Baby Tree - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pretty Things Batch 22 Bottled February 2011

A: deep mahogany color, clear, poured with a nice dense head but dissipated within a few minutes to a thin veil
S: milder nose, burnt malt, and some EtOH
T: very well made and extremely true-to-type, cloying, dense, burntish malt flavor with good rounded hops but not overpowering, well attenuated, just missing a little bit of yeast character in finish
M: creamy, and highly drinkable for ABV, has an aged quality to it

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 01:33:47 | More by wisrarebeer

RyanLigeia

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Dark, murky, brown with small head that disappears fast.
Smells like sugary boozy dark fruits and malts.
Tastes like a raison and plum sweet boozy wine.
Mouthfeel is thick but wet.
Overall this is a must try if you ask me. Very unique beer that doesnt stray away from still tasting like a beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 05:59:13 | More by RyanLigeia

hdelavega

Florida

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured to a Chimay goblet.
Pours a deep murky brown with a one finger thick light tan head that recedes to a thin whispy film.
Aroma hits me with the expected clove, banana, plum, rasion, and other sweet fruits.
Nice flavors, light spices, light clove, some pear and banana. Some grassy and earthy notes. Very nice.
The body fairly light with a moderately high carbonation. Nice smooth finish and a great lingering presents on the palate.
Overall a very nice american quad.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 00:44:47 | More by hdelavega

andrewinski1

Maine

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 4 bottled February 2010. Poured into a tulip with a giant light tan head. The color is very dark amber; almost plum like.

The aroma is full of sweet malt and some nice fruity aromas. The malt reminds me a little bit of that from a Scotch ale, and might actually be more dominant in the aroma as opposed to the yeasty fruityness.

The taste is full of bready malts, with a heavy dose of plum fruit flavor in the finish. This is pretty good.

This is one of the more drinkable quads I have had. It is lighter in body than others of the style, with plenty of satisfying carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 04:51:55 | More by andrewinski1

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Brown root-beer type color, small off white head, good lacing.

Fruity esters, big caramel malt, figs, plums, and cherries are notable in the smell, but there's also a strange and metallic odor that's a bit off putting.

Taste wise the metallic notes are gone, and the fruitiness, caramel malts, and nice Belgian yeast take over. Pretty good.

Body is pretty thick and very easy to drink for a quad. Sweet, fruity finish.

It's an interesting quad, likeable, worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 23:31:29 | More by AlCaponeJunior

angelogarcia3

New York

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sapsuckers of Huntington pours the Baby Tree Quadrupel in a footed ale glass. This beer has a beautiful deep reddish hue and white head. The aromas of raisin, plum, and ripe apples are very distinctive on the nose. The first taste surprises you with the tartness that settles into flavors of green apples, raisins, and plums. An excellant beer that went surprisingly well with my almond-crusted Chatham cod.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2012 00:33:10 | More by angelogarcia3

mdaschaf

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from notes. Had on tap at the Gallows in Boston.

A: Served in a wine glass, the beer is deep burgundy/brown with a very small off-white head. The head was rather thick with nice retention, but minimal lacing.

S: Rather closed at first, not a lot coming out. As it warms there is some brown sugar and caramel, some dark fruit, and a bit of Belgian yeast.

T: More of what I expected on the flavor profile. Sweet malts up front with some caramel, brown sugar, and a heavy dose of bread. Followed up with some Belgian yeast and dark fruit with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

M: Medium to heavy bodied with medium carbonation. Slightly sticky feel to it.

O: Pretty good quad, definitely a sipper. Another solid beer from Pretty Things.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 19:38:56 | More by mdaschaf

laituegonflable

Australia

2.2/5  rDev -43.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a murky red colour that thins out to the bottom. Head is fine and off-white, thin film with a steady bead. Lace is sticky but not too thick. Looks good.

Smells a bit meh. Slight spice and a fair amount of yeast and sweet grain. Slight bland sourness like a soft drink and some corn and vanilla on the back. Bland, bit sweet and simple.

Taste is... actually worse. Grainy, with a bland and watery adjuncty edge. Corn and rice mainly that descends into a chemical and metallic mid-palate, bland as well with a dour dryness that really has no character. Just tastes like fermentation with nothing behind it. Dry, bland, mostly unpleasant but not quite impressive enough for me to form much of an opinion.

Thin, mostly invisible body. No texture, really. Bland and insipid.

I was served this blind and had no idea it was meant to be a quad. Now I recognise quad as probably the hardest style to brew well, but I think there's been a big failure here even to create a faux-quad character. It feels like there's substitute ingredients, no interesting flavours and an overall distasteful sensation. Disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 05:27:12 | More by laituegonflable

HattedClassic

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance:
Pours a white head that dissipates quickly. The beer itself is a purplish and obscure dark brown. The seems to be close to that of a purple grape.

Smell:
Toasted caramel malts and slight hints of dark fruit with a heavy hop smell when it's cold. When it warms up, the dark fruits begin to dominate the smell.

Taste:
Dark fruits with hints of hops when it warms a little, but there is a small syrupy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel:
Light carbonation with a smooth body.

Overall:
Not a bad beer but I just wasn't impressed with it after comparing it with other quads that I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 21:36:22 | More by HattedClassic

DefenCorps

Oregon

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from batch 11, bottled April 2011, received as an extra from Aberration. Thank you for your generosity, Nick!

Pouring a deep walnut red with a dense, beige head that falls off to a thick disk leaving little lacing, this looks great! The nose is quite enjoyable too. An absolutely brilliant blend of dark fruit, caramel and a delicate spices really adds a lot to this beer. However, there's a little bit of stale base malt character that does detract from the overall impression. The yeast expression is quite right for the style, with a blend of clove and a moderate phenolic character. Maybe a little sweet? Still, one of the better American quads out there.

The palate opens big, fruity and mildly sweet with a blend of cocoa, dark caramel and toffee. There's quite a bit of fruit character as well, with plums and raisins. Cocoa dust is apparent on the mid-palate. As it warms up, the perceived sweetness increases, mostly as a bigger body. However, the spices here are pretty excellent, tempering the sweetness in a good way, with clove and pepper being very nice. A little bit of dry, leafy hop bitterness is present on the finish. While medium in body, this beer has enough grainy bitterness and spices to cut the sweetness. Carbonation is moderate, and there isn't much I can complain about with this beer. Very good, especially at this age (which is the only age I've had this beer).

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 02:32:01 | More by DefenCorps

hannydawg

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Batch 6 June 2010

Poured into a Rochefort Chalice

A- Deep brown with red and orange tints. A one and a half finger off white head fades into a light film. Moderate lacing is present.

S- Prunes dominate other dark fruits, with caramel malts and spicy yeast present as well.

T- Very pruney, some spiciness due to the yeast. As the beer warms, the fruitiness turns bitter, almost medicinal . I have found this "medicine" taste in quite a few American interpretations of this style.

M- Medium body and the carbonation seems about spot on.

O- I am glad I had this if nothing else to confirm my notions that quads should be left to the Belgians. The yeast didn't incorporate into the fruits, and the whole thing was a bit muddled.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 05:32:42 | More by hannydawg

kbuzz

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into my trusty snifter. Bottle dated June 2011.

A: Pours a slighly hazy light brown, dark rust orange/amber color with a half finger eggshell head that fades quickly. Leaves a rim of various sized bubbles lingering around the edges. Some alcohol legs...

S: A perfect blend of dark fruit and funk. Aged figs, brown sugar...and some of that wild Belgian yeast breadiness...

T/M: A confectionary sweetness up front that I was not expecting. I want to say like a pear or grape quality is evident...very winelike in the sweetness. Cherries and brown sugarA decent bit of Belgian yeast qualties shine through. Medium bodied, some alcohol warming. Carbonation is average.

O: The most consistent quality of this beer is it's sweetness...but it's such a pleasant sweetness. Solid body and mouthfeel. Not overly bubbly. A strong American version of a Belgian Quad. I dig...

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 02:16:03 | More by kbuzz

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

650ml bomber brought back from New York to Sydney, shared with @LaitueGonflable.

Pours a pleasant deep brown, with a slight haze to it. Head is very light, almost eggshell white, and forms some patches of splotchy lace. Body is pleasantly thick, and fine carbonation is abundant when tilted. Looks decent.

Nose is round and slightly sweet, with hints of vanilla and just a touch of spice. It has very little depth or complexity to it, but it does exemplify the Belgian aromas well enough.

Taste is flat. Thin with little sweetness or depth. it sits on the tongue for a while and then disappears. Slight spicy esters and a boozy heat, but there's almost nothing to it flavour-wise. It almost tastes like a beer that is way, way, way beyond its effective drinking date. Everything has flattened to an insipid, slightly oxidised nothingness. Mouthfeel is similar.

Overall, I'm exceedingly disappointed with this. Pretty Things have done some interesting beers in the past, but this is pretty insipid, and an extremely average attempt at a quad that gives the style a bad name.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 07:34:53 | More by lacqueredmouse

nickfl

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - The beer pours with a lightly hazy, amber-brown body, topped by a small head of off-white foam. The head settles pretty quickly and leaves moderate lace on the glass.

S - Dark caramel and raisins with a little bit of herbal hop character.

T - Thick malt and toffee up front. Some caramel and dark fruit character comes out in the middle. The beer finises with spicy notes of clove as well as some raisins, caramel, and cola notes.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - Not a bad example of the style, though it is lacking the deep complexity of some others. The dark sugar is really dominant here and while there is some spicy yeast character I would have liked to see more dark fruit and perhaps a dryer finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 04:02:45 | More by nickfl

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

bottled June 2011

A- Dark root beer colored pour. Ruby highlights. Two finger egg shell colored soapy head that quickly reduces to a thin cap leaving sticky spots all over the glass.

S- Stone fruits, brown sugar, vanilla with a slight toast smell. Smells are not as up front as most quads.

T- Stone fruits, brown sugar, subtle cloves and a light cinnamon. There is a faint metallic note that I get in almost every quad I drink. Alcohol is noticeable but not offending.

M- Medium bodied, lively carbonation sticky sweet on the lips.

O- This is my first offering from Pretty Things and only one of a small handful of quads from the states I've enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 01:52:22 | More by korguy123

steelerguy

New York

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Cloudy brown, moderate carbonation, big off white head that fades to a covering leaving some lacing.

S- Light dark fruit aroma of figs and some caramized sugars.

T- Like the aroma but more full. Dark fruit, figs and raisins. Some sweet caramel with a kick of alcohol at the end.

M - Moderate body, tingle of carbonation, and warmth of alcohol...just like a quad should be.

O - A nice Belgian style quad, one that I will try again.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 04:01:49 | More by steelerguy

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Slightly murky brown body with a nice khaki head. Retention is surprisingly good and the lacing is sticky and sublime. Good looking beer.

Smell - Very bready malt character. Caramel and some fruitiness to it as well, but it smells somewhat dry with a spice to the back end. Nice.

Taste - Starts off with a characteristic Belgian candi sugar flavor but backs into a spiced fruitiness that makes me think it's a Christmas ale more than anything. It seems to skip the caramel malt phase of a Quad. The finish is remarkably hoppy, at least for a Quad. Not sure how I feel about that yet.

Mouthfeel - Ok, I don't feel great about the hop character. About 3/4 of the way through the bottle, I'm really missing the caramel character. It's spicy and hoppy and it's reducing my ability to put it away. Still good, just sluggish.

Overall - I really love Quads, but this one departs from the style in a few ways that make me not love it. Still tasty, but more in a spiced BSDA way. With so many quality Quads available, there's no need to pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 03:20:53 | More by Alieniloquium

superspak

Michigan

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into chalice; Batch 3 bottled Oct. 2009. Pours slightly cloudy reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts forever. Some awesome thick lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of big caramel, toasted malt, bread, molasses, plums, light chocolate, and spices. Nice aromas, but weaker than I wanted them to be. Taste of big caramel, molasses, toasted malt, bread, chocolate, nuttiness, plum, other fruits, pepper, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of toasted malt, caramel, molasses, and dark fruits on the finish. Nice balance of flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with a very nice and creamy mouthfeel that drinks smoothly. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is a very impressive and excellent Belgian-style quad. 2 years have been kind to this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 03:57:28 | More by superspak

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep brown with just a wisp of head.

Smells of heavy caramel, earthy hops and some dark fruit.

Taste is similar to the nose. Starts off with some dark fruit leading into the HUGE caramel presence. Earthy hops and some cinnamon round out the profile. This drinks incredibly smooth for 9%.

A little bit cloying and carbonation levels are medium-low. Glad I split this bomber as I don't know if I could finish one myself.

Fairly good flavor profile, just wish they had dialed the sweetness back a bit. 11 oz of it was a solid beer, but that was around the absolute max I could take of this before it became too cloying. A good one to cellar and drink with friends.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 13:54:43 | More by jmarsh123

Gavage

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled April 2011 batch 11

Appearance: pours a dark brown color with a thin foam coating.

Smell: malt and fruit sweetness easily rise from the glass and into the nose.

Taste: big malt base with caramel, hint of white chocolate, plums, red apples, some earthiness, and a moderate bitterness makes up a well balanced quad. Alcohol is barely noticeable here.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy in body. Lightl crisp and prickliness to start, smooth and velvety at the finish. Long lasting malt heavy aftertaste.

Overall: a slow siping beer that goes well with sitting in front of a fireplace on a cold night. Easy to consume the whole bottle by yourself.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 20:45:08 | More by Gavage

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a chestnut in color, no foamy head and no carbonation. The aroma is weak with malts and some dark fruits maybe raisons.
Taste is of rich malts dark fruits and candied sugar.
Touch of metallic.
Medium body, dry finish some alcohol.
Perhaps better on tap somewhere but not from this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 14:48:27 | More by micromaniac129

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Steve in the QuadShowdown. 650ml into a tulip, 2011 bottle.

Pours a dark orangey red, with some chestnut highlights. A cream coloured head, with great retention and some lace. Nose has some dark fruits, a bit of apple, some caramel and sugary notes, with a bit of candy. Taste has more dark fruits, a green apple notes, a touch metallic, some caramelly malts, and some grape and berry notes. Full body but not too heavy, creamy feel with a modest low carbonation; a touch of alcohol comes through after the sip is finished. Quite a nice American take on the style, and something easily revisitable.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 18:26:53 | More by liamt07

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

bottled July 2009

A - Pours a murky dark chestnut brown with a half inch of off white foam that faded leaving soapy bubbles on the surface and decent lacing down the glass
S - really nice aroma, cinnamon, apple, caramel, slightly perfumey
T - the flavor drops off at first but then comes back big time in the finish and just seems to develop even after you swallow. apple, caramel, cinnamon then the perfumey flowery part takes over finishing with a bit more malt and cinnamon. really unique and enjoyable flavor
M - medium bodied with just the right amount of carbonation, not too still but not over carbonated. slightly syrupy but nothing that ruins the experience
D - Not one I would want to drink regularly but one i'd like to keep in the cellar to have on hand for when i want one.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 05:50:08 | More by mikereaser

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clean deep amber to brown in color with a tan head. In the aroma, ripe dark fruits and sugary plums. In the taste, sweet dark fruit, licorice, plums, and just a note of alcohol. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry fruit and licorice in the aftertaste. Hides the ABV, nice presence of dark fruit and nice notes of licorice.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 12:47:06 | More by OWSLEY069

FosterJM

California

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

936th Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
22oz

June 2011 Bottling
Thanks to @mjtiernan for this one

App- A medium brown/purple and garnet edges. A semi fast receding 1-1/2 finger head with some nice soft popping bubbles. Looks a bit lighter than most quads.

Smell- Very light all the way around. Very small whispy booze notes with some faint dark fruits, yeast and a little sweetness.

Taste- A lighter quad but still retained good flavors. Softer dark fruits with a medium balanced yeast flavor. Very smooth but very light on the profile.

Mouth- A medium body with a medium carbonation. Residual dark fruits and yeast.

Drink- It was a nice smooth quad for 9%. Like I said, light all around but still flavorful and balanced. Pretty things does some good beers. Thanks again for this one Matt.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 18:08:11 | More by FosterJM