Cuvee D'Erpigny - Picobrouwerij Alvinne / Den Bierzolder

Fux

France

4.55/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours dark brown with mahogany glints. Nice thick off-white head with a very good retention.

S: Amazing nose with lots of fruity esters, raisins, grapes, fig, bananas. Spicy, yeasty. Vinous and a bit boozy. The smell is something like a barrel aged Westvleteren!

T: The taste is malty, sweet malts, chocolate malts, deep, fruity, dark fruits. Very sweet. Also oaky, a bit boozy, with a slight vinous, sour character. Aftertaste is more on bitter chocolate, quite dry.

M: Full bodied with a low carbonation. The mouthfeel is mostly sticky, particularly on the finish. Still very drinkable given the absolutely unnoticeable ABV (would have say 9-10).

O: Wonderful beer! A very very good example of quadrupel, sweet, malty, fruity, deep, but with hints of a Flanders oud bruins character due to the aging, viscous like an Imperial Stout. Very nice!

Actually, when I smelled it, I first thought that I had already drunk something like that, but without the barrel character. The same impression while drinking it. It took me a while to identify the intruder, but now, except for the balance of the flavors, I can not think of anything else : it smells and tastes like an oak barrel aged Westvleteren! Next time I happen to get one, I'll definitely crack open a Westy for comparison!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 20:18:11 | More by Fux

GrindFatherBob

New York

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%

05-02-2013 22:24:00 | More by GrindFatherBob

Texasfan549

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%

04-25-2013 01:05:20 | More by Texasfan549

kjkinsey

Texas

4/5  rDev -3.6%

04-25-2013 01:04:52 | More by kjkinsey

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%

04-24-2013 13:23:32 | More by RedneckBeerz

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%

04-23-2013 01:32:00 | More by olympuszymurgus

DarthGuitarHero

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%

04-01-2013 13:23:19 | More by DarthGuitarHero

brentk56

North Carolina

3.99/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a murky amber with very little head though it does leave some spotty dots behind

Smell: Caramel, fruity wine grapes and some oak

Taste: Opens with the caramel but quickly adds a vinous character from the white wine barrels in the mid-palate; the sweeter elements come through, after the swallow, bringing a dark fruit and oak character along with it

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation

Overall: An interesting quad that keeps the sweetness in check and hides the alcohol well

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 03:15:42 | More by brentk56

robert7072

New York

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%

01-24-2013 14:17:59 | More by robert7072

scott2269

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%

01-09-2013 17:42:53 | More by scott2269

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.7/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

375 mL bottle shared by GT.

Pours a still, clear cola-copper with trace amounts of head and no lace. Nose starts off artificial, phenolic and plastic with some plum, raisin, port and brown sugar. Syrupy, slick medium thick body with light carbonation and a strong warming finish. Flavor is very sweet and sugary, caramel, red wine, plum, vanilla, and grape skin. A few ounces was tolerable, but too sweet and boozy overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 20:07:11 | More by yourefragile

WynnO

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%

12-16-2012 15:57:40 | More by WynnO

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev -3.6%

12-07-2012 17:10:14 | More by t0rin0

Brewsed

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -21.7%

11-20-2012 13:36:59 | More by Brewsed

uturn

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%

11-06-2012 01:55:07 | More by uturn

bmur112

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%

10-26-2012 15:48:20 | More by bmur112

samEBC

Belgium

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%

09-30-2012 11:52:57 | More by samEBC

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark chestnut brown color that's completely opaque and almost completely still with a minimal bubbly head that immediately fades away. No retention or any lacing to speak of.

Vinous, boozy aroma with a strong barrel presence that's countered by dark fruit and sweet malt. Really boozy smelling with some dry oak and a prominent red wine presence. Some toasted oak with a strong grape character followed by burnt sugars, cinnamon, caramel, toffee, plum and fig.

Medium bodied and slightly syrupy with a blast of sweet, boozy heat that gives way to the barrel character and sweet malt notes as it warms. Subtle toasted oak and coconut but the wine presence is really strong with lots of grape, currant and other dark berries. Underneath, there is some burnt sugar, caramel and toffee with some more vinous dark fruit toward the finish. As the palate adjusts, the heat becomes less intense but it remains incredibly sweet.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 05:43:33 | More by corby112

womencantsail

California

3.63/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a flat, cloudy amber color. Intense sugar and caramel aroma along with wood, vanilla, and white wine. Mild dark fruit notes, mostly raisin and plum. The flavor is almost cloyingly sweet. Heavy on the wine and vanilla and oak. Just as heavy on the brown sugar and caramel, too. Lots of dark fruits and maybe a touch of oxidation. Just way too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 21:38:11 | More by womencantsail

impending

California

3.8/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

B+

375ml into a tulip, the label, while sized for a 375 says 1 pint 9.4 fl oz. Crystal clear deep reddish orange amber, little carbonation, little head, no lacing.

Aroma is treacly sweet, many pulped fruits. White raisins. Hints of oxidation. The alcohol while perceptible is not intrusive.

Uber sweet. Vinous qualities dominate the flavor, they define. If told the barrel retained an 1/8 fill of monbazillac I would not argue. Minor oak, strong tannins. Aftertaste never fully disappears between sips. Full bodied lifeless mouthfeel feels appropriate. Somewhat unpleasant when the drink is more than a sip but a sip is perfectly fine. No heat but needs warmth.

not a quad, a belgian barleywine
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 05:34:27 | More by impending

Patrickbrusil

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%

05-21-2012 18:49:48 | More by Patrickbrusil

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to raveskdr for sharing this one. Served in an Alvinne snifter.

Pours a fairly-clear copper-brown with a short off-white head that goes away fairly quickly.

The nose brings quite a hefty amount of malt with notes of bread, brown sugar, and caramel. There's a bit of dark fruit in the background.

Flavor has a long sweetness with plenty of malt, though surprisingly little alcohol given the ABV of this one. Body is full and a bit creamy with light carbonation.

Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 18:10:14 | More by Thorpe429

daveytheformer

Oregon

4/5  rDev -3.6%

04-07-2012 19:13:27 | More by daveytheformer

dfernandez77

California

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%

03-28-2012 03:02:43 | More by dfernandez77

jmullock1

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%

03-19-2012 23:37:43 | More by jmullock1