Gulden Draak 9000 Quadruple - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

Brutmasta

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a stubby bottle into a short tulip.

Pours a lovely amber with some pink and orangish hues. I'm getting almost no nose from this at all besides the typical yeast you get from a quad or a tripel. I'm actually very disappointed in this. Once you take a sip the disappointment from the nose goes away pretty quickly. Biscuit, apricot, leafy things, with a bit of citrus all meshing together seamlessly! Mouthfeel has a lot of carbonation early and finishes semi dry for a very different mouthfeel that covers all areas. Overall a very good beer but not being able to smell it brings it down a tad.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 03:38:01 | More by Brutmasta

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330 mL stubby bottle, poured into goblet. No easy to read dating.

appears a clear dark golden color with amber highlights. huge foamy off-white head settles down to a thick creamy layer. aroma and taste is a little boozy. raisin, sugar, but not too sweet. bread crust. medium body, coats the mouth. lower carbonation, smooth.

overall - okay, but not as good as the regular Gulden Draak

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 02:29:15 | More by jmdrpi

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Brilliant deep clear amber colour with plenty of carbonation streams. The bloom of the carbonation blasts the head straight up to four fingers of soapy head. Plenty of lacing and the head holds very well. This looks great in the glass.

S: Sweet caramel and sweet pale malts. Sweet ripe banana and tropic pineapple & just a hint of alcohol esters. Some notes of golden raisins and peaches. Smell is sweet and alluring without becoming too sticky sweet.

T: Sweet malts & bread yeast, not as sweet as the scent, but hold some malty sweet that stands up well to the yeast. Some hints of honey and dates and ripe bananas. Alcohol is there, maybe not as forward as other quads, however you will get a tiny hint booziness. Aftertaste shows a mild sweetness mixed with minerals, fantastic.

M: The carbonation is a subtle buzz that wakens the front of the tongue, so subtle it doesn't make it all the way back. It holds nicely on the tongue.

O: Gulden Drake 9000 seems to straddle the quad and the triple styles and it does so with skilled precision. With hints of alcohol but notes of sweet malts it does marry the 2 styles, but overall this brew is terrific. If it were presented as a triple I think it might get better marks. However if you think of it as a variation on the style - it still blends the 2 styles artfully. Definitely worth a try - keep an open mind.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 04:37:13 | More by FondueVoodoo

fx20736

New York

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

poured from a 330ml bottle into a glass, served at room temp.

Beer gushed out open upon opening, bilowing off white head sits atop a coppery orange beer that is insanely active with carbonation.

aroma is nutty-malty like pancake batter, subtle sweetness like orange marmalade, pineapples and honey.

mouthfeel is curiously flat for a beer this carbonated.

taste; again orange marmalade and nutty pancake batter. a sweet booziness on the finish that doesn't overpower the taste buds.

very interesting beer. it calls itself a Quadrupel but is the lightest in color and flavor of any Quad I've ever tasted. it juicy and mildly sweet. Ultimately the beer falls short with its poor mouthfeel and flavor that is a little too subtle for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 22:51:10 | More by fx20736

BobZ

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Rich amber with a big frothy 2” head that barely recedes to about 1 ½”. Abundant lacing.

Smell: Citrus (toward lemon) and spice.

Taste: A citrus sweetness upfront with a perfect amount of hoppy bitterness on the finish. Slight hint of bread from the malt. The alcohol is warming but other than that completely masked.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and rich on the palate up front but clean and crisp on the finish.

Overall: Funny the call the regular Gulden Draak a “Dark Tripel” and it taste just like a good BSDA. The call the 9000 version a quad and it’s much more like a strong tripel in flavor. Either way it’s a delicious beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 21:52:46 | More by BobZ

scottfrie

California

3.25/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

375ml bottle into matching tulip.

A: Pours a deep caramel amber color with a couple fingers of fizzy light tan head. Head slowly faded into a fuzzy film that lasted the whole beer through. Decent lace left down the glass.
S: Huge notes of sweet fruits dominate with flavors of apple cider, grape juice, plums, red pears, and raisins coming through. I pick up some expected spice as well plus light notes of alcohol.
T: Very sweet with the same fruits as the nose, but definitely more yeasty and spicy than the nose suggested. I get pears, grapes, apple juice, clove, cinnamon, dates, prunes, raisins, cocoa, golden delicious apples, pepper, and doughy yeast on the palate.
M: Bold, sweet, boozy, and damn near cloying. Carbonation is prickly at first but softens up in my mouth. Full body, syrupy mouthfeel.
O: About five years of age would probably do this one some good. It’s good but just a bit too sweet and boozy for me to love. If you can, wait a long while to crack this one open.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 01:43:04 | More by scottfrie

zeff80

Missouri

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, dark, dark copper color with ruby highlights. It had a three-finger, tan head of fluffy foam. It left sticky patches of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of dried dark fruits with some biscuity malt notes.

T - It tasted of plum, raisin, dates and fig. A touch of toffee, caramel and spice.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium to full bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This is a fantastic quadrupel. Glad I was able to find one in Kansas.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 03:13:58 | More by zeff80

DavidST

Texas

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

Poured from a 33cl bottle into a goblet, didn't see a bottled date. This pours a mid sized off white head which has medium retention and leaves a lacing and the color is slightly golden color. The smells are spicy, some Belgian funk, some coriander, some fruit esters. The feel is medium high carbonination. The taste is spicy, a little hop bitterness, not as much malts as expected, very dry, but tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 04:15:45 | More by DavidST

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Gulden Draak 9000 opens to a rich, fruity nose overflowing with banana, strawberry, cherry, orange, peach, pear, sweet apple, and melon fruit esters. The sheer variety of fruit aromas is astounding, as if the beer were 50% fruit juice. But there’s also a nice spice bouquet, including clove, coriander, and touches of white pepper and nutmeg, long draughts of wildflower honey, honeysuckle, caramel, vanilla, and toffee, and a good, light base of baguette and pastry. The panoply of sugars and fruits in here, when held next to the pastry notes, make the beer smell like a delicious spiced fruit pie. But there’s also an alcoholic note, as of champagne, white wine, mead, and a hint of cognac, which speaks to a spiked fruit trifle. As a whole, the nose is fantastic, offering one of the more varied, layered, rich fruit-and-sugar based aromas I’ve ever encountered, the beer smelling like it should be its own dessert course.

On the tongue, the beer begins with a typical banana and clove note, but this is quickly joined by other fruits and spices, the berries, peaches, pears, sweet apples, cherries, and melon fruits from the nose translating very nicely, and the cloves joined by sharp bites of white pepper. The wildflower honey and honeysuckle also translate nicely, giving the beer an almost super-sweet Stevia extract rim, with brown sugar, caramel, and toffee adding further sweet textures. Hops provide just enough sweet pink grapefruit flesh to add a pleasantly citrusy, bitter edge. The alcoholic content here is champagne-like, with medium white wine and mead overtones, and these blend well with pastry and light toast crust. Near the end of the mouthful the beer takes an even sweeter turn, for a half-second or so spiking in Stevia extract sweetness, before subsiding into a fruity, sugary aftertaste that mimics the main flavors, and lingers on the tongue for a good while. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium-high, adding to the champagne feel.

Overall, this is excellent beer, and one of the better quads on the market. I did find that the taste didn’t quite live up to the promise of the aromas, but even at that, the flavors were delicious, and almost perfectly balanced. A must-try for fans of Belgian ales.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 21:00:27 | More by jondeelee

secondtooth

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This true Belgian quad pours a hazy, clouded amber with a huge, zealous head of gold-tinged suds. It dissipates fast, leaving an erratic, chunky lace.

Nose is, like a true Belgian, full of spices and dark fruit. I get some clove action alongside dried berries and yeasty bread. Nice.

Taste comes across like a freight train! It's strong and assertive on the palate, with a wallop of fruit, spice, and bread right up front. The finish leaves a warming, boozy kick. Truly a big, heavy, and complex ale that rivals the original Gulden Draak. Classic and beautiful!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 01:41:27 | More by secondtooth

Pegasus

Texas

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance, massive, somewhat coarse, off-white head atop a slightly hazy golden orange body. The carbonation is quite fine and abundant in numerous streams. The lacing is scattered and patchy.

Aroma: Lots of sweet caramel and broad brushes of coriander. There are also pepper notes, spicy alcohol, orange rind, apples, and honey.

Taste: Opens with an earthy, spicy note, and warming vinous alcohol. As the taste progresses, bitter apples, plums, and cherries offer a counterpart to he spices and sweet alcohol. Finishes with mild, earthy hop notes, and warming alcohol.

Mouth feel: Smooth and velvety, quite pleasing.

Drinkability/notes: Quite elegant and very pleasing, and entirely appropriate for the holiday table. Would pair very well with roasted turkey, or as an aperitif. Excellent with chocolate cake or dark chocolate.

Presentation: Packaged in a classic Belgian-style bomber with a cork and cage, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Source: Purchased at Specs in Austin, TX, at $11.99.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 15:33:54 | More by Pegasus

mcanderson0

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Liquid gold. Ruby orange. Vibrant. Thick white head forms and slowly recedes.

S: Hoppy. Fresh cut grass and bananas. Wofts of citrus with the malt breaking through near the end.

T: Reminds me of a pale ale without any bitterness. Some lighter fruit flavor like apricots, nectarines, and golden raisins. A mild tang of lemon zest is present on the tongue.

M: Silky. Highly carbonated but once that is allowed to bleed off the velvety character comes alive.

O: Easy to drink and lots of lighter flavors. This is an odd-take on a quadruple, this is brighter in color and hoppier/sweeter/lighter flavor than other typical examples of the style. Although, I will purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 01:27:03 | More by mcanderson0

gtermi

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark golden orange body with a thick white creamy head that very slowly fades and never truly goes away.

S: Strong caramel, booze, sweet malt, some fruit and it has a tiny bit of that funky quad, but not as much as the higher end quads like Westvleteran or St Bernardus. That really bums me out.

T: A lot of fruit.. like banana and apricot.. a bit of quad funk, some tart flavor and a little bit of booze. This beer does taste very nice, but it doesn't really scream quad to me. It sort of tastes more like a dubbel or tripel to me.

M: The beer has a fantastic full body, with a nice creamy head. The beer also has a good amount of carbonation that tingles the back of the throat and the tip of the tongue.

O: This is a very tasty beer and I am glad that I have been able to try it. The quad thing really bothers me because it just doesnt taste like one, but if you can overlook that part, it's quite delicious.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 05:21:28 | More by gtermi

Douberd

Netherlands

3.83/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330 ml bottle, sitting in my fridge for quite long. ABV is 10,5%. Bottle is brown, but dressed also in black plastic with the label being white. Bought in the Netherlands. Good thing I am Greek as the ingredients are only written in greek for some reason (in several other languages is written only that it contains barley malt) and those are water, barley malt, sugar, rice, hops and curacao extract. Weid.
Poured into my chalice, this beer has a dark orange colour, with really tiny bubbles rising to the top. Head is soapy, off-white in colour, two and a half fingers in height and lowering, until it reaches the height of two fingers, with very good retention. Some light lacing around the glass.
Very nice aroma of dark fruits, with some peachy notes too. Some alcohol on the smell, apricots as well.More faint is an aroma of malts and vanilla.
Fruity taste, mostly peach. Alcohol is quite notable on the taste, biting your tonque on the finish.
Medium to thick on the body, with average carbonation.
Quite good, as I expected it to be.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 21:21:29 | More by Douberd

FosterJM

California

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1589th Review on BA
Draft to Goblet
16oz

@Yardhouse, Chino Hills, CA

App- Was really surprised at the color on this one. More of an IPA deep orange with a large 1-1/2" head that faded semi slowly and was very sticky on the glass. A bit translucent on the edges but retained a nice density in the center.

Smell- I dont count this as a quad. This was a bit of a mish mash. A bit of an IPA with a bitter nose that lent itself to a wit/wheat beer that had some quad deep fruits. The ABV was well hidden as well. Took a while to decipher all the notes on this.

Taste- I thought this was tasty but wouldnt call it a Quad in the true style. Blended to be somewhat of an IPA/Quad/Triple blend with bitter, hops, malts and fruits all competing. Semi unbalanced but still a tasty beer.

Mouth- Its a nice creamy quad with a medium body with a medium carbonation. Too much bitter and DIPA creamy hops on the finish for the style.

Drink- I thought it was really tasty. Didnt exactly fit the style but oh well. Sometimes line blur between things. Tasty beer. Might grab a bottle or two.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2012 21:36:32 | More by FosterJM

srandycarter

California

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Murky dark honey, apricot. Small head leaves to disk. Lots of cling.

S - Phenol, estery booze, sweet malt and some floral aspect.

T - Omg. Booze mostly. Then Belgian yeast and some malt, followed by burning boozy finish.

M - Creamy. I suppose decent balance and carbonation for such a high abv. Harsh finish.

D - One is enough. I like the other Draak better, I think.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 04:20:00 | More by srandycarter

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a deep clear amber color ale with a large foamy head with average retention and some light lacing. Aroma of fruity ester with some residual sugar and some dry fruits notes is quite intense. Taste is also a complex mix between light alcohol ester notes with some dry fruits and some residual sugar with light warming notes of alcohol. Body is quite full with good carbonation and some alcohol was apparent. Nice level of complexity but still a tad too sweet for my taste buds which could have been levelled out with a 2-3% reduction in ABV.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 20:26:46 | More by Phyl21ca

IPA35

Netherlands

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

A slightly hazy, orange-amber beer. Quite a large white head with big bubbles. Shrinks quite fast.

Smells like a tripel with light fruits and spice. Sort of citrus, apricot, green apple, white wine-ish. Clove, pepper.

This is not a quad as we know it. Not at all.

The taste is quite sweet, slightly fruity (as described above), some caramel malts and quite alcoholic. A pleasant light taste with a rather big maltiness kicking in once you swallow it. I don't get much hops but it is a rather dry beer.

Smooth mouthfeel, good carbonation, light to medium body.

A good beer, quite balanced and such but I prefer a dark quad over this.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 19:57:33 | More by IPA35

cradke

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Fantastic orange red hues with sediment and haze. Almost opaque. The head is out of this world. Thick and frothy and it covers the entire beer for the duration. Fantastic.

Smell: Sweet yeast. Toffee, bread. Pleasant. Nothing overwhelming but very approachable and nice.

Taste:: Smooth profile. Yeast and esters. Very light for a quad with decent sweetness. Not nearly the toffee and hazelenut that I expect from a quad. A small touch of alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Very nice carbonation. Smooth and very well refined. Thickness is light but substantial.

Overall: Hmm, I'm kind of conflicted about this beer. It's appearance is out of this world. The taste is very nice, refined, smooth with good mouthfeel, but it's just not....doing it....for me. I can't really put my finger on it. Everything works for what it is, but it's nothing new and lacking soem complexity i look for in my quads. Very good beer that's very refined with a dynamite appearance, but there are better quads out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 01:17:27 | More by cradke

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11.2oz stubby Belgian bottle to snifter.

Pours...much lighter than I was expecting, to be quite honest. I've never seen a quad that was a dark pale orange colour. Off-white head adorns. The aroma was Belgian spices, yeasty esters, fruity tones and a tinge of alcohol. Sweetness on the taste, nutty, sweet yeast esters, spicy, herbal hops. Slight alcohol; appropriate. Full-ish body, with a stout creamy quality.

Quite enjoyable, but the appearance is not what I was expecting....

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 04:34:27 | More by EgadBananas

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33cl Bottle: best before 1 Dec 2013, poured into a Westmalle chalice at home on 28 Sep 2012 during a 'random tasting evening'.

Looked great in the chalice: a rich amber body with an off-white crown of uneven foaming bubbles on top.

The aroma given off is a heavy mix of malty molasses and candid fruit esters, could I also find Port, yeast and a promise of alcohol: yes, I could.

The taste was sweeter than I thought it would be, but the alcohol level and the wine yeast that is used in the secondary fermentation ensures a semi-sourness also prevails and the sweetness subsides as you get into the flavours more.

Interesting and different: a fine, strong beer and one I shall endevour to have again.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 10:04:30 | More by BlackHaddock

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a dark golden color with a persistent three finger craggy head with massive lacing qualities. Full body and smooth texture, medium carbonation levels.

Smells of candi sugar, caramel, a touch of bubblegum esters, some vinous dark notes appear as the glass warms up. Tastes mostly of caramel malt, various colors of apples and plums with some sour cherry / prune tones, and a medium-light booze sting in the finish. It's a fairly nice Quad!

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 05:15:23 | More by WastingFreetime

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a light to medium orange amber. A careful pour resulted in a massive 4" head of light brown foam that slowly dissipated leaving lots of lacing. Aroma of light and dark fruit, Belgian spicing, light caramel malt. Flavor is sweet stone fruits, dark fruit finishing slightly drier with fruit and a bit of peppery spice. Flavors are well integrated and cover the high ABV nicely. Medium bodied, a bit syrupy and creamy. A nice, flavorful quadrupel.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 04:46:39 | More by LiquidAmber

RuudJH

Netherlands

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Looks good. Clear beer amber colour with a strong beige head on it. Modest carbonation.
Smell of caramel, vanilla, figs.
Taste is malty and sweet. It has the fruit in there but it's a bit faint.
The beer is quite light, somehow. It's like some barleywines with less roasty character than most quads. Alcohol is quite strong and dominant, but it's not harsh at all.
Overall it's a good drink. It's not as dark and packed with flavour as you might expect, but it's ok.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 15:01:39 | More by RuudJH

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 33cL bottle into a Glencairn glass.

A: A finger and a half of white head, with a clear, amber beer. It's pretty, and looks like white grape juice. Great retention, heavy lacing.

S: Smells like a tripel. Grainy and sweet with a touch of fruit.

T: Mmm, quite nice. I really like it, but I still am reminded more of a tripel. It's lightly spicy, sweetly grainy, and full of fruit. Medium-bodied and compelling. I suspect that the quad recipe substitutes a lighter malt to get this interesting hybrid.

M/O: Very nice beer. Recommended. Light, spicy, sweet, and engaging. Still, I might not want to drink an entire bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 06:43:04 | More by AgentMunky