Blasphemy - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

dragonWhale

New York

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2007 on tap at the Gate..dear sweet baby Jesus..

A bit lighter than I expected for a quad, amber with a miniscule head, the lightest trace of lacing on the glass. But before the beer can even be examined properly, the bourbon and booze pop out and punch me right in the f'in face. This thing is out of control, no settling down in the 4 years on it, a definite rolling stone. Shiit, well, bourbon and some fusels in the aroma, a little bit of pitted fruit aroma, mostly dates and plums, a bit of fig, very nice background, but the dominant aroma is too too much. In a very daunting Rihanna kind of sexy way. Like I don't know if I can even touch this thing.
And yet, I do..big punch of booze to start out with waves of dates, figs, and plums. Still bringing some heat after all these years, but it does manage to get down. The heat refuses to die the entire glass, a constant reminder of the likely damage being done inside my body. Hot mouthfeel that tingles and burns in a way that I feel a bit uncomfortable about. Like watching porn with your uncle. No, your uncle.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2011 15:22:41 | More by dragonWhale

metter98

New York

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is a copper-amber color with no head
S: The nose has a strong, intense aroma of bourbon mixed with hints of other flavors
T: There are lots of malty sweet flavors.
M: There's a smooth body with a bit of dryness in the finish.
D: I could definitely have more than one of these in a single sitting

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2010 17:11:13 | More by metter98

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber bottle.

Poured a deper orangish color with a large sized off white head. Aromas of oak and bourbon with some fruitiness, and vanilla. Tastes of vanilla, bourbon, dark fruits, woody, and caramel. Alcohol burn in the finish.

Notes from: Jul 12, 2008

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2009 00:57:13 | More by hopdog

soccerman7

Vermont

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Holy Smoke - never seen it in this form.

Appearance - Nice deep copper color bordering a brown.
Smell - Intense. Can smell the malts with a hint of hops and definitely the bourbon.
Taste - Started off really nice with the malts and whisps of oak, but then the bourbon and oak came on too much to really taste the beer. A touch of heat from the 11+ abv hit.
Mouth - Average honsetly. A bit dry and the oak lingered over everything.
Drinkability - interesting brew and nice, but the oak was a bit much for me even though i love oaked beers.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2008 15:41:17 | More by soccerman7

Billolick

New York

4.3/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Blind Tier Ale Hse in NYC a few weeks ago and reviewed from notes. Pours cloudy darkish, smoky almond, minor light tan head and leaving a tiny bubble film and fine light lacing. The nose here is boldly of crisp spicing and alcohol. One sip and its obvious that this a strong, heady and complex brew. Notes of currents, rum, brandy, burnt grains, alot going on here, not for the faint of heart/palate, not for quaffing, and not for fans of pissy yellow beer. Fine night capper/late night sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2007 14:14:05 | More by Billolick

cichief

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this on draft at Friscoe's Grille, Columbia, MD.

Pours a deep brown, somewhat hazy, with a big, light-brown head. Smells very spicy, yeasty, with hints of ripe fruit. Taste is very powerful, yeast, spice, raisins, and a lot of alcohol, too much alcohol. Very sweet. It is medium on the tongue, with a dryish finish. The alcohol burn makes this less drinkable than I would prefer, but all in all an occassional treat.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2007 03:21:42 | More by cichief

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this beer on tap the other day at Mahaffey's.

The beer pours a very good looking darkish brown color. Very impressive looking beer with excellent head retention and good lacing. The nose is not huge, but one gets a sense of sweet spices and oak on the nose. On the palate this beer is quite sweet with candy, cherries, vanilla, chocolate, licorise and raisens. The alcohol is pretty noticeable in this one, making it not the most drinkable of beers. Definitely a sipper, but a good beer for all that. The beer finishes moderately well; sweet with a bit of crispness/dryness at the end. A very good beer from Weyerbacher, albeit not the easiest beer to drink given the high abv.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2007 12:42:41 | More by johnmichaelsen

RacerX5k

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Wow this is really, really good. For starters, you pop the cork (well maybe, this cork broke off halfway, leaving me wondering if I will enjoy this beer this AM. And a little frustrated, damn corks. OK, no worries, I got the other 1/2 and it just pops. Big aroma of whiskey, oak, vanilla, butterscotch. Yes butterscotch, delicious.

Nice appearance. Opaque, murky, wonderful brown, we'll call it brown but I'll bet other reviewers could find a more descriptive adjective, wait, is that a double positive? Well, as usual, I digress.

Aroma? Yes this has it, previously mentioned. Insane, lovely whiskey, like the Crown Royal I've been sipping on since Christmas. Taste, yes it's got that too, fruits, whiskey, vanilla, oak, wood, sweets, apples, pears and cherries with a wonderful, exquisite bitter tart finish with more sweetness. Like a Slam Dunkel on steriods. Probably why I like this beer so much, the recently retired Dunkel was always a favorite. I will seek this one out again, as in today, its pretty damn good, at a great price for barrel aged deliciousness. Weyerbacher killing it, as always.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 11:32:42 | More by RacerX5k

Krakistophales

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a dark ruby color with a an off white head that recedes quickly

S: Banana, concord grapes, plum, fig, blackberry, currant, mixed with a strong oaky whisky sort of ether

T: Almost bittersweet dark fruit, as if the dark fruits were drained of their sugary flesh and sun-dried. Figs, plums, dark berries, all dried out up front, with a hint of sweetness in the middle that's quickly followed by a dry, oaky, woody whisky finish

O: This is a great interpretation of the style, but I much prefer a straight up quad to one thats been aged in bourbon/whiskey/scotch barrels

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 01:42:28 | More by Krakistophales

dbossman

Nebraska

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark mahogany brown with a gorgeous, bready, thick head and okay lacing

S: Sweet caramel malts with lots of dark fruits and some boozy whiskey and oak undertones

T: Very balanced, big, boozy beer; sweet up front but balanced by a dry slightly bitter finish: the bready malts and dark fruits play well of of each other (cherries, dates, raisins, plums)

F: Quite creamy; medium body

O: A boozy but not overpowering beer--I wish there was more of a barrel presence but it's a really nice beer nonetheless

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 12:55:19 | More by dbossman

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A - towards the red end of reddish brown, wells up a big brown head that fades to a thin single layer of bubbles swiftly, small amounts of both carbonation and sediment

S - a big bit of alcohol straight up front, which fades into dark fruits and grapeskins quickly, dark fruits like plums or prunes

T - sweet malts, dark fruits, and vanilla and toffee sweetness followed up with an alcohol boozy burn

M&D&O - too much burn for a high mouthfeel score, some decent fruits and sweet malts underneath the 11.8%. gets better as it warms in my glass. Though maybe I put too much age on this one, but I think its ok quality wise, a decent quad, but won't compare to the European versions of course, but apporaching benchmark for American versions.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 02:51:39 | More by sinstaineddemon

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.56/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Limited to no head... Nothing much more that a quickly fading thin veil of rich off white lacing... All that is left is a thin to moderate collar... The color is a slightly warm caramel brown... Some suspended sediment... Mostly still with just a couple of stray sluggish carbonation bubbles...

S - The booziness is at the forefront... There is also an unexpected tannin quality... Caramel... Raisins... Assorted other dark fruits... Dark breads... Brown sugar... Decent complexity, but the booziness is a bit too heavy handed throughout...

T - The booze and more so the heat from the booze dominate the palate and distract from the rest of the flavors... Lying beneath the surface is some caramel, brown sugar, toffee, raisins, and dark fruit... Sadly, it's a bit of a muddled mess in which the heat of the bourbon barrel is somewhat unpleasant and serves as a distraction... Evens out a bit more as it warms, but still a disappointment overall...

M -Teetering between medium and full bodied... Sleek, smooth and rather robust... A bit of prickly carbonation... The heat of the booze is undeniable...

D - This one sat in the cellar for close to a year, but this one has a bit too much heat... Bourbon barrel aging can either add nuance or overpower and distract from the rest of the beer... Unfortunately it serves as a big distraction and creates a lot of unpleasant noise for an otherwise solid offering... I'll take the standard version (Weyerbacher Quad) any day of the week...

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 23:52:10 | More by philbe311

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.26/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4.5

Still had the old bottle with the raven; I bought it late this summer in Philly.

Tawny purplish brown body, fine white head that retains well and laces a bit.

Nose had an initial whiff of pear that was really nice, but that dissipated, and the remainder isn't as great, and a little boozy. In fairness, this is about as warm as this beer would ever be served (maybe 60F).

Even slightly above cellar temperature, this is really lush. Drips with pear, plum and plenty of sweet dates. Hints of caramel and oak. Mellowed but balanced, and doesn't taste as boozy as it might have, in spite of the temperature. Reminiscent of Madeira. I get 'barrel aged' maybe, but not super bourbony, which is probably a good thing.

Unfortunately, this is pretty unctuous and syrupy-- really clings to your mouth and you'll want a glass of water with this one.

About as nice a bourbon barrel quad as you might ever ask for (Hardywood Park Bourbon Cru, anyone)? Really outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 01:15:44 | More by zaphodchak

scottbrew4u

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from the bomber a clear dark amber color with a pillowy off white head that is an inch high. Great lacing on the glass as you drink.

S: Sweet roasted malt and bready malt aromas with candy sugar and bourbon aromas. Hops are a gentle floral bouquet.

T: Very complex blend of sweet aromatic malt, candy sugar, bourbon, and a wonderful belgian yeast strain imparting flavors of vanilla, and spice.

M: Smooth, velvety medium body with a noticeable but well hidden alcohol strength. Light smooth carbonation.

O: Well done beer and one of my favorites of the year so far it can stand up to a good belgian quad. It will also please your palate now or stand up to some good cellaring for later.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 22:58:00 | More by scottbrew4u

rlee1390

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Cloudy orange, almost ruby, not much carbonation, half a finger head.

S-Alcohol, some darker fruits and plums.

T-Dark fruits, some alcohol, wood no bitterness, poor balance.

M-Light, not much carbonation at all and a tad watery.

O-Poor balance, alcohol head, this beer was not that good, and it had been aged for a few months. Was expecting better.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 00:22:11 | More by rlee1390

ncketchum

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Caged and corked bottle, served in a Duvel tulip

A - pours a copper-red, a bit of sediment, good amount of off white head that leaves a fair amount of lacing

S - good amount of belgian yeast, sour cherry notes, at the end some alcohol on the nose

T - up front the sour cherries and yeast, followed by caramel and raisins

M - Not too thick, good amont of carbonation, but a bit heavy on the booze

O - I don't drink too many Quads, but this was pretty good. Maybe a bit hot with the alcohol, but other than that, I enjoyed the complexities of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 03:37:58 | More by ncketchum

Phelps

Arizona

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into some Lost Abbey stemware.

Rust-colored and hazy. One finger of gloppy, off-white froth. Very sticky and retentive.

In the nose: Caramelized figs, maple syrup. Brandy, brown sugar. Nice and sweet. Rich.

Booze affects the flavor a little more than the nose. Fermented dates and figs, a little maple, brown sugar, a finish of toasted bread. Touch of tangy fig in the front. Alcohol fumes float through the nose.

Gentle nudges of carbonation in a viscous medium body. Nice and syrupy. Silky carbonation gives it a feeling like whipped cream.

Very nice. A touch too much booze, but great flavor. Nice and sugary, true to style.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 05:33:14 | More by Phelps

CommanderOfAwesome

California

2.15/5  rDev -45.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Bought in Ohio, caged and corked.

Poured into a Snifter glass, pours a purple color which I've never seen before.

S: Oh man is this one sweet. Dark fruits dipped in sugar.

T: Again, sweet sugar bomb. Not my style. Was a total sweet tart. As it began to warm up it began to lighten up, but not enough.

M: Medium full bodied slight action. Hard to get past the sweet.

O: I had high hopes and was a total let down. I've never had a purple beer that I can recall and was just too sweet for me. Definitely something different and unlike any other Quad I've had before.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 00:29:01 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

Immortale25

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Saint Somewhere wine-style glass. No freshness date.

A- Pours a dark amber color with a 1/4 inch light tan head that bears almost no retention before fizzling away to a beyond paper-thin ring around the edge of the glass and zero surface foam. Lacing is minimal and brief. From a heavier second pour there's much more head that retains longer and leaves sticky webs of lacing that stay suspended on the side of the glass.

S- Heavily astringent alcohol smell with some sweet Belgian candy sugar in the back. Wow, this is boozy.

T- The flavor is much more calm and not as hot as the aroma would lead you to expect. The Belgian yeast and sweetness are on hand lending a complexity to the flavor that goes beyond the blatantly high amount of alcohol. Notes of brandy, raisin and a little bit of oak.

M- Semi-syrupy with a bright alcohol sting. Low carbonation and a medium-heavy body.

O- I held on to this for a few months but it's still pretty hot and messy. I would say that I should have let it go even longer, but then the carbonation would have faded even more when it's already lacking in that area. I think I just prefer the Quad (which is the base beer of this aged offering) in its original form.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 01:49:41 | More by Immortale25

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 ml cork n cage bottle into a 8 oz bottle.

A- pours a dark, burnt orange with a 1 finger off-white head. Small blotches of lacing remain on the glass.

S- caramel, some light bourbon and vanilla and fruit notes.

T- sweet toffee, tobacco, bourbon, fruit esters, and some biscuit

M- medium body and carbonation. Dry feel and light but drinkable for the abv.

O- ok BA quad. A little thin and dry, with less sweetness and barrel character than I would like.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 02:36:33 | More by kawilliams81

xabyss

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Maybe half a finger of head atop a deep ruby body rife with partially camouflaged carbonation and sediment. Head dissipates almost instantly. Lace retention looks decent.

S: Fairly complex. I wish it had some more barrel to it, but just because I’m a sucker for barrel-aged quads. Lots of fruity esters, candied sugar, bready malt and citrus. It's almost like a green apple Jolly Rancher. Vanilla notes are pretty big too. Some indication of the 11.8% ABV, but not nearly as much as I expected.

T: Less complexity than the nose, and more vanilla and heat. Really a pretty sweet beer. Big fruit and vanilla at the tip of the tongue, some of that “rum soaked raisin” flavor midsip, and a good amount of heat and sticky sugariness in the finish.

M: On the heavier end of medium-bodied, fairly creamy, without much carbonation

O: I wanted to be blown away by this beer. I was not. It's still a solid, tasty brew, but nothing mindblowing.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 00:21:52 | More by xabyss

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 750ml corked and caged bottle into Globe glass.

A. Pours 2 finger head. Decent retention. Moderate amount of lacing. Color is a dark amber brown.

S. Yeast, caramel malt, earthiness, oak, brown sugar, dark fruit, raisins. Pretty dominant yeast character when you first smell. Quite a bit of the bourbon aroma comes out as it warms up.

T. Interesting. A plethora of flavors, actually kind of hard to distinguish them all. Overall pretty sweet, but lets see if we can pin all this down. Dark fruit, oak, raisins, brown sugar. A fruity flavor that I can't describe. A really woody vanilla flavor. Taste profile changes pretty dramatic as it warms up. Might have to retry this very close to room temperature. As it warms you get quite a bit more of the bourbon barrel characteristics. Get a lot of oaky vanilla brown sugar goodness.

M. Medium/full bodied. Medium carbonation. Lingering sweetness.

O. Has this strange flavor quality that I have found in other Weyerbacher beers that I can't really describe very well. Comes together a little better as it warms up. Not the most amazing quad, and definitely not the best bourbon barrel aged quad. Yet it is worth another look at again in the futre. I will definitely start the bottle quite a bit warmer than I did this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 19:19:12 | More by siradmiralnelson

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle, 2012 batch. Served at cellar temperature.

Pours clear copper (hazy 2nd half) with a one finger beige head that leaves some spots of lacing and recedes to a wispy cap and ring.

Aroma starts like a typical Quad with fruity esters of banana, cherries, raisins, overripe dark fruits, bread, yeast, some toffee and some mild notes of the barrel aging with a bit of bourbon, vanilla and oak. Very good strength.

Flavor is toffee, fruity, cherries, banana, dark fruits, some caramel, brown sugar, the bourbon, oak and vanilla come through more here than on the nose, pretty darned sweet, some alcohol on the finish but not bad for a nearly 12% brew.

Mouthfeel is medium/full bodied, sticky, creamy, the carbonation is low overall but what is there is fairly prickly.

Good stuff. I never got a chance to try their QUAD, so I can’t compare as far as the differences the barrel aging brings, but a very nice and unique Quad in its own right. Pretty sweet, even for this style and may be a little tough to make it through the 750ml on my own. Monstrous beer, too. Every bit of the 11.8% ABV...this sucker will give you the hiccups and put you to sleep...

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 04:00:21 | More by elgiacomo

Bung

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml. Rusty orange pour, pretty clear. A layer of fine off white bubbles.

Aroma, grape, some red fruit, caramel. Maybe a little yeast.

Taste, a good dose of malt, caramel and some brown sugar, light molasses. Vanilla, almost like there was some oak aging. Finish is kind of a sweet tea.

Medium bodied, the fine carbonation makes it feel almost creamy. There is a good dose of the abv. Probably best shared.

This was a little better than what I was expecting from the reviews. It is big and warm, but the flavors are very good. Goes to show you need to make up your own mind.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 02:33:27 | More by Bung

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a deep amber color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains dark fruit, brown sugar, Belgian yeast, caramelized malts, some spice and some hops.

T: The taste starts out with sweet flavors of brown sugar, caramel and dark fruit. Then a strong alcohol sting comes in along with breadiness from Belgian yeast and a hearty malt character. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, very strong kick, good representation of style, it’s a decent sipper but can be a bit over-powering and there are better choices within in the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 03:24:18 | More by TheManiacalOne