bubblegum that surfaces as well. It has nice notes of Belgian yeast but it mostly focuses on banana and bubblegum.
Taste: A strong clove taste comes through up front. It has a bit of a plum character towards the middle with a hint of green apple. The beer has a very deep flavor profile which comes across as a bit like port wine and a dates, but not the sweetness of the dates. There is a bit of a charred note towards the back of the palate and there is a bit of a nutty character as well.
Mouthfeel: It is smooth with a somewhat full body. It feels full but the high alcohol seems to cut that thickness a bit, which balances out quite nicely. There is a light warming sensation from the alcohol which is pleasant, but it is important to note that despite the "ALC. 11.1% BY VOL." (as indicated on the front label) the beer is very easy to drink and the alcohol never stands out in any negative way.
Overall: The front label states that this is a "BELGIAN-STYLE DARK STRONG ALE WITH SPICES" and on the back it says this is made with "a festive blend of orange peel, allspice, nutmeg, and star anise." The beer does have a bit of a spicy character but it comes across more as clove than what was mentioned. That could be from the yeast though. It does have a bit of a fruity character which comes across as plum, date, and port wine. Again, the orange peel that was advertised doesn't really stand out. What the beer does have is a lot of Belgian Ale character from the yeast and most likely the malts.
Although the beer doesn't have a lot of spice character, the beer seems to work well as a whole. If you are into Belgian Dark Strong Ales or Belgian Ales in general it is likely that you will find this one enjoyable. I would drink it again and I would probably buy it again if I was looking for a quality BDSA. I would recommend it with the caveat that you shouldn't expect much spice.
Dec 27, 2023Appearance: It has a very dark brown body which is completely opaque. There is a slight hint of a reddish hue to the brown as well. It starts out with a light tan head which is medium in size when the beer is first poured but it quickly fades out to a thin film of bubbles and a narrow ring around the edge of the glass.
Aroma: It has a bit of a milk scent when away from the glass. Coming closer to the glass there is a bit of a banana note but it definitely has a noticeable Belgian yeast aroma. There is some bubblegum that surfaces as well. It has nice notes of Belgian yeast but it mostly focuses on banana and bubblegum.
Taste: A strong clove taste comes through up front. It has a bit of a plum character towards the middle with a hint of green apple. The beer has a very deep flavor profile which comes across as a bit like port wine and a dates, but not the sweetness of the dates. There is a bit of a charred note towards the back of the palate and there is a bit of a nutty character as well.
Mouthfeel: It is smooth with a somewhat full body. It feels full but the high alcohol seems to cut that thickness a bit, which balances out quite nicely. There is a light warming sensation from the alcohol which is pleasant, but it is important to note that despite the "ALC. 11.1% BY VOL." (as indicated on the front label) the beer is very easy to drink and the alcohol never stands out in any negative way.
Overall: The front label states that this is a "BELGIAN-STYLE DARK STRONG ALE WITH SPICES" and on the back it says this is made with "a festive blend of orange peel, allspice, nutmeg, and star anise." The beer does have a bit of a spicy character but it comes across more as clove than what was mentioned. That could be from the yeast though. It does have a bit of a fruity character which comes across as plum, date, and port wine. Again, the orange peel that was advertised doesn't really stand out. What the beer does have is a lot of Belgian Ale character from the yeast and most likely the malts.
Although the beer doesn't have a lot of spice character, the beer seems to work well as a whole. If you are into Belgian Dark Strong Ales or Belgian Ales in general it is likely that you will find this one enjoyable. I would drink it again and I would probably buy it again if I was looking for a quality BDSA. I would recommend it with the caveat that you shouldn't expect much spice.
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia
3.98/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The beer pours a nice khaki colored and creamy textured head that dissipates fairly quickly. The beer itself is a cloudy chestnut brown.
The smell is good. It has a variety of spices such as ginger, bits of cinnamon, and anise. It definitely resembles a banana bread like smell. There is some candi sugar but the other notes override it.
The taste is similar to the smell. The spice notes are fairly strong but there is the addition of light dark fruit notes such as dates.
The feel is decent. It has a medium body but feels slick and really slippery.
Overall, a good beer with a lot of powerful flavors that make it delicious and warming on a cold day.
Jan 03, 2021The smell is good. It has a variety of spices such as ginger, bits of cinnamon, and anise. It definitely resembles a banana bread like smell. There is some candi sugar but the other notes override it.
The taste is similar to the smell. The spice notes are fairly strong but there is the addition of light dark fruit notes such as dates.
The feel is decent. It has a medium body but feels slick and really slippery.
Overall, a good beer with a lot of powerful flavors that make it delicious and warming on a cold day.
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia
4.04/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Original 750ml bottle from 2011
Poured into a teku
A- pours deep brown in color with a ruby hue, one-finger foamy light khaki head that reduces to leave nothing behind
S- smells of figs, raisins, banana bread, candi sugars, gingerbread, black licorice, fruit cake, walnuts and anise
T- sweet and malty up front with notes of brown bread, caramel, chocolate, toffee and fruit cake. Mid-palate gives notes of black licorice, ginger and walnut banana bread. The finish gives dark fruit notes of raisin, figs and dates. Peppery yeast and and fruit cake on the linger
M- medium body with virtually no carbonation leads to a slick mouthfeel that gives just a hint of carbonation foam to turn into a slightly creamy finish
O- pleasantly surprised with how this one held up. Dark fruits, banana bread, licorice, ginger are all still to be found
Dec 22, 2020Poured into a teku
A- pours deep brown in color with a ruby hue, one-finger foamy light khaki head that reduces to leave nothing behind
S- smells of figs, raisins, banana bread, candi sugars, gingerbread, black licorice, fruit cake, walnuts and anise
T- sweet and malty up front with notes of brown bread, caramel, chocolate, toffee and fruit cake. Mid-palate gives notes of black licorice, ginger and walnut banana bread. The finish gives dark fruit notes of raisin, figs and dates. Peppery yeast and and fruit cake on the linger
M- medium body with virtually no carbonation leads to a slick mouthfeel that gives just a hint of carbonation foam to turn into a slightly creamy finish
O- pleasantly surprised with how this one held up. Dark fruits, banana bread, licorice, ginger are all still to be found
Reviewed by IvoryFoxhole from Virginia
4.23/5 rDev +10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev +10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2019 rebrew poured into Trillium The Six States goblet and allowed to warm.
L: 1F or so fizzy light brown head with poor retention, leaves only a ring. Beer is very dark brown.
S: Banana bread and cloves. Gingerbread, dark fruits. We've got ourselves a winter warmer here, I think.
T: Incorporates a lot of the smell into the taste. Gingerbread and raisins, winter spices, banana.
F: A tad light for the style in terms of what you might expect, but only a tad. Little carbonation. Construction and balance pretty good. A tad watery, perhaps some aging would help.
O: Might be the best of the 12 so far.
Feb 24, 2020L: 1F or so fizzy light brown head with poor retention, leaves only a ring. Beer is very dark brown.
S: Banana bread and cloves. Gingerbread, dark fruits. We've got ourselves a winter warmer here, I think.
T: Incorporates a lot of the smell into the taste. Gingerbread and raisins, winter spices, banana.
F: A tad light for the style in terms of what you might expect, but only a tad. Little carbonation. Construction and balance pretty good. A tad watery, perhaps some aging would help.
O: Might be the best of the 12 so far.
Reviewed by brycemc from California
4.57/5 rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
4.57/5 rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
Look: Deep brown almost red, fine head, bubbles. In a tulip out of the fridge.
Smell: Spice and fruit (dates, raisins). Smells like a fruit cake. Amazing.
Taste: Spices are dominant at first sip, but not overpowering (somewhat cold still). Dry chocolate notes on mid and finish. Some bread too, but dark dark bread (pumpernickel or spice bread). Malt on the lighter side but perfectly balanced.
Feel: dry and light bodied for 11%. Great spiced dry finish.
Overall: very good, maybe my favorite of the 12 so far (drinking in order). 1 and 2 were solid belgian styles, 3 was just mediocre, but this is special. I like it!
Dec 30, 2019Smell: Spice and fruit (dates, raisins). Smells like a fruit cake. Amazing.
Taste: Spices are dominant at first sip, but not overpowering (somewhat cold still). Dry chocolate notes on mid and finish. Some bread too, but dark dark bread (pumpernickel or spice bread). Malt on the lighter side but perfectly balanced.
Feel: dry and light bodied for 11%. Great spiced dry finish.
Overall: very good, maybe my favorite of the 12 so far (drinking in order). 1 and 2 were solid belgian styles, 3 was just mediocre, but this is special. I like it!
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.47/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.47/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I need to get my shit together and organize all these beers in the cellar.
Anyways, another Days of Christmas beer I wasn't fond of. Pours a dark brown color but without the heavy viscosity of a porter/stout. 1/2" of beige head on it, decent retention. Aroma was of holiday bread. Nutmeg, gingerbread, raisin, prune notes in the aroma. I like the smell, but am wary that these smells generally translate into a taste and mouthfeel that is less enjoyable than the smell.
And there it is. All the spice rack and fridge drawer things I dislike. Bitter dark fruit, an alcohol stab that actually is less damaging than I expected. Could actually say this hid the alcohol decently. A mix of raisin, prune, stronger than expected bitterness, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, sherry, brandy, dark licorice, clove, mild brown sugar, just not my jam man. Where I could get into this beer is if I had like 6 people splitting it, but drinking more than 10oz of this in a sitting is a challenge. They do seem to get better with age though as the spice rack chills out more.
Dec 27, 2019Anyways, another Days of Christmas beer I wasn't fond of. Pours a dark brown color but without the heavy viscosity of a porter/stout. 1/2" of beige head on it, decent retention. Aroma was of holiday bread. Nutmeg, gingerbread, raisin, prune notes in the aroma. I like the smell, but am wary that these smells generally translate into a taste and mouthfeel that is less enjoyable than the smell.
And there it is. All the spice rack and fridge drawer things I dislike. Bitter dark fruit, an alcohol stab that actually is less damaging than I expected. Could actually say this hid the alcohol decently. A mix of raisin, prune, stronger than expected bitterness, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, sherry, brandy, dark licorice, clove, mild brown sugar, just not my jam man. Where I could get into this beer is if I had like 6 people splitting it, but drinking more than 10oz of this in a sitting is a challenge. They do seem to get better with age though as the spice rack chills out more.
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois
4.08/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
With the series at fruition, got to go to an event featuring all 12 in the series so I could fill in the first four I missed out on. Dark brown mostly opaque body with a tan cap. Gingerbread and holiday spice lead the nose, with brown sugar, biscuit, caramel and cinnamon. Taste is equally festive, but the spices dominate more, cutting out nuance. Some dark fruit survives to compliment. Feel is spiced, warm, somewhat boozy, and full. Good for Christmas time, but otherwise no need to seek out.
Dec 27, 2019
4 Calling Birds from The Bruery
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
599 ratings
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