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

ehammond1

California

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
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

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.99/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

750ml bottle served in a tulip. Pours a deep mahogany with a translucent clarity and a dense, 2.5 inch, tan-colored head that sizzles and pops as it gradually collapses. Head dissipates into a band around the shoulders and thick swaths of lacing coat the walls of the glass as the brew recedes. Nose expresses vinous notes and a suggestion of candied fruit, as well as a trace of something herbal and a hint of malt; however, it's all very faint. Taste is much bolder, revealing milk chocolate, more vinous notes, some ethanol and a faint yeast presence. Mouthfeel is medium-light with an even carbonation and a silky/oily texture. There's also some residual heat at the finish that lingers at the back of the throat. Overall, this is a very good Quad. The pricepoint is a little high considering the value of St. Bernardus, but there is a great deal of character here. Well worth your time if you have the opportunity to try this beer, but I'm not sure I would recommend this beer for extended cellaring.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 23:49:52 | More by Jwale73

savagepm

Colorado

4/5  rDev -4.1%

06-07-2013 23:00:26 | More by savagepm

Chugs13

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

06-03-2013 00:31:23 | More by Chugs13

SDG1070

Ohio

4/5  rDev -4.1%

06-01-2013 12:41:14 | More by SDG1070

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

really an outstanding American quad. this gem pours a lighter sort of indian brown color with that low red glow and a good bit of haze. the head is big bubbles, looks like oatmeal in color and texture, and has pretty good retention. I smell dried cherries, bourbon, cigar smoke, toffee, and burning but not yet black toast. the complexity in both the aroma and flavor is impressive. interestingly the first thing I taste is the yeast, which is quintessentially Belgian, strong and active, dominating all the candy sugar that must have been added to this. some light dried fruit notes before the vanilla and char take over, really nice flavor journey from start to finish on this. I like the feel a lot for a quad, not all huge and syrupy but well carbonated and a little lighter than the standard in terms of body. it allows the flavors to shine and not get heavy. the alcohol too is rather well disguised, but this will sneak up on you, definitely a bottle to share. I would drink a lot more quads if they had the mouthfeel of this one. thanks to claystation for making this one possible, he is new to BA, but certainly not new to beer. many thanks for this exceptional brew that is a difficult score here in Colorado.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 19:41:53 | More by StonedTrippin

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-27-2013 18:44:59 | More by Daniellobo

Geno206

Washington

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-22-2013 01:56:07 | More by Geno206

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
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

Zbeetleman

California

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-15-2013 04:52:53 | More by Zbeetleman

kjkinsey

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-13-2013 01:14:16 | More by kjkinsey

gshak

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-12-2013 17:18:07 | More by gshak

caverog

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-10-2013 19:54:05 | More by caverog

Braz

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

04-22-2013 14:22:35 | More by Braz

kojevergas

California

3.6/5  rDev -13.7%
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

DruClark

California

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

04-20-2013 15:31:11 | More by DruClark

kingmaker

Louisiana

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

04-18-2013 03:09:38 | More by kingmaker

maximum12

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
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 +0.7%
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 +3.8%
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

zestar

California

4/5  rDev -4.1%

04-05-2013 08:50:00 | More by zestar

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +1.4%
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

monitorpop

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

03-31-2013 19:47:27 | More by monitorpop

TangTKE402

New York

3.74/5  rDev -10.3%
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

retry4z

California

5/5  rDev +19.9%

03-29-2013 12:32:32 | More by retry4z