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

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood Brewing

Dark amber in color with a khaki colored head. Sweet caramel and brown sugar on the nose right away. Some banana and dark fruit notes (quite a bit of red grape) follow that. A mild spice note and a hint of bubblegum as well. The bubblegum is more pronounced on the palate and adds to the sweetness of the caramel, brown sugar, and banana flavors. Similar dark fruit notes, almost overripe plums, grapes, and cherries.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 04:09:46 | More by womencantsail

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as an orange color... Not really what I was expecting for a Quad. The head was big, fluffy and cream colored. The head settles and leaves a film on top of the beer. The smell of the beer was loaded with caramel, dark fruits, and Belgian yeast. The taste of the beer was a little stronger than it should have been. There was a light amount hop bitterness in there that I feel overpowered the beers sweetness. The mouthfeel was sharp and not as soft and creamy as it should taste. Overall this isn't the best best Quad out there, it was nice to try but I wouldn't reccomend this to someone who is curious about the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 01:45:55 | More by Knapp85

Kromes

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: A clear amber/gold color with a thick off-white head that laces the glass.

S: Fresh pear, apple and a bit of clove spice and grass.

T: More of the crisp pear and apple up front. This fades into a slight clove and bready alcohol flavor. Drinks very much like a Tripel.

M: High Carbonation gives it a peppery feel and fills out the body. A little bit oily and smooth.

O: Good Quad here. Unique in the fact that it is more like a Tripel. The alcohol is somewhat tame given the ABV%. Refreshing and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 22:59:01 | More by Kromes

rarbring

Sweden

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A clear light amber, small bubbles, a large frothy head, good lacing, good curtains.

Smelling of sweet fruits, apricots, cloud-berries.

Sweet, bread, fruit syrup, apricots, sherry.

Medium high carbonation, smooth, thick and oily, good body.

A very nice mellow quadruple, no big gestures, rather light.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 18:40:59 | More by rarbring

bashiba

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a clean bright orange with a thick and creamy long and lasting tan head.

The nose is full of sweet fruit, tropcical notes with a bit of fig and belgian spice.

The flavor is bready and sweet with hints of banana, orange, and pineapple. Has a bit of funk and lingering spices in the finish along with a bit of earthy bitterness that evens it out nicely.

The mouthfeel is full and creamy, but finishes surprisingly dry.

I like this, its very good and has a lot of great belgian characteristics, but is quite a bit removed from what most people consider a Belgian Quad. It seems more like a super charged tripel, but its good enough that it doesn't matter.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 23:21:55 | More by bashiba

Zorro

California

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Corked and caged Champagne size and type bottle.

Cork almost explodes out of the bottle not lacking in carbonation.

Slightly chilled amber colored ale with a puffy white colored head.

Spicy and sweet smell, my first impression is the smell of Rum! Sweet and spicy with a slight cork scent and lots of fruity scent. Strongest fruit scents are apple and banana with a trace of cinnamon. Reasonably strong scent of white rum. Hops not detected.

Starts out sweet and spicy in the mouth. Apple and banana with some coriander. Spicy cinnamon and allspice tastes. Rum makes it in to the taste not unlike an apple that has been Flambe' with rum and a cinnamon spice mix on top. Terribly tasty and a little on the sweet side, it hides its considerable alcohol content completely.

Mouthfeel is full.

Overall another world class beer from Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. Just as good as regular Gulden Draak.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 01:47:35 | More by Zorro

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.53/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Stubby bottle picked up tonight at the COOP... Pours with a sturdy 3 finger light tan head... good lacing and retention atop a clear orange brew.

Nose shows clove and light "pink bubblegum" ... light peppercorn and some background sorta spicy.. even floral hoppiness..

Flavor shows plenty of fruity esters.. pear, apple, overripe white peaches.. very estery.... a touch too much residual maltiness goes a long way to accentuate the fruitiness.. sweet maltiness really blooms with warmth.. too heavy. No balance at all.

Carbonation is about right... but much of the rest of the brew is "wrong" ... even in the "BSPA" realm, this is all over the map...

This brew is too much of "everything Belgian" and never finds a good mesh. Certainly not a "Quad", but a BSPA that hits the fruitiness hard.

I may buy a bottle or two to forget about for a year or so.. but I doubt it will do any good, it is just too estery and the residual sugars just hammer it.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 06:56:15 | More by JohnGalt1

Phelps

Arizona

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a snifter at Tops.

Pretty light for a quad— a hazy tarnished gold. One finger of foamy, pillowy off-white head sticks around for a while but eventually fades to a thick, furry top layer.

Got the usual quad nose, though. Dark fruits mingle, with raisin, boysenberry and others mixing with strawberry, bubblegum and maple. Alcohol as well. Smells like it would be great on pancakes.

Wow — very rich, fruity flavor. Brown sugar and maple are baked over a casserole of raisin, strawberry and brandy. The finish is heavy with alcohol-soaked raisins. This will sound weird, but as it warms I get flavored that remind of a good, fruity Speyside scotch.

Good, hefty medium body carries the big flavor. Sugary. Light carbonation breaks into some silky fizz. Alcohol heat dances through the nostrils.

A rich brew. A little sweet, but very good.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2012 05:06:36 | More by Phelps

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip glass.

Appearance: Beer pours a a dark golden color, light bubbles floating throughout the body. White head is really thick rising to just over a fingers length, barely moves while sipping.

Smell: Light yeast scent. but take a another sniff you little caramel and light scotch feel.

Taste: Slightly complex, little sweet in a honey type of way, gently bitter with full taste.

Mouth: Ever sticking taste, light to medium combination which so sharply smooth.

Overall: Take your time when drinking this gem, it is incredibly well crafted. I appreciate quality and this beer easily carries it beginning to end. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 05:45:30 | More by BlurryVisi0n

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Serving type - Bottle

Appearance - Light tanish copper brown with a foamy, thick 4+ inch head and tons of lacing.

Smell - Very sweet, lots of spices, very floral oranges, pineapple, grapefruit, apple, pear, bubblegum, lemon, belgium yeasts, a carmal note along with some alcohol.

Taste - A real strong, sweet, overload of floral and fruity flavors. Strong apple and pear mixed with sugary yeasts, and a little peach and orange at the end. Spices are very present and add some bite along with a herbal flavor. Finish is still insanely fruity with a little carmal note.

Mouthfeel - Very big bold flavors, tounge gets nailed with fruits and spices, were palate gets more fruits along with yeasts and malts. Finish is sweet and aftertaste is sweet, fruity and strong.

Overall - This is really good, very flavorful and strong, yet the alcohol is masked well. Tons of sweet fruits, yeasts and spices. Its very pricey but this should be treated as a speciality, not a everyday, or week, or even month beer. Shell out the cash if you enjoy quads, regular gulden draak, or belgium ales in general. Very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 23:53:52 | More by wvsabbath

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear copper-tinged gold with a fizzy white mousse that dies away within seconds. Little streams of effervescence are clearly visible in the glass.

S: Aromas of alcohol, spicy yeast, biscuit, caramel, mild herbs, and grass are present on the nose. Very phenolic, but also very inviting.

T: Notes of caramel, biscuit, herbs, tobacco, grass, apple, and minerals wash across the palate. Around mid-palate, the spicy yeast flavors become more apparent, leaving impressions of coriander, pepper, caraway, cinnamon, and allspice in the mouth. The finish is intense and fiery with notes of spices, biscuit, and caramel washed in astringent alcohol.

M: Heavy and firm in body, and rather dryish as well. Carbonation is active and intense. Alcohol is particularly pronounced, imparting prickly, cleansing sensations to the mouth.

O: I'm not as impressed with this reimagining of Gulden Draak as some other reviewers. I enjoy the more pronounced hop character and the flavors imparted by the lighter malts, but the alcohol presence is way too heavy and forceful, even for the style. Couple this with the fact that the head retention is severely lacking, and you have a strong ale that may need to be tweaked a bit in the future. I may revisit this one a year or two down the road to see if anything has changed, but for now, it's solid, but not exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 13:33:15 | More by mrfrancis

impending

California

3.15/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

B-

33cl into a tulip. Pours a crystal clear new shiny penny, minor egg cream colored head, ok lacing.

Aroma has a range of fragrances from high to low. Strong spicy phenols, floral components and a little zinc.

Flavor is of a spiced honey with metallic overtones. No dark fruits. Obvious but not hot alcohol, no solvents. Phenolic slightly bitter aftertaste doesn't linger too long to its benefit. Medium to full bodied lively mouthfeel. Nothing about this is quadish.

Americans don't brew quads to the level of the Trappists, De Struise, Val Dieu, St Bernardus and others whose brews are clearly of that style ilk like Het Anker. This is the converse, a belgian quad brewed in the style of a Four, The Stoic or V-Twelve. None particularly quadish.
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 04:47:47 | More by impending

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Incredibly, the reinvention of the Gulden Draak brand borrows a lighter malt color and palate fare while retaining, and maybe increasing its complexity with spice, fruit, and candied malts.

Burnt amber in color, the rubyish and orangeish hues play out with mild haze that casts a light even glow. The beer releases a creamy and rocky head of off white foam that quickly succumbs to its own sugary weight and alcohols until it reduces to a ring around the glass. Mild legging keeps the beer looking as much like brandy as it does beer.

Brown sugar, molasses, dark pitted fruits, peppery spice, and vinous character plays out even before the first sip. The nose enjoys savory notes of chocolate and cherry, caramel and wine, figs, dates, and apples along with the tawny sweet scent of port wine.

Flavors are intensely sweet with caramel and toffee with nearly butterscotch richness, elegance, and supple taste. Merlot grapes, cherries, plumbs, dehydrated fruit, and tart apples bridge the sweetness into tartness that assists the taste of peppercorn and spicy alcohol in balance. The fantastic flavors take the palate on quite a journey in short order as the initial sweetness turns fruity and then hot and spicy to finish like a fine dessert wine or digestive.

Full bodied from start to finish, even the high rate of carbonation struggles to pull the beer from the tongue. Because this, the beer puts its full brunt onto the mouth for full appreciation of flavor and texture. Finishing semi-dry, mildly acidic, and nearly hot the beer allows for a long linger of fruit, malt, and heat.

Although the alcohol is roughly the same as the original Draak, it's barely lighter malting allows for superb balance of fruit and spice to play a larger role, although it also exposes its higher (and somewhat distracting) hop bitterness and needle-prick alcohols.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2012 18:02:15 | More by BEERchitect

barczar

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear light copper color with a solid cream half inch head that dissipates into a ring of foam, leaving thick lacing.

The aroma is more subtle than expected, with boozy notes opening the profile, and a wine-like tartness following. Hints of underlying malt sweetness surface. Raisins and figs become evident as it warms.

Flavor is far more recognizable for the style, with an underpinning of wine-like tartness adding complexity to a strong brown sugar malt backbone, lightening it into a slightly dry, herbal hop finish. Plums, figs, and dates surface mid palate. Pepper eventually dominates the aftertaste. Banana and apple esters surface as it warms.

Body is thick, syrupy, with moderate carbonation to accentuate the tartness and lift the beer off the tongue.

Overall, a lot different than any quad I've had. The tartness balances out the typically cloying malt bill well, but there's enough complexity to keep me coming back for more.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2012 02:16:54 | More by barczar

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip: Three fingers of fluffy, glistening, cream head over translucent, rusty orange body. What the? - I guess since regular Gulden Draak is a "dark triple", this is a "light quad"? Looks good, though, with small, tight nucleation & sticky wads of lacing.

Smell is sweet & fruity, with a nose up front of peaches, baked apples, a little orange, caramel, some clove & nutmeg, slightly herbal & grassy. Just a solid Belgian smell, takes me back to whiffing some of my first Belgians at Sharp Edge a decade ago.

Taste is right along with it: apple, prune, banana, clove, caramel, honey, some booze sharpness that finishes with a dry zing but with a sweet, mellow aftertaste. Very enjoyable, everything's right where it should be.

Full-bodied, with some activity & high carbonation without being "fizzy", sweet in the beginning & end, dry in the middle.

Really well done old-school Belgian that's right in the wheelhouse. Nothing crazy or experimental, but it packs a lot of the things that got me into Belgians in the first place. Very evocative.

Taste is ooh, yeah.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 21:54:10 | More by OneDropSoup

kylehay2004

Florida

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - half finger head of off white foam on a hazy, amber colored body.

S: bready and biscuity with fruity mostly sour cherry notes.

T: Sweet caramel, cherry and strawberry fruits. Very sugary and a little tart. Yeast presence balances this out.

M: light to medium body and light to moderate carbonation.

Overall: sweet and sugary like I would expect from a quad.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2012 03:57:15 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - poured with a small head of off white foam on a hazy, amber colored body. The head settles fairly quickly and leaves no lace.

S - a fruity and sour aroma of cherry and some spicy notes.

T - sweet caramel and some sour cherry up front. Sweeter caramel in the middle with plum and a bit of clove in the finish.

M - medium thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - complex and relatively balanced, the tart malt works well with the yeast.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2012 03:43:09 | More by nickfl

zachary80

Indiana

3.55/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Black bottle, poured into a pint glass.

Color is very light for a Quad, which caused me to reach for the bottle description which reads "that is has a "deep golden amberblonde color" -- something I completely agree with. The "head" is white but there is something wrong here - it pours more like a soda with huge bubbles. The lacing consists of several large bubbles on the glass. Looks more like a strange soda or mixed drink than a beer.

Aroma is full of the yeasty and estery notes that define big Belgian beers. Some hints of cinnamon; moderate sweetness.

Flavor is more like a BSDA or Tripel than a Quad. Lightly sweet. However not as complex as I enjoy in a beer of this type.

Mouthfeel is thin and dry though not completely so. A little alcohol on the exhale. Carbonation is on the higher side.

I'm left wondering if this is labeled a quad simply by nature of being the strongest in the lineup. As such I didn't rate to the style guidelines beyond the general characteristics of strong and tasty Belgian beers. Rated on its own merit is is definitely enjoyable although not exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 02:53:18 | More by zachary80

homebrewhawk

Kansas

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz. bottle served in a tulip. Lots of carbonation. Poured a deep gold with a huge white head. Some Belgian yeast spice and a little alcohol in the nose. Bottle conditioned. Not as boozy as the nose would suggest. Fair amount of malt sweetness with more Belgian spice in the finish. Way too easy drinking for the ABV! You could get in trouble with this.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 16:11:15 | More by homebrewhawk

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

3.73/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle. Chimay Chalice glass. Enjoyed on may´12. Amber color, orangish hues to the light.Hazy appearance. Close, off-white, slowly fading crown. Intense sugar, figs & spices to the nose. Gentle sugary upfront then increasing alcohol lingers into the end. Slightly peppery in the middle, just an illusion, fluid molasses all around –no cloying even though-. Full body, moderate carbonation. Pleasant drinkability. I love Quad style!

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 22:51:40 | More by GONZALOYANNA

jamespub

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

just purchased today. called and reserved a 4 pack as soon as i saw that this beer existed. gulden draak triple is one of my all time favorite beers, so I was very excited to grab this new brew. the store only got one case, so I was fortunate to walk out with one.

A- beatiful amber that pours with a nice head of carbonation. the duvel tulip keeps the bubbles rolling which has maintained a small head throughout. some lacing is present. the brew is quite pleasant to behold.

S- great smells of malt and alcohol. has that mild funk typical of belgians, but is by no means unpleasant. the smell is quite strong compared to it's appearance. you can smell the sweetness.

T- malty delicious that is reigned in by the alcohol. The alcohol is noticeable, but it is a positive contribution to the taste. the burn and bitter of the alcohol keeps the sweetness in check. not nearly as much of a dark fruit taste that I would expect from the style, but is great in flavor. caramel sweet. not overly complex, but there isn't anything offensive about it in the least. every taste is delicious.

M- I'm surprised that it doesn't have a dryer finish. I could see myself enjoying this year round. it wets the whistle enough to be enjoyed in the summer, but the alcohol burn will keep you warm in the winter. very smooth with near perfect carbonation. the best parts of the flavor linger after the drink goes down.

O- original GD reminds me more of a quad than a triple. the GD9000 reminds me more of a triple than a quad. maybe they just like to have fun with their beer classifications. either way, both brews are phenomenal in their own right. If i was a wealthier man, i would have a steady supply of each in my fridge. I can see myself picking this up more often if it ends up being a new regular GD brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 02:11:21 | More by jamespub

superspak

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into chalice, no bottle dating; but this one just came out recently. Pours amazingly crystal clear reddish orange color with a nice 1-2 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Minimal lacing on the glass, with a good amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big banana, raisin, plum, bubblegum, pepper, candi sugar, biscuit, molasses, caramel, clove, herbal, earth, and yeast spices. Fantastic and well balanced aromas here, with a ton of yeast esters. Very complex. Taste of big raisin, prune, pepper, bubblegum, banana, molasses, candi sugar, clove, caramel, biscuit, herbal, earth, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of plum, raisin, molasses, caramel, pepper, banana, bubblegum, and yeast spices on the finish for a while. Fantastic flavor balance and complexity; with no cloying sweetness at all. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel that is very nice and easy to sip on. Alcohol is well hidden for 10.4% with only a moderate warming after the finish. Overall this is a really excellent Quadrupel! Great complexity with big yeast esters; great flavor balance and very smooth to sip on. Really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 02:15:01 | More by superspak

TheMyers

3.6/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tried this because we love the regular Gulden Draak.

A - Copper/amber, 3/4" head. Leaves a little lacing.

S - Banana, honey, & bubblegum. Sweet. Can't really smell the alcohol. Not a very strong overall smell.

T - Sweet. Honey, molasses, burnt caramel. Not boozy at all - well hidden.

M - Not heavy - fills the palate, though. Very little carbonation.

O - Very good flavor, a little sweet. Easy to drink for the alochol content, but probably can't drink more than one glass because of the sweetness. Prefer the regular Gulden Draak, however this is still good.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 21:13:21 | More by TheMyers

Gmann

New York

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

Pours a clear pale copper color with a big fizzy looking head that has great retention. The head itself wasn't huge but it stays this big pillowy cap. This is the lightest quad that I have seen.

The aroma is of caramel, fig, and carob. Some general dark fruit scent. There is a light musty phenol aroma from the yeast; some clove. Has a floral and sugary sweetness to it.

The malt is fairly light but does have a touch of caramel. The beer has a berry type fruitiness, but not much of raisin, plum, dark cherries that most quads have. Light fig and carob give the beer a needed earthiness. A bit clovey and musty from the yeast; hints of bubblegum.

The feel is light to moderate with fizzy carbonation. Quite sweet on the palate but not sticky or cloying. A little rough hop bitterness in the finish. The ABV does show up and provides some belly burn.

A golden quadrupel, perhaps more of a bastard child of a BSPA and quad. Has a lot of BSPA characteristics but does some fruitiness and earthiness you can find in quads. Its good.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 22:50:29 | More by Gmann

Chinoman01

Texas

4.88/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I was overtaken by the color of the beer as I poured it. I was expecting a darker tone. The rich amber color was very nice. This beer, for me, is highly yeast driven as I picked up the aroma of spices, and somewhat of dried banana and corriander. VERY nice. A great pallet cleanser, and very enjoyable brew. A lighter SRM to its original version. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 16:37:25 | More by Chinoman01