TWELVE - Ithaca Beer Company

UCLABrewN84

California

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Tieman for sharing this one at his tasting.

Batch E!020.

Pours a murky orange-brown with a foamy beige head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, and dark fruits. Taste is much the same with a mild spice bitterness with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some nice aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 08:24:12 | More by UCLABrewN84

Dope

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle is from batch E!028.

A: A really dark amber/red. Large, dense and fizzy light light brown head. Fades nice and slowly, however only the lightest specks of lacing left behind.

S: Lots of brown sugar and caramel. Decent dark fruits, primarily raisin. Perhaps some fig to boot. Swear I even get some grape skin.

T: Lots of molasses and raisin and toffee up front. Sweet caramel too which bleeds into the middle. More raisin in the finish with perhaps that grape skin. A bit dry in the finish with some toffee and brown sugar.

M: Fairly heavy but not overly so. A bit astringent and a little syrupy. Drying.

O: Pretty decent quad. Nothing earth shattering but a solid beer nonetheless. Very sweet and fruity example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 03:10:36 | More by Dope

billab914

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into my CBS snifter. Dark brown in color with a thin tan head barely covering the top of the beer.

The aroma has a rich maltiness to it. I get a lot of dark fruit to it with notes of raisin, cherry and plum all coming out. I get a little bit of the yeast spice, but the malts are clearly the star of the show.

The taste follows through with some really nice malty flavors. It's sweeter up front with more notes of cherry and plum. The finish has some balancing bitterness with a touch or roasted malts. Some of the yeast spice comes out in the finish as well.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side with carbonation being low. Overall I thought it was a really good beer. The aroma felt very sweet and malty, but they managed to add some bitterness to the finish that really helped out. Very rich and flavorful beer overall and a very nice version of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 22:55:48 | More by billab914

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle served in st bernardus oversized wineglass.

pours a dark, murky, brown/amber tone with at least 3 fingers of foamy off-white/beige head that threatened to overflow; never had a quad with this much head! decent retention; moderate lacing.

nose is predominantly of belgian yeasts, bready malts, dark fruits, and spices, which all pull through in the taste. there are also secondary notes of pepper and caramel; bit of a hoppy finish with a boozy aftertaste.

full-bodied, creamy mouthfeel with more carbonation than i ordinarily prefer in my quads. in the end, a nice, tasty beer and a respectable take on the style, though IMO doesn't rival anything the monk are doing across the pond.

original review on: 08-30-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 22:25:33 | More by BostonHops

SLeffler27

New York

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fills an Ommegang snifter with a huge, creamy, khaki head that overflows and pushes out of the bottle after pouring. A patchy lacework is left after the head slowly diminishes over a cloudy, dark brown beer.

Emits a strong, farm funkiness with charred malt and light caramelized sugar. There is a mix of clove, nutmeg and light pepper. With warmth comes a light white wine aroma.

TWELVE is meaty with wine or sherry undertones. Roasted malt with figs, brown sugar and spices follow the nose. There is a light, brief finish and great balance.

A full body with less carbonation than was suggested during the pour. Alcohol is clearly present, though less than one would expect from the stated ABV. TWELVE is sticky and smooth simultaneously.

This one was easily consumed on a hit day while reading outside, but would go equally well with a hearty meal.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 11:45:17 | More by SLeffler27

templar316

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a perfect deep amber. Soft caramel and apricots on the nose. Tastes of candi sugar and dates, a biscutty sweet malt dance past blending into a mild apricot finish with a soft dry finish. This has been in my cellar for years and was well worth the wait! Poured side by side with new 3phils this was a fine example of the benefits of ageing...

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 03:08:03 | More by templar316

merc7186

New York

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

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

A: Brownish/Amber Hue, Passes No Light, Thick Off White Head, Good Lacing

S: Raisins, Dark Mildly Roasted Malts, Black Plum, Mildly Yeasty

T: Raisins, Black Cherries, Black Plum, Mild Dark Malts, Mild Chocolate

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet

Overall, a really solid Quad that is not overpowering, well balanced and is well complimented by the great carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 00:32:34 | More by merc7186

dougofthefuture

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed as part of blind BIF #6.

A - Murky brown, with a nice two finger head that has some staying power.

S - Wow, this smells great. The first thing that comes to mind is fudge brownies. Follow that up with some dark fruits, and a very noticable vinous port-like character. 4.5

T&M - This has to be a winter warmer or spiced up BSDA. Either way, very fitting for the coldest day of the winter so far. This is immediately warming, with lots of undisernable spices (cinnamon? clove? nutmeg?) and a nice strong finish without much boozy bite. Fairly highly carbonated, it walks a fine line between too light or too syrupy. The fruitiness is present, but in more of a phenolic yeast character than a sweetness or body. Must be a belgian strain. 4/4.5

O - This is a great cheery beer. I want to eat a fudge browny with it. Very well balanced for being so spicy. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 00:12:30 | More by dougofthefuture

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: bottle share at Beermongers, Portland, OR
Vintage bottle consumed in Dec. '11. Thanks to writerLJberg for the share!

Heard a lot of reports of gushers on this one, but fortunately we didn't have that problem. Poured a hazy cider brown color with a generous cap of off-white head even in our little sampler glasses. Aroma of caramel and ripe fruits. Huge pear profile in the aroma, and also very dominant in the taste. Also notes of caramel, brown sugar, and dried fruits--aside from the pear--and a bit of leather; nearly nothing to mention as far as hops go. Very smooth and flavorful, probably really benefited from aging. I really liked this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 09:49:56 | More by Rifugium

EkimGram

New York

3.55/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: 750mL bottle poured into Duvel tulip. Colour is a hazy dark orange-brown. Thin head fades to a bubbly lacing around the rim.

Smell: Dark fruits, alcohol, and Belgian yeast mix well together in balanced aromas.

Taste: Very sweet and fruity - I get a lot of dates, raisins, brown sugar, and alcohol. A little too sweet for my preferences.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, a little thin actually. Light, modest bite from carbonation.

Overall: The smell had me excited for what I thought would be a nice, savory brew. The taste is pretty disconnected from the aromas, it was surprising and a bit of a letdown. The sweetness is almost too much to handle, it does get better as it warms up, though.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 08:20:01 | More by EkimGram

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Gale Sayers shaker pint glass.

Big thanks to Trxxpaxxs for this bottle!

Batch E!028. Reviewed blind as part of Blind BIF 6. It pours a hazy sienna-ruby topped by a third-of-a-finger of short-lived dirty tan bubbles. That's right, not even a real head, just a collection of foam-like bubbles at the surface. The nose comprises brown sugar, dark wheat, clove, light cocoa, light fig, and a light kiss of red grape. The taste holds notes of cocoa, fig, dark fruits (in the back), cashew, light wood, banana, dark greens, cinnamon, brown sugar, clove, and a touch of pine resin. The flavors kinda clash slightly at times, while at others they mesh beautifully. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a smooth, kinda grainy feel. Overall, a decently solid quad, one that is currently showing some age, but still has some wisdom to impart to us.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 05:06:50 | More by TMoney2591

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bomber into tulip glass. Pours cloudy, opaque, dark brown with an average tan head that slowly recedes to some very thin spots of lace with a thin collar. The nose has some spicy yeast with a bunch of roasted malt, chocolate, and caramel, some alcoholic heat, and a bit of alcoholic heat. The flavor is lightly sweet with a good amount of caramel, and brown sugar malt with underlying spicy yeast, and a hint of burnt and hops bitterness. The body is full with light carbonation and a medium malty and alcoholic heat finish. Bit disappointed with this offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 22:37:25 | More by CuriousMonk

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

This bottle leaked while traveling but lost only 2 or 3 ounces. The cap and foil remained perfectly intact however. I've read reports of gushing issues so this comes as no surprise.

750mL bottle to tulip. Batch E!020. Sampled 8/1/11.

A: The pour produces 3 fingers of light khaki brown head, frothy, bubbly and very long lasting. The body is a dark chestnut brown and completely opaque. Extremely solid appearance.

S: The label indicates French malts, German hops & Trappist yeast. Sounds awesome and smells pretty good too. Cookie, caramel and cocoa powder dominate the aroma with toasted bread and nut notes in the background.

T: The yeast imparts strong flavors of leather, earth and must. Hop flavor is minimal, adding woodsy qualities if anything. Adding sweetness is plum, quince and other general dark fruits. The integration of flavors works extremely well.

M: Disappointing mouthfeel. The body is rather light and carbonation rather high. Never good for a quad. Minerally texture with fine, fizzy, expansive effervescence. On a positive note, alcohol is nowhere to be found, although the bottle doesn't list the ABV. (It drinks like a 9.5%.)

O: The first half of the bottle was lackluster. Coming to room temperature and losing some of the excess carbonation really brought this beer into its own in the second half. Quite enjoyable with standout flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 12:56:33 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

comfortablynumb1

California

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Received as an extra in a recent trade. Thanks again Thanks again David...

Batch# E!028

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a RR snifter...

A - Pours a dark chestnut with a one finger off white head the dissipates at a hasty pace. Lace is minimal...

S - Plums, figs, and various other dark fruits. There is also a good amount of sweet malts to complement the dark fruits...

T - Lots of sweet notes up front. Caramel, and toffe being the most prominate. Finishes with figs, plums, a hint of alcohol, and a little spiciness in the aftertaste. Although the alcohol makes a presence in the finish, it is really smooth...

M - Medium bodied with a good amount of carboantion...

O - A little over carbonated for my likings, but still a really solid brew. Definitely something I would be interested in trying again...

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 02:53:12 | More by comfortablynumb1

capeannbass36

Massachusetts

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

750ml bottle....batch# E!028

A- Poured into a tulip. Dark brownish red. No light penetrates this "mud". Finger and a half, sandy, off white colored head that dissapates quickly. Soapy lacing lasts throughout.

S- Sweet malt, dark fruit, caramel, and brown sugar.

T- Dark fruits, caramel, brown sugar.

M- Medium light carbonation. Sticky, syrupy.

O- Not bad, not great. Will try again. Somewhat surprised that some have said that this beer pours "clear". How can that be? When I cannot see through it??!!

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 21:03:21 | More by capeannbass36

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

Gusher warning! I lost about a sixth of the bottle in a few seconds. I aged this more than a year. Dark caramel colour, rich aroma of yeast and caramel and candi, and booze. Above average mouthfeel, rich, right on the style. Good spiciness. A sipper, still good drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 02:04:33 | More by northyorksammy

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The bottle apparently contains an orgy of Trappist yeasts but, at least for the first two pours, nothing would muck up this flawlessly clear, lustrously polished chestnut-colored beer. (Note: get to the bottom and it looks like a high-school science class experiment.) Transfer into the glass made a lot of fizzy noises but ultimately didn't result in any head.

Most quads have more flavour in their aroma than most other beers do their entire body but this one, not overly fragrant, smells relatively plain. What's there is good though. There is the expected sweetness but it actually favors savoriness and spice, showcasing a duo of something like (but not exactly) nutmeg and something like (but not exactly) sage.

12 has a flavour that threatens to become a little (or a lot) cloying with warmth, but with some chill on it it's delicious. A chewy, tootsie-roll like taste predominates with a butter tart flavour on the finish. As well as the conventional dried fruit notes (slightly understated in this example), it also has a root-beer or Jägermeister kind of root herbalness to it, with hints of citrus peel, liquorice, anise, poppy seeds, ginger, and juniper berries.

The aftertaste is considerably dry, with a pure cocoa-like sootiness and tea leaf bitterness. The stark herbal qualities again shine through with a significant earthiness and resemblance to the French liquor Chartreuse. And I'm not sure if it's the French malts or Belgian yeasts but there is a very musty, cellar-like character typical of Bières de Garde.

When you advertise emulating the great strong beers of Belgian Trappist monasteries you're pretty much sticking your neck out to be put in a noose. But, like the phenomenal Brute, Ithaca has not only succeeded but thrived where others have failed in trying to replicate the hardest of old-world recipes. Trust me, the monks don't do much better than this.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 03:50:30 | More by biegaman

russwbeck

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep brownish red pour with an off white head. Hardly any retention or lacing.

S: Dark fruits, plums, grapes. Tons of candied sugar and perhaps some grain, all built on a backbone of booze.

T: The taste starts with the dark fruits and involves into candied sugar and booze. Leaves a strange taste on the back of the mouth.

MF: The beer coats the mouth, is medium bodied, and full of alcohol. Not all that balanced.

O: Only average. Considering I just got to try a bunch of De Struise quads, this falls short.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 23:54:29 | More by russwbeck

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle into cervoise

A - Pours a brownish red to darker brown. Lots of fluffly, bubbly white head suggesting over-carbonation. Takes a while to pour

S - Dark fruits of currants, dark cherries, raisins. Some citric hops, orange rind. Brown sugar and toffee

T - A solid backing of the aforementioned dark fruits accented by a smoky malt presence contributing minor chocolate and charcoal. Slight grass and pine hops as well as some pepper and cherries

M - WAY overcarbonated. This caused the mouth to be prickly and full. Body seemed lighter than it should be also due to this.

O - Aside from the carbonation problems affecting the appearance and mouth, I think this would be a pretty good Quad. ABV was hidden fairly well too.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 19:20:46 | More by OakedCanuck

superspak

Michigan

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

750 ml bottle into goblet, batch E!020. Pours deep dark brown color with 1.5 fingers of light tan head with fantastic retention that reduces to a nice lacing cap. Some decent lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of strong nutmeg, chocolate, caramel, toffee, and dark fruits. Big on the nutty aromas here, pretty interesting. Taste of huge caramel, toffee, chocolate, and nuttiness. Big sweetness in the taste with lingering notes of caramel, chocolate, and nuttiness with a bit of spiciness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied. Alcohol is well hidden, none in the taste and a small warming on the finish. Nicely smooth drinking despite the level of carbonation and alcohol level. Overall, a very nice quadrupel from Ithaca!

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 03:47:30 | More by superspak

ManVersusBeer

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A dark, nutty chestnut brown that can't be seen through. A good settling orange-brown head rises with active carbonation.
Smell is a lot of prunes with a bit of soy soy and speck, some smoked meats. Hints at bread and yeast with a light touch of honey.
Dark fruits overwhelm my mouth, mostly plums and prunes with bits of alcohol soaked raisins coated in sweet BBQ sauce. An interesting lager-like light toast and brown sugar flavor comes out, making this one complex.
It finishes sticky and slightly overpowering with the alcohol that is still present even after a year has passed. Prickly, almost too intense carbonation follows as well.
A good brew, though, and the differing flavors shine, creating a nice display and array of the dark fruit notes that are common for the style, despite its lack of spice.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 02:28:51 | More by ManVersusBeer

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark chestnut brown with half a glass of off-white foam that quickly faded and left some lacing down the glass. The aroma is roasted malts, dark fruit, fig, brown sugar and a hint of smokiness. The taste is more sweet, brown sugar, dark fruit, and a syrupy sweetness. Its medium bodied with very lively carbonation, more than I would like. It sort of makes it hard to drink and enjoy, the flavor is lost pretty quickly.

3.5/4/4/3.5/3.5

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 04:38:03 | More by mikereaser

ngeunit1

California

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a rich dark brown color with a bit of red mixed in and a finger of tanish head atop. The head fades fairly quickly down to a thin layer leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is mix of sweet dark fruit (plum and raisin) and some sweet malt. There is also some earthiness and a bit of booze as well.

T - Starts off with a lot of dark fruit flavors and some earthy malt flavor and a bit of caramel malt. Through the middle some brown sugar, a bit of smoke, and some spiciness. The finish is a mix of dark fruit flavor and some booze that lingers nicely.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Fairly smooth and a touch think and syrupy. The finish is fairly sweet with some booze warming as well.

D - Very drinkable. A nice American take on the Quad style. The addition of the smoky flavor in the beer is really nice and everything feel well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 20:34:39 | More by ngeunit1

cosmicevan

New York

3.23/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Batch E!020

a - opened the bottle and filled my la trappe chalice. classic quad color of deep purple with a reddish tint, but the creamy head that i look for in this style was nowhere to be found.

s - spicy nutmeg and a lot of earthy notes. dark fruit is there, but has taken a backseat to the spicy earthy odor. the earthiness is very barley and grain smelling.

t - the same earthy barley found on the nose is what the taste is all about. there is a lot of sweetness in the flavor as well. not sure if this one really works that well for me. certainly not the authentic yeasty quad that i love, but another spicy american take that kind of misses the mark for the style in my opinion. very grainy instead of creamy...and too sweet in a nutmeggy way.

m - medium bodied and good carbonation. booze isn't in your face, but sweetness is a bit.

o - overall this brew is very grape-juice like and not quad-like, could use a few steps off of the sweetness and a bit more creaminess to the body. it isn't bad, but not something that i will seek out again. kind of wish it was a 12oz bottle and not a 750.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 01:42:15 | More by cosmicevan

DaveHS

California

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

thanks to trxxpaxxs for this. Batch E!028

A-Pours muddy chocolate brown with 1/2 inch of foamy tan head. Reduces slowly, leaving soapy lacing.

S-Dark stewed fruit, condensed milk, caramel, booze.

T/M-Stewed plums, cinnamon, smoky wood, clove, candi sugar, molasses. Thin body for a quad, which exposes some boozy phenolic character. The finish is papery and a bit smoky.

O-Pretty good at the start, but it falls apart in the finish. Not a traditional quad flavor profile, but certainly interesting and worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 03:16:40 | More by DaveHS