Alesmith Decadence 2012 Belgian-Style Quadruple Ale - AleSmith Brewing Company

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It has a nice deep brown color to it with some amber shining through. It has a nice dark beige head that dies down moderately slow and leaves some lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of dark fruit (raisins, prunes, plums), caramel, bready Belgian yeast.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a some sweet dark fruit, alot of raisins and prunes, some plum, maybe cherries, sweet caramel, some spiciness (pepper and cloves) and breadiness from the yeast.

Mouthfeel: It has a low carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 16:55:49 | More by SebD

kojevergas

California

3.6/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Acquired for $13.99 at a local SoCal beer store. Really excited; I love Alesmith. 12% ABV confirmed. Decadence 2012 Anniversary Ale. 1 pint 9.4 fl oz black glass bottle with foiled-over standard unbranded gold pressure cap served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stem-tulip (sorry, Alesmith, I don't have a goblet here) in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high. No best before or bottled on date, but the label does note that it will age nicely.

"Serve in a goblet at 50-55 degrees." Served cold, straight from the fridge, and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger khaki colour head of nice cream, nice thickness, and very good (~4-5 minute) retention for the high ABV. Body colour is a luxurious dark ruby. Very rich and refined. Semitransparent. Somewhat translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Quite appealing for a quad, but I have seen better. I'm extremely excited to try it.

Sm: Lovely dates and plums. Dark fruit is a highlight here. A bit of grape and fig. Ripe red apple. Caramel malty sweetness. Belgian yeast with accompanying slight spicy notes. Some raisin. Bready malts. Candied fruit. Appealing and inviting. No alcohol is detectable. It's not as natural as some of the best quads I've had, but it's quite nice. A mild strength aroma with interesting subtlety and complexity. I can't wait to try it.

T: Ripe dark plum. Light red apple. Some fig/dates. Plump dark fruit. Caramel malts. Biscuit malt. Pleasant sweetness in the body. I look for cloves and molasses, but do not find these notes. Light raisin/dried grape. A bit of alcohol does come through. All around, it's a rather fruity beer. The balance isn't ideal; Belgian examples of the style feel more cohesive and whole than this does. Hints of anise. Bready malts. Prune. Light sherry syrup. Built well, with complexity and some subtlety. But great beers in the style are far more complex and subtle. Plus they have better balance. This is tasty, but it just can't compete. I will say it's one of the better American attempts at the style that I've had.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Good carbonation. Good thickness, though it is a bit syrupy. Full body. Well done, but not without its flaws. There's room for improvement here. Sticky.

Dr: A drinkable quad that hides its ABV only decently. I'd try a smaller amount if it had some age on it. This is so clinical and brewed with modern American methods; it just can't match Belgian examples of the style. Overall, it just lacks the intentionality and cohesion demanded by the style. Sure, it's got many great notes, but it doesn't bring them together in a holistic way. It's a solid effort from Alesmith, but I'm not sure they're the best brewery to do Belgian styles. They might be better off sticking to heavy coffee stouts and floral IPAs.

B

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 03:03:54 | More by kojevergas

maximum12

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to fiver29 for this extra in another Tolkien-level trade. Big dark 750 ML bottle split with my wife.

Gold foil off, cap popped, pour is a dark ruby read with plenty of carbs. Nose is straight outta Belgium, big yeast notes, bubblegum galore (not the dry kind that used to come in baseball cards, either), big dark fruits. This is what a good quad should be when it's aired out.

Decadence 2012 is a sugared slice of the Olde World dropped into an appropriate piece of glassware. Massive sugar cubes "Hit" up front, along with corn-syrup dipped apples, plums, black seedless grapes, & other droppings from Carmen Miranda's headgear. Middle is all comic-wrapped bubblegum. The curtain drops on sweetened raisins & an ass-slap of booziness that sneaks up on a guy. Glad I'm sharing this big guy with my wife. Ah. You know what I mean. Drinks like a session quad.

I don't think I've had a quad in a while, & now I'm wondering why, because this is lighting up the inside of my mouth. Tasty, complex, sweet, what's not to like? Excellent beer. I can't wait to go to Belgium!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 02:40:11 | More by maximum12

Dope

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

No date that I can find. Not more than a few months old.

A: A nice dark brown/mahogany pour. Enormous fluffy light brown head. Head fades away very slowly, leaving just spotty lacing behind. Quite decent head retention however.

S: Big sweet and boozy dark fruits. Raisin, fig, prunes and plums. Some caramel and brown sugar.

T: Very sweet and smooth dark fruits. Again with the raisin, fig and plums. Get some nice cocoa mixed in with it too. Caramel sweetness throughout, quite a bit of it. Decent bit of belgian yeast spiciness in the middle mixing with brown sugar and fading into the finish. Stomach warming booziness. Lingering caramel sweetness between sips.

M: Heavy, thick, almost syrupy. Big.

O: This is a really nice american style quad. Surprisingly not a huge amount of belgian yeast character. It's mainly just loaded to the hilt with malty sweetness and dark fruits. Very tasty, just huge (750ml of 12% ABV...whew!). I enjoyed it a lot though, one of the better american style quads out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 04:05:42 | More by Dope

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark ruby-brown with a finger of frothy khaki-tan head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Sweet dark caramel malts, raisins, dates, figs, and other dark fruits, Belgian yeast, clove, pepper, and other spices, candi sugar, and some booze.

T - Sweet dark caramel malts, raisins, figs, and other dark fruits, Belgian yeast, clove, pepper, other spices, candi sugar, a touch of cocoa, vanilla, and some booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sweet and warming finish.

D - Nice balanced Quad. Good complexity and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 04:02:57 | More by ngeunit1

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This poured out as a deep brown color. There is a foamy tan head on top. The retention settles and leaves just a thin ring around the glass. There isn't much lacing either. The smell of the beer is sweet, bready and slightly fruity. The taste is also sweet, there is a lot of candi sugars in this one. The bready flavors and earthy roasted notes go well together. The mouthfeel is heavy, nicely carbonated, it's rich but finishes dry. Overall this is a very nice Quad. Really quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 01:30:41 | More by Knapp85

TangTKE402

New York

3.74/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Poured from a bomber bottle into a tasting glass. Amber brownish red with an ecru head and s touch of lacing.

S: Bright and acidic nose with granny smith apple, crystal malts, and bruit fruit notes.

T: raisins, belgian malts and bread in the mouth, with a tart, molasses aftertaste and hints of anise.

M: lighter than expected, with a syrup finish and hoochy hotness.

O: Strong and flavorful, but would probably benefit from aging.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 03:54:53 | More by TangTKE402

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.14/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a very dark amber/brown with almost three fingers of dense off white foam. Great retention, this is a beautiful beer.

S: Lots of dark fruits - prunes mixed with plums lead to a very fruity, sweet smell. A bit peppery as well with just a hint of orange zest and spices.

T: Smooth, sweet prunes are quite strong in this beer with a hint of sherry oxidation. Nutmeg and a hint of clove.

M: Medium to thick mouthfeel with smooth, creamy, yet still fairly strong carbonation.

O: This is a great American Quad. Wonderful dark fruits in it. I'd like a bit more brightness with more spice and orange peel, but this is miles ahead of most American Quads, which I generally find far inferior to their Belgian counterparts.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 22:27:02 | More by coreyfmcdonald

Samuel906

California

3.55/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours very dark, a rich dark red. Lots of apple and lemon on the nose with some coriander other herbals and florals. Fantastic taste: cherry, apple, carmel, vanilla, currant, figs, cocoa and vanilla. Very complex, appealing, refreshing flavor. A little too sweet for my preference, but no booze. Great, true to style... One of the better quads I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 01:43:55 | More by Samuel906

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Clear and dark with a deep reddish brown hue and a thin light brown cap. Looks nice. Aromas of plums, alcohol, sugar, raisins and figs, mild maltiness, faint bread and banana character with a hint of vanilla. Rich flavour with notes of plums and chocolate, raisins and caramel, mild to moderate bitterness, mellow alcohol, and slight spice in the finish. Light banana and more bread crust as it warmed. Medium to full bodied with lowish carbonation. Decent texture with just a bit of warmth. It all came together quite nicely, making for an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 00:30:18 | More by DrJay

Impfan

Washington

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Deep ruby pour, pillowy, off-white head that dissipates to a lasting ring, Aroma of chocolate, toffee, plum, rum, raisin, clove and Belgian yeast. It’s a beautiful scent, but it could be just a tad more prominent. Flavor mirrors the aroma, (with the addition of pepper) and is extremely elegant and seamless. I think the best compliment I can pay this brew is to say that it reminds me very much of a slightly lighter Westvleteren 12.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 21:55:13 | More by Impfan

rdickey

New Jersey

4.59/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Like all AleSmith offerings, the bottle is an understated piece of art in itself. The beer pours a dark but clear mahogany, capped with a medium-sized off-white head. The head collapses pretty quickly under the weight of the ABV, but leaves pretty good lacing.

Smell: A pretty traditional huge quad nose comes up and hits you right in the… nose. Stone fruits dominate, but cloves and Belgian spices join it, along with bananas.

Taste: The taste follows the nose but develops differently. The stone fruits, which seem to evolve into a combination of plums and cherries, continue at the fore, but they are married nicely with the flavors that were previewed in the nose: black pepper, cloves, raisins and bananas. For a 12% ABV the alcohol is actually pretty well disguised, but it’s sort of like the Miami Heat disguising how big LeBron is; there are a lot of big guys on the court, but he’s still huge.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. For a lot of really big beers like this (quads, big tripels), I love the idea of a little more zip to lighten up the massiveness of the taste. In most cases, though, I think that it’s a necessary tradeoff for the brewer, and I think that’s the case here.

Drinkability: This is an exceptional beer, but as with any Belgian it should not be treated as a toy. Even for an experienced reviewer of Belgian beers, this like a double-barreled blast from a twelve gauge. Approach with (enthusiastic) caution.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:23:01 | More by rdickey

pmarlowe

California

4.29/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Tulip glass.

A: Pours a deep auburn, superb clarity, with two fingers of dense, whispy, espresso tan head. Excellent retention and a few swaths of lacing.

S: Malty and fruity esters. Plum, dark cherry, blackcurrant, pepper, dark molasses. Rich aroma but mild.

T: Malty, rich, and boozy, raisin, earth, molasses, with a long, malty finish with a tad residual sugar.

M: Creamy, chewy texture. Medium-full body and medium carbonation, which seems a tad high for the style and gives it a little bite.

O: Tasty and well executed. A rich, moderately boozy quad.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 06:02:05 | More by pmarlowe

srandycarter

California

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Cola brown, light tan head leaves quick, small spotty lace.

S - Toasty malt, sweet, boozy, some dark cooked fruit aspect.

T - Lush fruity center, malty, boozy, fair amount of bitter to prevent cloy.

M - Heavier bodied, viscous, good carbonation, good balance.

D - Nice offering. Very big on flavor and abv, however. Bought a grumbler (32oz growler) and that will be more than enough for one night.

Serving type: growler

02-28-2013 04:22:11 | More by srandycarter

Zorro

California

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Deeply brown colored clear ale with a small khaki colored head.

Smell is sweet and spicy with a strong plum aroma. Little bit of banana and pound cake aroma. Vanilla and caramel. Quite a nicely scented beer.

Starts out sweet and fruity with a plum and banana after taste. On the sweet side you can detect the alcohol level a little by how it numbs the tongue but not any actual ethanol flavor. Some pound cake flavor. What stands out here isn't the complexity, it is how well it all works together. Simply a delicious beer.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall and outstanding beer. This is well worth its price of $14 for a 750 ML bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 01:52:04 | More by Zorro

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.11/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured into my Sound Brewing goblet a nice purplish color with good carbonation yielding a frothy tan cap which resedes leaving behind some moderate lacing

S: The nose is greeted with big plums, purple grapes, some raisins and a big sweet sugary element. A whiff of spice also noted

T: Big plum, raisin,dark cherries, purple grape presence upfront which sordove transits ino a light spice sweetness with dark fruits still int he background. I pick up a little husk, light booze sting with a warming presence. The finish is sweet, a tad spicey, sticky.

M: Robust bodied, medium carbonation, a filling mouthfeel from loads of flavor.The palate detects some fading chocolate as it rolls across and sits on the tongue.

O: Good representation of the style

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 13:19:32 | More by barleywinefiend

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.14/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a goblet.

4.0 A: Clear deep amber mahogany color. One and a half fingers of creamy/frothy beige head. Retention is very good given the ABV and a short ring of lacing is left.

4.25 S: Doesn't smell at all like a Belgian quad in that there's no earthy tones, but it still smells great. Intense caramel, plum, fig, and vinous grapiness. Raisin, toastiness, dates, candi sugar, tobacco, and brown sugar next. Toffee and booze underneath that. Great complexity with surprising strength. The aromas haven't quite merged into a seemless integrated nose, but it's still exceedingly fulfilling.

4.25 T: Taste is exactly like the nose. Lacking in integration and earthy authenticism, but plenty complex and super potent. Plum, fig, and grape again lead the way. Caramel loses a bit of strength and joins the ranks of raisin, toastiness, dates, and brown sugar. Tobacco, candi sugar, and toffee. Tastes like it's ABV, but it isn't overbearing. Overall, quite enjoyable.

3.75 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation, which is spritzy but could be more so. Smooth enough. Good here.

4.0 D: Tasty brew that is good all around.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:40:13 | More by DavoleBomb

ehammond1

California

3.95/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On Tap

Alesmith Brewing Company
San Diego, CA

Clear but very dark ruby and brown with a small dark brown head. This beer doesn't have the creamy persistence and body of a more traditional Belgian quadrupel, but it's still a pretty beer by any degree of measure.

Lots of dark fruit character in the aroma: plum, Belgian-style yeast, brown bread, and generous caramel/bready sweetness. Appropriate, though it doesn't stack up with the bold expressiveness of Belgian's best offerings within the style.

The flavor is similar to the style: Belgian yeast (banana), dark fruits (plums, and sun-dried cherries, and raisins), and sweet fruit cake and bread. Very nice. The alcohol is exceptionally well hidden.

This is where quads separate themselves from the men from the boys, so to speak, and this is still very American/boy as opposed to Belgian: Trappist/man. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

A great American quad, and I can't wait to sample the eventual barrel-aged version. This is a very, very good beer, but I happen to rate quadrupels very stringently.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2013 05:21:46 | More by ehammond1

UCLABrewN84

California

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

On tap at AleSmith Brewing Company in San Diego, CA.

Pours a clear dark reddish-orange with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Foamy rings and dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, caramel, and a distinct banana-like fruity aroma. Taste is much the same with a fruity flavor and an alcohol kick on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with some great aromas and flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2013 20:07:39 | More by UCLABrewN84

Enish266

California

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Alesmith. Reviewed from a couple tasters.

A - deep copper with minimal lacing.

S - sweet raisins. Nose is present and not overpowering. Hints of malt and toffee.

T - ripe cherry and dates. Bready notes and brown sugar dominate the middle palate. Alcohol is well-hidden and only comes through at the very end. Esters and cloves hide nicely in the background. Finishes clean and immensely quaffable for 12% abv.

M - light to medium carbonation. A little on the thin side but still coats the mouth and lingers for a few seconds.

O - A tasty brew and definitely one of the better American quads I've sampled.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2013 00:45:25 | More by Enish266