Unplugged Abt - New Glarus Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle enjoyed at Comet Cafe Store. Not a quad, but still an enjoyable Belgian brown style. carbonation was right here, with Belgian yeast aroma. Brown bodied, average mouthfeel, rasiny, mollasses, some chocolate malt, fig, and toasty. Sweetish, not cloying.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 12:41:06 | More by northyorksammy

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.45/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for this beer

Review adapted from notes taken 5/2/11

Appearance: Brown with some hints of red, too dark to see through - thin off-white head, but some of the stickiest lacing I've ever seen

Smell: Dark fruits, candi sugar, Belgian yeast - kind of spicy - malts smell rich and sweet, but not excessively sweet

Taste: Way better than expected, honestly - slightly sweet, malts kind of taste like a sweet, dark bread, or maybe a cake - an interesting range of dark fruits, some spice - an alcohol bite that works well - not remarkably complex, but very good

Mouthfeel: Exactly what I want - heavy enough that it can pass for a quad, but not so thick that it resembles cough syrup - smooth, nicely carbonated

Overall: Easily the best "brewed somewhere other than Belgium" Quad I've ever had

The aroma and taste are not very complicated, but I do not really care. This is all I want in a quad; it's heavy without being sludgy, and it's sweet without being gag-worthy. These parameters seem easy enough to meet, yet they are usually violated... Props to New Glarus.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 17:12:17 | More by angrybabboon

pixieskid

France

3.1/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a miniature Chimay Goblet.

Looks like a quad should, a little more transparent redish brown than I would like, with a decent head.

Notes of brown sugar, dark fruits, and a lingering hint of molasses.

Finishes with notes of raisins, plum, and brown sugar.

Overall; has the notes that a Quad should but awfully thin body and lacks any real character. A decent shot at the style, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 22:20:17 | More by pixieskid

treyrab

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Always appreciative to receive NG Unplugged beers as extras. Put this in the fridge to cool to cellar temperature and cracked it open. Poured into a wide mouthed goblet tonight.

A: Pours a thin dark raisin brown with surprisingly no head. For the Abt style, I was expecting to see a nice fluffy khaki head on top of the brown sugar coloured brew. But this is very small head that recedes to nothing. For what it's worth, the head that does appear is a nice khaki. Other than that pretty dull, with no lacing. The colour is pretty spot on for the style though.

S: Was a bit too cold at first and could only pick up some light brown sugar, molasses, and typical Belgian yeast spice (i.e. clove and coriander). As it warms I pick up a hint of raisin and prune. Some decent cherries in there as well. Pretty solid.

T: At first, this was a little bland. But as it warmed up, some nice rum soaked raisins came alive and blended nicely with some brown sugar and molasses. It got pretty chewy and full, which was also nice.

Overall, this was solid. It does not compare to the St. Bernardus, Pannepot or Rochefort's of the world, but it is solid.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 00:29:02 | More by treyrab

wschmit

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle into a New Glarus pint glass.

A: A thin, pop-like head fizzles quickly into a spare ring about the top of a deep, dark amber body with some mild carbonation. Fairly (and a bit surprisingly) clear.

S: Raisins, rum, booze. A fairly solid American attempt--it does indeed remind me of Abt 12, or Rochefort 10. Not quite to their level of complexity, but it hits all the right notes: dark, sweet stone fruit interleaved with caramel tones and alcohol.

T: Doesn't quite live up to the nose, but still fairly good. Dark, almost burnt sugar sweetness, and a touch of that raisin at the end. It's a bit alcoholic tasting, but not bad. A little bit of spice mingles with that alcoholic heat. As usual, NG has done a pretty solid (if not quite on par) rendition of a classic style.

M: If I have to ding this beer, it's that it feels a bit flat and thin, which brings the heat out. Not bad, but not perfect, either.

O: Overall, for a quad this good at this price, it can't be beat. Not on the level of the classics, but as close as anyone this side of the pond has gotten.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 03:51:27 | More by wschmit

cosmo4u

New York

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

extra from joebeerbelly!! thanks man

Pours a deep, dark brown colo; creamy, thin, fine-bubbled, light-tan head withdecent retention and really solid lacing. Some nice complexity in the nose: brown sugar, raisins, cola, and toasty vanilla; hints of warming alcohol; appropriately minimal hop aroma; this isn’t quite as immense or deep as the best things coming out of Belgium, but it’s an excellent shot at the style and engaging aroma-wise without being particularly sweet. Mouthfeel follows suit, with mild carbonation and medium-high heft; actually somewhat lighter bodied compared to what this could have been for the complexity and ABV; lots of cola and raisin character here, some slightly prickly vinous alcohol coming out, and rounded vanilla notes, creme brulee-like sweetness, and hints of caramel, but nothing quite that hefty or dark; the overall mouthfeel here really does fit with some of the things Dan has said about bigger beers in general: despite the high ABV, this was likely mashed low, the overall body is comparatively light, and this is immensely drinkable for how big it is. Medium finish of cola, raisins and dried fruit, with a touch of honey and toastiness; the modest sweetness lingers, then subsides.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 03:01:32 | More by cosmo4u

dcloeren

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to UNMbeerhunter for this bonus

Poured a deep translucent mahogany with ruby edges when held to the light. Produced 1 finger of khaki colored head that quickly dissipated

Smells of brown sugar, raisons, fresh baked bread and figs with some nice caramel and spice notes

taste follows the nose but if I had to describe it I would say that it tastes like a very decadent spice cake. Gives off some heat but it is hidden fairly well.

Medium bodied with a copious amount of carbonation.

Overall, this was a great bonus and a good quad. I wouldn't mind being able to pick this up every once in a while. Definitely worth a try if you see it around

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 21:32:24 | More by dcloeren

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Bottle generously provided by UMNbeerhunter as an extra, thanks Joe!

A - Pours a dark mahogany brown, translucent for the most part and with a darker purple where the glass is most thick. Only about a finger's worth or so of tan head, with moderate retention. Lacing is sticky at first, but gradually slides down the edges of the glass, leaving thin streaks.

S - The aroma on this is very sweet from the get go and has a bit of heat behind it as well. Belgian candi sugar, raisins, and grapes make up the bulk of the nose, to the extent that it's almost like a juice. There's some spiciness to it as well, probably due to the yeast. The darker fruits combined with the alcohol gives it an almost rum-like quality.

T - Again, getting a lot of sugar and fruits here, almost to the point of being cloying. Think of an alcohol Welch's grape juice and this isn't too far off in my opinion. The malts do come through more than in the nose, lending the beer an earthy or nutty characteristic that lasts through the finish. The spiciness is here as well, with some nutmeg and cloves. Fairly bready throughout, the finish is long and filled with a sugar-coated fruit sweetness with a pinch of alcohol. Finishes almost like a spiced rum.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy-bodied with decent carbonation. Almost feels syrupy at the start, but eventually the palate acclimates and it's not too bad. Finishes somewhat dry.

D/O - Drinkability is moderate. A bit too sugary for my liking, and while the yeast imparts a noticeable characteristic, it definitely takes a backseat to the other notes in this beer. Trim down some of (okay, maybe a lot of) the sugar, some fruits, and beef up the malts a bit and this is a great beer, but as it stands now, I'd continue to seek out the more tried-and-true Belgians.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 02:55:44 | More by nhindian

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Pellinore1 for sending me this bottle. Always happy to try a new beer from New Glarus.

The beer pours a reddish-brown color with a white head. The aroma is full of dark fruit with some chocolate, cherries and alcohol mixed in. I get a lot of the notes that I expect in a quadrupel. The flavor is somewhat unexpected. I get a lot of grape notes as well as some other dark fruit. In addition to the fruit notes, I get a lot of toffee and alcohol as well as some candy sugar notes. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 01:06:18 | More by Mora2000

pitasoup

Tennessee

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

from bottle, review from notes.

A: clear brown, ruby darkness, not much head.

S: oak, tea, leather, molasses sweetness. subtle touches of chocolate and cheese

T: tobacco, parmesan rind, slight hop bitterness. a bit of oak on the aftertaste and sweet malts as well.

M: light body for a quad, low carbonation makes this easy dirnking.

O: fascinating beer with tones of subtlety. not the best beer to drink often, but quite interesting to sip on.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 00:56:25 | More by pitasoup

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - deep mahogany body with minimal offwhite head. The head is gone by the 4th sip. It should really have better retention for this style.

S - nutty, dark fruits, caramel and toffee malts, woody notes. nice complexity.

T - Lots of dark fruits and deeply roasted malts. The fruity sweetness is a bit too much. A little bit of alcohol burn on the finish.

M - smooth, a bit thin.

O (D) - a pretty good quad. I think this would age well.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 17:45:09 | More by ColdPoncho

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice deep mahogany reddish-brown. It has a thin, light khaki colored, head. There is very little lacing.

S: Raisins, plums, and candied fruits. I'm also picking up a little yeast and some alcohol.

T: Initially it's sweet with flavors of stone fruits. It develops into a nice boozy finish. But, at 9.75% it isn't overpowering.

M: Flavors and carbonation blend nicely, without any massive lingering tastes. Very nice.

D: I could have one or two of these, but I wouldn't want any more than that.

O: I think this is a quality quad. Quadrupels aren't my favorite style, but I can definitely appreciate this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 20:00:12 | More by trxxpaxxs

mcallister

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep amber in color really nice looking with a foamy head that dissipates quickly into the thinnest of toppers.

Aromas of dark rum, plum, caramel, candi sugar, and date are noticed instantly. Really nice and decadent. The candi sugar really adds a nice aromas, sweet with hints of toffee, milk chocolate, earth, and some spicy esters.

Very nice, sweet middle and finish but not cloying in the least. Big date, caramel, toffee, plum, raisin, dark rum, earth, and burnt candied apple. Milk chocolate slightly in the finish. Body is medium and slightly creamy with moderate carbonation. Great middle with the candi sugar making its mark. The slightest hint of sherry like oxidation really adds a layer of complexity that brings everything together. Other dark fruits linger on the finish deep.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 21:31:39 | More by mcallister

harrymel

Washington

2.35/5  rDev -39.4%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Bottled August 2010

A: pours a really neat cola ale with a single finger of light tan head which falls quickly to a centrally capped sheet of the same. Little/no lacing. Gotsta give some recognition here, man it's brilliant, never seen a quad with this much clarity.

S: Malts are typical of a quad, sweet, nougat, some dark stone fruits, maybe a specific hint of prune. Yeast is there, subdued for the style, which is nice IMO.

T: Sweet and sweet. I really have a hard time here. Just seems like sweet, malty, belgian candy sugar. Some hints of earthy yeast.

M: Thin with moderate carb. Semi-dry finish. Expect a little more body here.

O: This beer looks great, unfortunately, it doesn't stand out in the nose. The flavors are one-dimensional. The mouthfeel is unimpressive.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 17:03:36 | More by harrymel

vande

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Given to me by a friend as we sat out on the porch and chilled out....trying to keep the skeeters away...

a: ruby to brown in color...somewhat of a thin dirty lacing left lingering along the top and hugging the glassware

s: brown sugar, raisin, caramel, some chocolate..and alcohol on the nose too.

t: see smell. As it warmed up though, this beer truly did open up... a lot more of the fruit came out. Sweet, but not too sweet of a beer. Tasty.

M: sugary medium bodied beer.

o: Not my favorite New Glarus, but it was good. I'd probably no need to return to it, but if it was offered, I'd not turn it down.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 04:40:41 | More by vande

GeezLynn

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice, there’s a brief white head over a deep dark shade of brown. Aroma is impressively fragrant. As listed on the bottle, there’s a strong (spiced) rum character along with grapes, light Belgian yeast components and soft chocolate malt. Flavor is dominated by candied sugar and bready malts. Not as many layers here as in the aroma, and while the flavor is nice, it becomes a bit bland after a few ounces. The finish is long and sweet with an alcoholic tinge that eventually gets a little tiresome. Carbonation is moderate, but body is thinner than top versions of the style.

I am a little surprised at the ethanol presence considering this is only 9.75% and has had about a year on it. While a good beer, it’s not one of New Glarus’ better and for me it’s one that I appreciated more with food.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 04:24:57 | More by GeezLynn

joshuaseresse

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Central Waters globe:

A - pours a heavy, dark brown with ruby hues around the edges and a bit of amber/gold at the very edges. Head is fizzy and about 1/2 inch thick which dies very quickly leaving a small, thin foam ring around the edges.

S - Very much sweet, but not too sweet. Cherries, rasins, a bit of bready yeast, rum soaked wood. Little bit of candy, but a small hint of booze.

T - Follows the nose. Rum, wood and candy. Little bits of strawberry and cranberries. A touch of malts, but otherwise pretty sweet, but not pucker sweet.

M - Fizzy carbonation that tingles the gums of the mouth. Pretty smooth but when it sets in the fizzy carbonation kicks in a leaves a bit of a numb mouth.

O - Not too bad. I'm not much for quads but this one isn't bad. I really enjoyed the smell and taste the most. Good amount of carbonation is the mouthfeel but really doesn't look like much. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 02:42:10 | More by joshuaseresse

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This ale pours rather clear deep amber/cherrywood with an off-white head. The aroma is moderately spicy, fruity, mainly dark fruits, and a bit eastery. The flavor is moderately spicy, rather fruity, a hint of booze; at the swallow an earthy, mild tobacco tone emerges and then lingers as the palate dries out. The carbonation is moderate and body medium-full. Overall this beer is well-made, flavorful and most enjoyable on this unseasonably cold summer evening.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 01:23:05 | More by uwmgdman

Trilogy31

California

2.8/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a cocao brown with a finger of creamy colored khaki head leaving light lacing. The nose carries hints of cocao nibs, roasted chocolate malt along with a slight brown sugar note. The taste is very muted (maybe to cold) with slight banana and chocolate malts, very disappointing. The mouthfeel is average is not a tad watery. Not a favorite.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 05:17:25 | More by Trilogy31

JohnL9013

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

A: The appearance is identical to Coca-Cola, plain and simple. Very little head. This beer looks like it has been filtered and there is no "evidence" of bottle conditioning like there usually is in Belgian tripels and quads.

S: It has a pleasant, sweet smell with a dark roasted backbone.

T: OK, something is clearly amiss here. Quads are usually sweet but this one is just way too sweet. It has a candy-fruity taste on the front-end and a rum aftertaste. I've had plenty of Belgian style beers and plenty of quadrupels and this beer is neither. It isn't bad, but it just doesn't have nearly the refinement nor the complexity that our friends the Belgians have mastered. The thing that I miss the most about this beer comparing it to the real thing is the sheer BODY those big Belgian beers have, the way such a small amount can stimulate so many of your receptors at once.

M: For me, this beer feels unpleasant in my mouth, mostly due to the excessive sweetness. The rest of the beer would seem so much better if it wasn't so sweet.

This beer isn't bad, don't get me wrong, it's still way better than anything I can get on tap in my area, but if this company is going to put "Abt" on this beer, I'm not trying anything else from them anytime soon. This is probably the first Belgian-style beer I haven't liked.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 01:24:25 | More by JohnL9013

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into large tulip - cant remember who sent this but thank you!

Pours a deep cherry color which almost turns brown, but turns brilliant red in the light. Layers of beige head retain with film, leaving a few patches of lacing on the glass.

Candy sugar and dark fruit in the nose with raisin and dates, barely any booze despite the higher ABV. Pretty soft overall though.

A bite of sweetness up front, driven by the candy sugar and dark fruit cocktail. Dates and raisins swirled with some burnt sugar notes, creating a fairly rich profile. Large malted base with some syrupy tones. Finishes with dark sweetness and very slight alcohol warmth.

Fuller medium body, higher carbonation, prickly yet smooth on the tongue at the same time. Solid quad with plenty of flavor, rich in dark fruit and mellow on the booze despite being nearly 10%.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 04:09:28 | More by xnicknj

adman08

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Deep mahogany color that pours with a decent amount of head that fades fairly quickly. Not as much head as a typical Belgian.
S-Sweet aroma of molasses, a hint of vanilla.
T-Slight spicyness typical of the style. Fairly sweet, also typical of a stronger Belgian ale. Slight flavor of dark brown sugar.
M-Moderate carbonation, fairly thick and malty.
Overall, when compared with other dark, strong Belgian ales I think this stacks up very well. It is true to the style like every other New Glarus beer. Not as much head as most Belgian ales but a beautiful color. The flavor is what won me over, it is very similar to a true Belgian ale. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 00:58:20 | More by adman08

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to GoldenVIKE for sending this one my way!

A-dark chocolatey brown with a thin cream head that thins except around the edges.

S-bananas, apples, and belgian caramelized sugars. quality ingredient but not too strong

T-comes in with apples and dark caramelized sugars with a touch of banana. its smoothly transitions in to an after-taste of dark belgian malts with caramel and harvest fruits. it has a burnt aspect to it. this is well balanced and impressive.

M-feels light in the mouth. medium to heavy carbonation with a watery finish

O-this is a great quad. this is an amazing example of a belgian brewed by an american. this will satisfy all belgian cravings. this is an extremely tasty beer. the flavors seems to change with every sip! i'm going to have to find a way to get more of this.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 16:39:14 | More by AdamBear

Brabander

Netherlands

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I got this bottle last sunday from Digita7693 (Don) when i met him in his home in Kassel, Germany.

Drank it tonight during the final soccergame between Barcelona and Manchester United. Barcelona won 3-1.

This beer won also, it is a good Quadrupel i must say. Poured in my struise glass this beer looks very good. Darkbrowm fluid with two finger head. In the beginning there is much carbonation in the mouth. The alcohol is pretty noticable but not overwhealming.

Sweet taste, roasted malts with some spices but not too much. Very enjoyable beer. Thanks Don!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 22:04:17 | More by Brabander

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to burnheartsMKE for sending me this one!

Pours a semi-clear dark brown color with a 1 inch tan head that fades to a film on the top of the beer. Random legs of lacing form on the glass on the drink down. Smells of dark fruits (raisins, plums), spices, and yeast. Taste is very similar to the smell with dark fruits, rum raisin, spices, and yeast. A good level of carbonation makes for a bubbly and crisp feel on this beer. Slight alcohol warming in the back of the throat. Overall, this is a pretty good American quad from New Glarus. I am glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 03:42:25 | More by UCLABrewN84