Eschaton - Wild Heaven Craft Beers

QuentinCall

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at The Porter in the ATL.
This beer arrives with a tumescent bloom of head that immediately fizzles into oblivion leaving meager lacing atop a strikingly garnet and opaque body. Appearance-wise, this beer is not markedly impressive - with its stillness and particular redness it could easily be mistaken for a glass of Pinot or Cabernet. Accordingly, the nose (what little manages to announce itself) is wholly dominated by obvious wine-like grape notes and supple/elegant esters; there might be a spicy undertone (nutmeg? cinnamon? oak?) but I'd be hard pressed to effectively parse it and it might just be a cerebral concoction. However, once we have moved beyond these categories, this beer is radiant. The upfront taste is, primarily, a subtle grape sweetness that works cooperatively with a rather pleasant alcohol burn which is, in turn, ideally ballasted by a dense malt profile and an arresting clove note. The finish is faintly sour and wine-like with some hop bitterness, more pungent clove and a dream moment of graham cracker presence - of course, all of this is beautifully balanced. The feel is gently carbonated, extremely dense and somewhat ideal. Ultimately, this beer is a stunner, a lovely Quad possessive of a masterfully executed tangle of flavors, a rich, sweet and perilously complex beer that shouldn't be ignored.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 03:45:52 | More by QuentinCall

ltdantheman

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

04-10-2013 14:21:38 | More by ltdantheman

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.16/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours a kindof plain wooden brown...first pour has a decent head, second has almost none. Maybe it's the growler but this appears slightly undercarbonated.

Smells is dry and very wine/grape juice like. Sugary malt character too but doesn't smell as rich and full as you'd expect for a quad.

Again, pretty dry--bitter even, though I don't know it's from hops or wine barrels. Grape skins, cherry,some other light fruit flavors, some spice and oak. Little sweetness or richness, again, not like a quad really.

Mouthfeel is a little thin, watery. May well be from the stay in the growler.

Fairly good beer but not what I was expecting at all. Wish I could've tried it on tap and not after a few days in the growler, the other reviews suggest it would've been much better.

6.3/10

Serving type: growler

02-21-2013 03:21:42 | More by AlexFields

brentk56

North Carolina

4.34/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours a rusty brown color capped by an inch of foam which disappears far too quickly for the style though it does leave quite a few squiggles of lacing behind

Smell: The burnt brown sugar base is enhanced by a range of dark fruit (dates and figs, primarily) along with vanilla; on the top layer is the viniferous cherry elements imbued by the Pinot Noir oak chips

Taste: All of the elements detected in the aroma layer immediately on the taste buds, with the vanilla moving to prominence, after the swallow

Mouthfeel: Full body with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: Not sure how this was bottled but that may have impacted the carbonation (the bottles were used for a beer dinner rather than production), but the remarkable thing about this beer is that it was brewed without Candi sugar; that decision was genious as it keeps the beer from having the cloying aspect of many Belgian quads; also, the Pinot Noir oak chips really do their work to set this beer apart as they add a really distinctive element

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:38:48 | More by brentk56

jahannah

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

02-06-2013 02:20:42 | More by jahannah

shuajw

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

01-16-2013 04:04:33 | More by shuajw

Bloodbuzz99

Georgia

3/5  rDev -28.1%

01-13-2013 15:44:47 | More by Bloodbuzz99

random846

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%

01-11-2013 02:39:56 | More by random846

sendbeer

Georgia

4/5  rDev -4.1%

01-06-2013 06:04:25 | More by sendbeer

rolive

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

11-27-2012 19:58:28 | More by rolive

Keith_R

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%

11-25-2012 03:52:15 | More by Keith_R

Zach136

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

11-25-2012 03:50:14 | More by Zach136

BrkfstOfChmpns

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

10-27-2012 21:29:52 | More by BrkfstOfChmpns

SGDJosh

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Wild heaven Eschaton Quad

Poured from a growler on 9/17 with the Thomasville Beer Club

Appearance is red/dark brown, 2 finger head which is light khaki in color that dissipates to moderate lacing.

Smell - dark fruit, raisiny brown sugar. Plums with a bit of bread on top.

Taste is complex with raisin, cinnamon, an lots of dark fruit almost as if the fruit has been burnt.
Dark sugar flavors that turn into more spices, peppery bite on the end.

Mouthfeel is full bodied which feels syrupy on my tongue. Not overwhelming, the heat cleans it up.

Overall - I'm not usually a fan of sweet Belgian styles but this is decent. Lots of fruit and complex flavors.

Serving type: growler

09-18-2012 02:10:12 | More by SGDJosh

BillyTWilliams

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

09-08-2012 12:50:27 | More by BillyTWilliams

jsanford

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy mahogany-red with a thin bone-colored head. Big aromas of raisin and fig with oak and red wine. Taste is quite close to the nose, big malt flavors backed up with raisin, baked bread, oak barrels, and red wine. Very smooth. Nice mouthfeel, perhaps a bit sticky, with a medium-full body and good carbonation. Overall a solid Quad, I applaud the use of wine barrel-aging!

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2012 22:04:38 | More by jsanford

NODAK

Tennessee

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma here has the Belgian candied sugars, but more predominately has a red grape smell to it, predominately what you'd find in a somewhat dry red wine. Not surprising given how it's aged. That said, I'm surprised it has so much grape character.

Pours a dark ruby in my Orval chalice. Looks nice, but with minimal to no head. Could be the growler's fault.

The taste initially has a good bit of Belgian sugars and some dark fruit to it...a hint of spice. Where the red grapes come in comes near the finish where they become a fairly dominant note in this beer. It's not tart nor really sweet at all. It's actually like the taste in a red wine without most of the dryness. Only a slight dry character is imparted. Pretty tasty.

Interesting and tasty take on a Belgian style. I really enjoyed this...and the alcohol wasn't really apparent either, which is impressive given the ABV.

Serving type: growler

08-21-2012 01:13:41 | More by NODAK

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

32oz growler from Hop City (Atlanta, GA). 13.99. Served in a Terrapin snifter. 

Pours a deep ruby hued brown with a half finger beige head that occasionally leaves small patches of lacing. 

Smells of sweet grapes, caramel, cherries, and oak. 

Tastes of dark fruits, white grapes, candy sugar, woodsy vanilla, apples, wet leaves and some Belgian funk. Layer upon layer of flavor that opens up nicely as it warms. Goes down dangerously easy for over 10% alcohol. 

Medium full feel with light carbonation. Slightly creamy. A long sweet dry aftertaste. 

Probably my favorite quad. Wild Heaven has been teasing for close to a year about bottling this and it can't happen soon enough for my liking. The combination of dark fruits and smooth oaky wine is delightful. Highly reccomended. 

Serving type: growler

08-15-2012 03:12:48 | More by ThickNStout

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16oz Growler from Beverage World. Served at around 50F.

Pours dark reddish brown with a very small head, recedes to just a tiny ring and leaves a few spots of lacing.

Aroma is oaky, vinous, bready, a lot of dark fruit, figs, plums. Good to very good strength.

Flavor features tons of really rich dark fruits, oak, vinous notes, bready & yeasty, rather sweet, alcohol is REALLY well hidden for 10.5% ABV. Very rich, tons of flavor.

Mouthfeel is medium-plus bodied, a bit sticky, low carbonation.

Nice, complex Quad. The Pinot Noir oak adds a nice dimension. Only real faults are the lack of carbonation and a sometimes high level of sweetness.

Serving type: growler

08-08-2012 03:42:18 | More by elgiacomo

Mavajo

Georgia

4.7/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown body; nearly opaque, with mahogany highlights when the light hits it. Thin light cream colored head.

Aroma is vinuous red wine, apple, caramel, brown sugar. The vinuous notes really hit it big. Taste follows the nose -- sweet, vinuous, dark fruits. I also pick up some of the "winter spices" -- can't quite pick out which one. Nutmeg, cinnamon? A slight warming from the alcohol. Mouthfeel is good. Medium bodied, smooth with brisk yet tame carbonation.

This is excellent. Absolutely the best domestic quad I've ever had.

A prior reviewer said he felt that Eschaton was getting overrated a bit and that it couldn't even compare to its progenitors in Belgium. I completely disagree. It lacks some of the typical Belgian quad characteristics, but this isn't a Belgian quad -- it's an American quad. The typical Belgian yeast notes are replaced by the vinuous notes, and I feel like it's a wonderful twist on the style. If this had a Trappist label smacked on the front of it, no one would be the wiser and they'd be praising it for its ingenuity.

Oh, and it's a whole hell of a lot better than Weyerbacher's quad. And BSP, which is a nostalgic favorite of mine which I still hold onto a couple bottles of, can't even hold a candle to Eschaton.

Serving type: growler

07-25-2012 21:27:14 | More by Mavajo

mrandypandy

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%

07-06-2012 21:10:44 | More by mrandypandy

kizyle

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -22.1%

06-17-2012 01:15:38 | More by kizyle

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11 ounce pour - $8.00 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Viscous-looking, dark brown body with a slim, beige head.

Smell: Very thick malts with Eschatons of maltiness - notes of toasted bread, caramel, and butterscotch. Large grape-like scent here, coming across more like a large-sized snifter of port.

Taste: Presents a super sweet maltiness, pouring caramel and butterscotch sauce over bready, toasty, full-on chewy malts. A pass of port reduction with a hint of spice peering through the sugars. Spoonful of fruit chutney for a bit more, well, fruitiness. Warming and picking up more and more port-like tones on the heavy finish.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied. Medium-low carbonation.

Overall: This one's sweet, succulent, and a real slow sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2012 18:10:14 | More by ChainGangGuy

julian89

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Medium brown orange body with a white 1.5 inch head and tiny bubbles, medium clarity.

S: Dark fruit mainly grape and raisin are most present coated in light caramel. There is a light flowery hops smell that is masked by a stronger alcohol scent.

T: This is one strong beer with big grape, plum, and raisin flavors. It's not as sweet as other quads. There is some honeylike, light caramel sweetness. They balance this beer brilliantly. Kudos.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Very good quad, I read somewhere that Wild Heaven used pinot noir grapes in this one, all the more awesome.

Serving type: growler

05-08-2012 16:35:21 | More by julian89

randomjazzr

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%

04-20-2012 03:11:06 | More by randomjazzr