Schlafly Quadrupel - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room

jdkitchi

Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this up from the Schlafly tap room on a trip to St Louis about a little over a year ago. I’ve been waiting for it to mature and also a special occasion to try it. The date bottled was 4/19/2011.

This beer pours an orange brown with very small head that disappears quickly. I get mostly dried fruit and alcohol on the nose. The taste is similar, sweet dried fruit, Belgian yeast spice, a little alcohol burn. I get a little more sweetness and less alcohol as it warms up. There is a nice creamy mouth feel, low carbonation and enough complexity to make it interesting.

This reminds me of a beer I had a couple of years ago at the Milwaukee Ale house called Devil’s Advocate they had on cask that I really enjoyed. I like this a lot and by the way, Happy New Year.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 02:59:24 | More by jdkitchi

WynnO

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Coming in at 12% this quad leans toward the hot side. Not a bad thing if the brewer hides it well, but it is a bit blatant here.

The nose was excellent, having a strong complex arrangement of fruits and malts. Carbonation was tingly, but the head did have good staying power---somewhat unexpected for a beer of this gravity. The brownish color was no surprise, but it was a bit more translucent than other good quads I have drank.

It was nice on the palette. The taste was unexciting mostly due to the drowning of malts by the alcohol, but still, there was enough there to make its consumption a nice experience.

To summarize: Good balance, a noticeable burn, with a very good nose. This one is not a "must have" by any measure, but its inclusion in a tasting of big beers or a Schlafly session would not be a mistake.

Consumed from a small snifter.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 19:21:31 | More by WynnO

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a brownish orange color, it has a white head on top. Seems to have a good looking retention, the lacing is very minimal. The aroma is loaded with raisin aromas, sweet malts and bready yeast. The taste of this beer is sweet, with some bitterness in there... There is a touch of funk in there too. The mouthfeel is decent, it's heavy with a moderate carbonation. Overall the taste is not as good as I had hoped. Not the best tasting Quad out there. It was ok, but wouldn't b something I would need to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:19:28 | More by Knapp85

Infamous7100

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a beautiful garnet to brown with some slight orange tints. A nice amount of off white head that is slow to disappear. A tad of lacing.
S: sweet and fruity notes jump right out. A ton of malt and dark fruit like figs and raisins are detectable. Smells phenomenal.
T: This brew does well to perfectly match its aroma with one rather large addition, booze. At the back, a spicy alcoholic bite does well to quell the frutiness and tie the two together seamlessl.
M: It's a full bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. It's got a nice creaminess to it as well. The alcohol at the back is warming and is present in the hang along with the pleasant fruit notes.
O: One damn fine beer. Quad's are rignt in my wheelhouse and this one stands up to the best that I have tried. It's flavors are bold, but balanced. And at 12%, its a sipper that can be savored. Keeps you wanting another sip. Get some for the winter.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 01:42:18 | More by Infamous7100

brureview

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very complex beer with a strong alcoholic finish.

Poured in a tulip. Honey-tea color.

Aroma: bourbon-honey.

Medium carbonation. The beer is overshadowed by the strong alcoholic taste.

The finish is honey-bourbon which is more pronounced with warming.

A highly complex beer for special more subdued occasions.

The alcoholic finish is dominant and dwarfs the finish, otherwise the beer is quite excellent.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 22:56:06 | More by brureview

metter98

New York

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: The beer is crystal clear garnet amber in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high off white head that died down and consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: Aromas of alcohol, candi sugar and fruity yeast become present in the nose as the beer warms up.
T: The taste is rather sweet and has flavors of candi sugar and fruity esters. Notes of spices are present in the finish.
M: It feels nearly full-bodied on the palate and slightly thick on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Although this beer masks its alcohol well considering its strength, it lacks the complexity of dark fruit flavors and sweetness compared to other beers in the style. It can also seem a little cloying at times and isn’t one of the easiest beers to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 04:42:50 | More by metter98

DaveBlack

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy brown with finger of off-white head. The head has super long retention.

S: I am loving the smell of this beer. It is deep and rich. First comes apples, then berries, then a deep caramel maltiness, slight yeastiness and a rich rustic bread. Really, really great.

T: Deep, rich flavor as well. Lots of malts, raisins. There is a a lot of apple as well, and fruity esters. The alcohol comes through and adds a further element. The sweetness is strong, almost to the point of being cloying.

M: The mouthfeel is creamy, almost buttery with a slight stickiness and not a lot of carbonation.

O: Great depth of flavor, but there is an awful lot going on. Finishing the bottle will be a bit of a challenge, just because of the overwhelming sweetness and barrage of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 03:34:21 | More by DaveBlack

merc7186

New York

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a bomber into small glass.

A: Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Bourbon, Dark Fruit, Raisins

T: Dark Fruit, Raisins, Bourbon

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Sweet, Mildly Boozy

Overall, a pretty nice quad, may mellow out with some age.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:16:55 | More by merc7186

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle served in an oversized wineglass.

pours a bronze/coppery orange tone with a creamy finger-plus of a beige-colored head; body is a bit cloudy, though becomes mostly clear as the beer settles. so-so retention with the head fairly quickly receding into a thin cap; decent lacing.

pleasing nose: sufficently aromatic with notes of caramel malts, dark fruits, yeast, and a candied-fruit like sweetness. flavor, hmm, decidedly meh. sweet caramel maltiness up front is followed by cherry and some hop characters. definitely a bit too sweet - not cloyingly so, necessarily, just a bit more than i'd prefer. warming boozy kick to the finish, thanks to the 12% ABV which is not that well hidden. at best it's a decent quad, not on par with the powerhouses. not close.

medium to full bodied mouthfeel; syrupy. average carbonation. some enjoyable aspects to it but in the final analysis to me it's really more of a middling quad. worth a try i suppose, particularly if you're into quads.

originally reviewed: 11-30-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 01:14:27 | More by BostonHops

clayrock81

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brownish body w/ minimal head that died quick, on top of a thick malty aroma comprised mostly of yeast, candi sugar/caramel sweet malts (touch of chocolate?), roasted malts as well as a touch of citirc hops. A rich, thick malty base of breadiness gives off a full body of balance. Getting sweetness from caramel and something like chocolate, but not as intense, as well as a dry edge from some roasted malts (IDK why I'm picking them up in this beer). A little bit of hop and peppery zip as well as a tinge of sharpness in the finish, catching me offguard due to very high ABV (which only slightly bleeds into beer). A good quad to sip on (literally) and perhaps my only knock is that is a little simplistic and the malts are the dominant force somewhat squashing the fruits, overtaking blance, and turning a potentially great quad into just really good.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 23:00:54 | More by clayrock81

rfbenavi80

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

No info on bottle, bottle was refrigerated before serving, as recommended on bottle. Poured into a tulip.

A- Amber / Light brown, more amber than brown. frothy yellowish/ very light brown head that is dissipating moderately slow. Leaving behind no lacing on the glass. The beer lets light through it, and has small bubbles rising from the bottom of glass.

S- Dark malts, and yeast.

T- Prunes, and LOTS of malt. You can taste the 12% ABV in this one. It's not as "sweet" tasting as some other quads.

M- Thick, not too much carbonation.

O- Good Quad, this is the 2nd of the 750ml bottles I've had that they make, I have yet to try a bad beer from them.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 01:25:47 | More by rfbenavi80

beveritt

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: Poured from a 750 ml silk screened brown bottle into a Duvel chalice. Picked this up in TN on a road trip to Florida about a year ago.

Appearance: Pours with 2 fingers of light tan head. This settles to a thin yet complete layer of foam with a more substantial ring around the glass. The beer itself if crystal clear and the color of burnished copper with significant activity arising from the nucleation site.

Smell: Tart aroma of cherries and peaches upfront with a sour finish.

Taste: Tart cherries upfront with a solid semi-sweet malt backbone. Finishes with a hint of mild hops and a lemony-citrus flavor. Alcohol is well hidden; this almost has the tartness of a Flemish Red and hints of brett or other funk.

Mouthfeel: Higher than average carbonation, as expected for the style. Body is good.

Drinkability: A big and bold beer that sure will be a lot to power through in one sitting. Not available in Ohio, but another solid product from Schlafly.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 00:28:33 | More by beveritt

lonestar4lunch

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No date on the bottle but I purchased it in April 2011. Poured a light brown but still with light coming thru. The head settles quickly to lacing around the edges. I have let this one sit a bit out of the fridge and the aroma is still a bit muted to start with then it completely opens up. There is a sweet toffee along with maybe some plums and a light citrus. Wow, a lot going on here. The strong plum, heavy wheat and dark cherry start of but then the booze and a little spice take over to finish. The 12% is noticeable for sure but it tends to settle down a bit. I really like the light dryness on the finish. Very interesting and well done Quad. Glad I picked one up on a road trip.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 01:47:04 | More by lonestar4lunch

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a reddish to coppery brown color, tan head with staying power and beautiful lacing. Thin trails of slowly rising bubbles. Very nice looking brew.

Smells of yeast, assorted dark fruits, spices, sweet caramel malts, gentle sourness. Mildly boozy but to be expected as such a high ABV.

Tastes of delicious spicy caramel malts, tangy but light hops, brown sugar and molasses, yeast is present but not overstated, slightly heffish, reminiscent of tangerines and apricots too. Highly flavorful and well-done.

Powerful kick from the alcohol, although it's not very present in the taste. A good feeling beer, smooth, rich, thick, warming, sweet aftertaste, well carbonated, all-around on par for the style as I've experienced it so far.

Drinks well for such a strong beer. I certainly want another and will probably get two to age. Great for the holidays or a cold winter night.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 14:13:42 | More by AlCaponeJunior

brewerburgundy

California

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

25.4oz bottle, Boulevard tulip, no dating on bottle, but purchased in November 2010.

Unsurprisingly for an aged and big beer there is a minimal head on this very hazy dark apricot colored brew. The head is a yellowed paper color that matches the body well.

Maybe it's the age, but the nose is not so hot as many others have noted. It unfolds with lots of dried apricot and other fruits, a hint of brandy, and a trifling amount of Belgian yeast.

The flavors are similarly in the dried fruit domain, with lots of apricot, which is delicious, raisins, grapes, and toffee. Belgian candi sugar rears its metallic head a bit and again, the yeast is on the subdued side, mainly a little musty with some clove.

Texture is full and a bit slick. Carbonation is minimal, but that's as it should be.

I think a year or so only did well by this bottle. I quite like it and would recommend it, as I would just about anything by this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 01:35:37 | More by brewerburgundy

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

No bottling info on the bottle.

A: Holy shit! I just saw a 10 pound yeast flake float past my gaze. How cool! Dark, almost blood red, with no light passing though whatsoever. The head, while very small, stuck around for the duration of the session.

S: Sweet over-ripe prunes (almost on the rotten side) that was somewhat moderate in its nostril-grabbing charm. Also, this smelled remarkably like a red wine... maybe even a port wine even.

T: Booze bomb for sure, with the fruit playing second fiddle to that. My goodness... you could remove nail polish with this stuff! The alcohol aside (which was distracting somewhat), there were certainly some glorious parts of this brew: the finish left sort of a rose petal-like floral notes on the palate, and the finish was somewhat smooth. Once I got used to the booze, the fruit started to stick to it and the palate, creating a nice duet.

M: Once again, booze... I think a high carbonation (and creaminess) would have done wonders for this beer. A few splotches of lace left on the glass basically added up to nothing.

O: With the exception of Westy 12, I'm not a huge fan of this style, however, I respect the brewery and hope they continue to make this to appease those who do dig Quads.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 23:14:08 | More by Chaney

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.85/5  rDev -26%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a goblet.

3.0 A: Moderately hazed amber color. Just a half finger of frothy off-white head that fell quickly and left no lacing.

3.0 S: This is super plummy with a strong vinous character. Dates and fig behind that. Surprisingly lacking the telltale Belgian yeast spiciness. Sweet and boozy.

3.0 T: As expected, the taste is quite vinous as well. Again, tons of plum with dates, fig, raisin, and prune. A good bit of caramel, toastiness, and even some molasses notes. Again, a bit too sweet and definitely too boozy.

2.5 M: Heavier medium body. The amount of carbonation is fine, but it's lacking the spritziness that I love in a quad. Reasonably creamy, but a bit too thick and chewy.

2.5 D: This isn't too bad, but I really don't like the vinous character and the mouthfeel is a total turn off.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 03:16:51 | More by DavoleBomb

DCon

Missouri

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought a 1 Pt. 9.4 Fl. Oz. bottle of this from Friar Tuck's Wines, Spirits, Beverages in Crestwood, MO for $9.99. Poured from the Gold/Red bottle with the Saint sign into a 16oz Samuel Adams Imperial Pint Glass and has Bottled with love on 4 1911 on the bottom of the bottle w/ a sticker.

Aroma- Great amount of citrus and strength. Very boozy and seems as if there are spices thrown into this one. Awesome!

Appearance- Pours a 2 finger, off white head that stays for a great amount of time. Has a nice, viscous amber color body and the lacing is lighter.

Flavor- Very complexed! Spice comes up again, strong booziness, tons of malt and then finishes with a medium hop bitterness. Tons of citrus in here as well but blended over with the malt (a malt dominant brew).

Mouthfeel- Medium-Full Bodied, Moderate Carbonation level, and tons of booz. Might have too much of a boozy level.

Overall Impression- Very rich, thick, and good body! I'm enjoying each of these Schlafly Reserve brews almost every other night and have to say, these are real! Get your hands on any of them!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 23:52:29 | More by DCon

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

reddish tinted brown with a smallish tan head of lace peaking over the top and giving away quietly to a thin layer of stickiness across the top. Nice color on this as the red tone was easily visible.

full of a bourbon barrel like smell. Lots of wood in here with a bit of a whiskey like hotness. A touch of something else running around in there too, maybe cherries. A touch of yeast up front but nothing too drastic. touch of cherry were very noiceable on top of the nice full yeast flavor. The alcohol was very present and still a touch hot, but still a very nice treat.

Very smooth, it was a bit thicker then I thought it would have been and most of the carbonation long ago died giving it a somewhat syrup like feel, although significantly lighter. Very nice sipper, though more then a glass is gonna hurt you in the end. This was a monster and there was no mistaking it.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 01:29:32 | More by mikesgroove

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a two finger cream head that fades quickly to a ring, leaving traces of lace. Cloudy amber color. Good carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Dark fruit and alcohol nose, flavor is malty dark fruit and hints of alcohol. Decent quad. $8.95 for a 750ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 22:23:36 | More by jdhilt

tjkinate

Texas

2.98/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a standard pint glass.

After the pour, the beer settles into a burnt orange with a dark cloudy core. Modest head formed, but had little retention with very little lacing.

Detected some dark fruits and toffee, almost resembled a tootsie roll. Scent was able to hide the high alcohol completely.

Sweet and very malty front is quickly followed by herbs and spices. Starts out ok, but as the beer goes on the flavors are overwhelmed by alcohol. I love high ABV beers, but this one just didn't do it for me. Not gross, just not good.

Mouthfeel was the most notable portion being medium/light, crisp, and coats the mouth nicely.

Overall I'm glad I got this as an extra in a trade. Doesn't taste like any quad I have ever had before and hope no quad in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 20:50:29 | More by tjkinate

beerswamie

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have had this from the bottle, tap and cask.

A- It is that deep auburn brow you expect from a quad with a nice head.

S- This smell is candied with a dark plum and raisin bouquet.

T- This is were the dark fruits raisin explode in your mouth.

M- Very sweet and a bit heavy with a touch of carbonation.

O- This is a quad I get all the time but I am a Schlafly whore, is there better quads ot there? yes but at this price point Schlafly sells it for it is worth getting instead of a high dollar quad.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 02:17:22 | More by beerswamie

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle thanks to bobsy, a couple of years on this bottle. Really badass looking bottle, great design. Pours a dark caramel which lets a fair bit of light through, actually looks a little watery. Thin head which dies to almost placid.

Nose is all toffee, plums, booze soaked raisins and caramel. Smells and, subsequently, tastes much more like an English barleywine than a quad. Rich maltiness that borders on wee heavy territory, light juicy citrus, plums and raisins, loads and loads of booze all over - dominating, hard to find what makes them classify this as a quad, cherries, wood, earth. Boozy but the body still feels a little thin, which is not the greatest combo.

This is no quad, not even close. Still, it's a decent beer if you're okay with it not being as advertised - biggest downfall is the booziness which is not overly discreet.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 03:45:07 | More by ritzkiss

evilkalla

Alabama

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving: 750ml bottle into a goblet.

A: Poured a cloudy, bronze color, with almost a full inch of head which began to recede fairly quickly. Lots of carbonation is visible. Leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. Very, very nice.

S: First smell is of belgian yeast; smells of darker malt and candy sugar, a little brown sugar and fig.

T: Has a sweet, malty presence up front, lots of candy and brown sugar. A fair level of bitterness balances it out. The alcohol is a little noticeable; it doesn't detract too much, but you can definitely tell it's there.

M: Has a thick, full feel, a little heavy on the finish. Not bad.

O: This is a totally decent quad; I'd say the only thing I dislike about it is the boozy character to it; maybe this would improve upon aging?

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 01:36:42 | More by evilkalla

FanofHefe

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle poured into a Chimay chalice. An aggressive pour yields a nearly two-finger, creamy tan head with just a smattering of lacing. Dark, cloudy amber body.

Rich aroma featuring candi sugar, caramel malt, raisin, fig, and a hint of rum. Not getting much of the yeast spiciness in this pour.

Ahhh, here is the spice, in the flavor. The Belgian yeast spiciness comes through in the flavor, along with most of the flavors in the aroma. Very nice flavor mix that is a touch on the sweet side.

The mouthfeel is a little thicker than medium with only a hint of the alcohol, which is surprising considering the high abv. Excellent quad that I would like to try with a little age on it, as I expect it will only get better.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 01:02:38 | More by FanofHefe