Velvet Fog
Sun King Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Sun King Brewing Company
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
Quadrupel (Quad)
ABV:
11.6%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.29 | pDev: 10.49%
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
106
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 14, 2021
Added:
Mar 08, 2012
Wants:
  74
Gots:
  13
The Velvet Fog is a Gold Medal winning Belgian-Style Quadruple that parades the complex character of dark fruit and the brightness of fresh cherry over warming notes brought on by bourbon barrel aging.

24 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MordorMongo:
Photo of MordorMongo
Reviewed by MordorMongo from Indiana

4.61/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Can poured into FFF Teku, served at cellar temp.

Second time having this, first was via growler at a Kahn's tasting....loved it then and love it now.

Please note I am NOT a Sun King homer and am generally unimpressed by them.

A - Pours a deep ruddy reddish-brown, minimal khaki head fades to an off-white ring that continues throughout. Decent legs on her as well.

S - Winner, winner chicken dinner. LOVE the smell of this one. Brown sugar, cherries, vanilla, molasses, oak, bourbon, just a slice of heaven on the nose.

T - Initial blast of Belgian yeast fading to a mixture of candied cherries and brown sugar, oak and bourbon kick in nicely as it fades into a slightly vanilla alcohol finish. Not too shabby.

M - Medium body, creamy, pretty on point for me here.

O - In the time since I had via growler vs now the bourbon has mellowed considerably. If anything it was too forward then and is spot on now. I honestly love this beer and it's complexities, it has a lot going on but it comes together for a beautiful overall experience. From the front end to the finish this beer is just solid. For as sweet as it sounds it actually finishes much drier than you would expect. My only complaint is when my glass is empty.

I give this bad boy a full 5 red lightsabers and an 8 X 10 glossy of Natalie Portman's fine rear end.
Mar 09, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of Pivopijak
Reviewed by Pivopijak from Washington

3.92/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
draught
Very dark auburn color. Sweet, medium roasted wood, mixed with medium dark roasted grain, with plenty of bourbon, to the smell. Medium bodied, a bit syrupy, with a caramel and dark toast malt, being the subject of that syrupyness.

IBU: 24
Nov 14, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Oct 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by mwvman from Indiana

Oct 08, 2019
Photo of NCSapiens
Reviewed by NCSapiens from Indiana

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Attractive dark plum color but pours without much head and no retention. Smells nice, like plums and figs and cherries and yeast. Taste follows the nose but with bourbon barrel and is great for a 11.9% abv. Smooth and creamy with notes of vanilla, bourbon, plum, cherry, yeast, fig and biscuit. A bit thin and watery. First impression was very positive, but over time the oak barrel predominated and the lack of head and watery texture left me disappointed.
Aug 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.16 by gutbuster from Kentucky

Jul 05, 2019
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.17/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Although the majority of Belgium brewers believe that their darkest and strongest ale has enough complexity, balance, charm and refinement that it needs nothing more than the malt driven taste and yeast fruitiness and spice that anything else would be excessive to a fault. But that doesn't do much to alleviate the temptation of Sun King brewers from unabashedly putting the ale in bourbon barrels.

So as the Velvet Fog settles over the beerscape, its tawny amber appearance is shrouded in a fine and misty haze. A thin trickle of lace embraces the margins while the wealth of aromas shed bold aspirations of dark, dried fruit, stone fruit, vinous and peppery spice and a sweeter caramelized tone. A pep of bourbon closes as the taste looms with caramel, brown sugar and sorghum in the shape of toasted coffee cake.

As those malt sweetnesses nestle onto the tongue, the fruit flavors unfold with dates, fig, apricot, cherry, raisin and a hint of prune. On the flip side, a quick followup of peppercorn, allspice, clove and oak works to offset the fruit and to take an edge off of the sweetness. Modest hopping rates also bring a mild bitterness and a broad woodsiness that leads into the bourbon soaked oak that trails on the late palate with caramel, toasted coconut and vanilla.

Full bodied, prickling and warm, the beer has both a brandy and port effect on the finish despite its strong bourbon roots. A long and savory aftertaste rewards the palate much like fine sherry and madeira do. Its whisky soaked fruitiness is sure to satisfy lovers of sweet robust and fortified wines as much as it does us beer geeks.
Jun 20, 2019
 
Rated: 4.07 by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

Jun 17, 2019
 
Rated: 4.31 by nwhittin from Indiana

Jun 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4.01 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jun 10, 2019
 
Rated: 3.33 by Stignacious from New York

Feb 17, 2018
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

4.31/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look - amber clear color with very slight head and not really any skimming
Smell - dark fruit, plum and fig. Slight sweetness
Taste - sweet candid dark plum
Feel - full body light carb
Overall - fantastic
Feb 15, 2018
Photo of rkarimi
Rated by rkarimi from Colorado

4.09/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2-9
Feb 10, 2018
Photo of Nctide
Reviewed by Nctide from Indiana

4.11/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I sat on this one for about 6 months. The bourbon really takes over with little character of the quad base coming through other than the look. The nose and taste reveal cherry notes but not much complexity or depth. This is a nice example of ale as a neutral base to feature the BBA but was hoping for more.
May 28, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by Danmullens1 from Wisconsin

Feb 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.72 by clager from Michigan

Dec 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.94 by deereless from Colorado

Nov 13, 2016
 
Rated: 4.13 by Kurmaraja from California

Jun 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.18 by JKitchen23 from Kentucky

Jun 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4.54 by Jlang2012 from South Carolina

May 16, 2016
Velvet Fog from Sun King Brewing Company
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 106 ratings