The Stoic - Deschutes Brewery

hopsbreath

Oregon

2/5  rDev -47.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Drank at the Portland Deschutes Pub for lunch.

A: Center of the clear gold spectrum with a finger of snow white foam on top. This looks very pale and nothing like any Quad I've ever seen. Minimal legs and minimal lacing. 2/5

S: Light banana, booze, and some non-specific fruitiness. The depth is lacking and my interest is waning. 2/5

T: Obscure fruits including banana, mildly sweet, a touch of wood. The lack of alcohol presence in a beer of this size is rarely missed but I'm wishing it was here this time if only to give a little complexity. This is startlingly bland for a beer trying to fit in a style known for complexity. Where are the big fruits and flavorful sugars? This just seems like a simple/non-offensive grain bill with some Belgian yeast tossed in. The description has a bunch of good buzz words and sounds thoughtfully planned, but what I'm tasting seems uninspired. 2/5

M: This falls into the gray area at the upper side of thin and the lower side of moderate. Any thinner, and I'm calling this a Belgian Trippel (it might be more appropriate to fit it in there anyway). High carbonation makes this finish cleanly and dry. 2/5

O: Sometimes, I'm a little more lenient on rating a beer if I enjoy it regardless of the style placed on it by the beer drinking public. Deschutes pigeon-holed themselves though by calling this a Quad in the first place. Admittedly I'm not very experienced in the Quad style. I can think of at least one other beer lover who is more versed and would "know best". I have however tried some of the higher rated Quads available in America. They all typically share similar characteristics; deep layers of complexity, big fruits, heavy sugars, and an unabashed booziness. This literally shares none of those attributes. From top to bottom, I can't think of a better definition for "not impressed". It's not offensive, but it's definitely not up to my expectations for the style. Easily the most forgettable and weakest of the Deschutes Reserve Series so far. 2/5

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2011 22:15:07 | More by hopsbreath

ESPNman

California

4.04/5  rDev +6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Best-by date on the bottle 8/4/12
I had one before the best-by, and thought it was too hot.... I sat this one down a little while longer to see if the alcohol bite mellowed. It has not.

A - The appearance isn't that of your standard quad. It pours a light, almost strawberry-blonde. Very little head, zero retention, no lacing. The bubbles rise slowly from the bottom of the glass, making the beer look a lot thicker than it is. Overall, it's just not a normal quad color.

S - Pomegranate, sweet malts, syrup, a bit of oak, and a little bit of candied sugar on the nose. A little bit of pepper, and a lot of vinous alcohol.

T - More light fruit, lots of white wine flavors coming though. Moderately sweet, with a wine-like alcoholic finish that carries a surprising bit of tart with it. Finishes medium-dry.

O - Interesting take on the Belgian quad, but ultimately disappointing for what I was expecting. Good, but not great. For such a hard-to-find beer, you'd expect it to be a little more representative of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 03:41:28 | More by ESPNman

ucis

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

05-23-2013 21:25:42 | More by ucis

canders0927

Texas

2.5/5  rDev -34.4%

05-21-2013 15:51:46 | More by canders0927

SpdKilz

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-21-2013 02:09:48 | More by SpdKilz

Glibber

Idaho

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-19-2013 22:21:11 | More by Glibber

prender1482

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-18-2013 00:40:43 | More by prender1482

jokulhaps

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-13-2013 02:52:30 | More by jokulhaps

HoistinBrews

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +5%

05-11-2013 03:30:03 | More by HoistinBrews

Skunkdrool

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-10-2013 19:13:39 | More by Skunkdrool

eawolff99

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-01-2013 03:42:04 | More by eawolff99

pmarlowe

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-28-2013 02:51:14 | More by pmarlowe

jewellrunner

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%

04-23-2013 10:56:24 | More by jewellrunner

warmbier804

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

04-10-2013 19:33:33 | More by warmbier804

FreshZ

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

04-09-2013 15:53:29 | More by FreshZ

604growler

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5%

04-08-2013 13:25:25 | More by 604growler

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4/5  rDev +5%

03-31-2013 04:53:17 | More by LambicPentameter

SalTnutZ1

Missouri

4/5  rDev +5%

03-28-2013 02:11:07 | More by SalTnutZ1

Sparky44

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5%

03-23-2013 21:08:26 | More by Sparky44

blakelive784

Colorado

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

22 fl oz brown glass bottle served in snifter, reviewed live:

A - Pours a cloudy, vibrant orange golden color with two fingers of fizzy white head, lively carbonation and thick yeast particles. Retention's terrible. Not what I was expecting but it's inviting nonetheless.

S - Fruit heavy. Pear, banana, apple and sweet pomegranate juice all come to mind. Crystal malts. Incredibly fresh, especially considering its age. Light indistinct spice. I don't find any oak on the nose. No alcohol.

T - Follows the nose closely. Pear and apple give a cidery feel. Pale base and crystal malt body support the fruity esters nicely. Very, very subtle vinous oak notes, but I still don't find any bourbon. Light fresh pomegranate. No alcohol comes through at all. I'm having it.

M - Medium bodied and crisp. Perfect thickness.

D - It won't satisfy your craving if you're looking for a typical quad, but it's one hell of a beer. Insanely drinkable at 11%. I'll be having it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 02:46:31 | More by blakelive784

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

03-11-2013 04:51:21 | More by spycow

LambicKing

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

03-10-2013 00:06:17 | More by LambicKing

BGsWo22

New York

4/5  rDev +5%

03-09-2013 20:27:24 | More by BGsWo22

sirtomtom

California

2.3/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Drank on 3/4/2013. Best After date of 8/2012

A: Pours a hazy golden orange with a shallow white head, dissipating quickly leaving a thin white ring on the glass.

S: Nuts, seeds, wet soil. Rather odd

T: A bit sweet, malty, nutty, again an attribute that reminds me of wet soil, finishing with a bit of tartness. A nice bit of hot alcohol after the finish.

M: Moderately carbonated, a bit sweet, with a dry finish.

O: Definitely odd for a Quad. Nothing really remarkable about it, except the odd flavors. Definitely disappointing for one of Deschutes's reserve beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 03:51:31 | More by sirtomtom

nzerbe

New York

4/5  rDev +5%

03-04-2013 09:25:05 | More by nzerbe