Category Archives: Belgian Quadrupel

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Sint Amatus Cask Strength Woodford Reserve BA 3 Years

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 11%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
Other Notes: 2013 vintage cask strength

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cask strength limited edition. Medium carbonation – WR bourbon barrel 3 yrs.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.02
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2013 vintage, cask strength limited edition, bottled on 21st June 2016. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark brown colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, dark fruit, prunes, raisin, brown sugar, caramel, bourbon, with a hint of dark chocolate.
Taste: Sweet malt, caramel, slightly burnt sugar, brown sugar, dark fruit, prunes, raisin, bourbon, chocolate, lightly bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and flavours were nice, but carbonation was definitely lacking for me. If only it had the ‘medium carbonation’ as stated on the label…

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Rio Reserva St Emilion Wine & Kentucky Bourbon BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
Other Notes: 2012 vintage. Belgian Quadrupel Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Collaboration ale with brew master Ryohei Sugawara from Rio Brewing & Co Japan. Belgian dark golden blond quadrupel with an enormous potential of aromas and flavors, and added complexity due to oak barrel aging. First aging took place in St.-Emilion oak wine barrels from Tour Baladoz. Bourbon barrels from Kentucky were next due to their very special soft roast quality and noble vanilla flavors. Limited edition of 3000 cask strength bottles with medium carbonation.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.18
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2012 vintage, limited edition cask strength, bottled on 14th November 2016. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: A brownish orange rusty colour with a big two finger beige head that had decent retention and eventually settled to a thin cap while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, dark fruit, plum, prunes, caramel, with light notes of bourbon, oak, vanilla and vinous.
Taste: Moderate sweetness, brown sugar, dark fruit, prunes, plum, caramel, toffee, bourbon, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: An excellent sipper, with good complexity from the wine and bourbon barrels.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Vanilla Bourbon Dream

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 11%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
Other Notes: 2013 vintage. A massive quad from Flanders aged in bourbon barrels with vanilla beans. Woodford Reserve BA

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Madagascar fresh Bourbon Vanilla Beans are superior, with flavor and aromatic qualities that make these beans the most popular and sought after vanilla variety. The flavor is rich, dark and creamy with an overwhelming sweet, buttery aroma. We added these fresh beans at a rate of 5 pieces a barrel and let age until we got to the Vanilla Bourbon Dream. Limited edition of 1000 cask strength bottles with medium carbonation.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.1
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2013 vintage, limited edition cask strength, bottled on 21st June 2016. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown with a slight orange hue, almost dark rusty colour, with a thin half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Dark dried fruit, prunes, raisin, oak, bourbon, caramel, light booze.
Taste: Caramel, toffee, butterscotch, vanilla, bourbon, oak, with notes of dark fruit, raisin.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Aroma while not bad, was a little plain for me. But taste was much more interesting and enjoyable. A nice sipper.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, Brouwerij Alvinne

Alvinne Cuvée de Mortagne Sauternes

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Brewery: Brouwerij Alvinne
Country: Belgium
ABV: 12.8%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
Other Notes: Traditional Ale. Sweet 4/5, Sour 0/5 & Bitter 2/5

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sauternes barrel aged Quadrupel.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.78
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 330ml bottle, with a best before date of June 2023. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark brown colour with a very thin beige head that disappeared immediately and no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, slight vinous, red wine, grape, berries, apple, raisin, prunes, oak, with notes of caramel.
Taste: Sweet, candied dried fruit, prunes, raisin, grapes, oak, chocolate, caramel, and a light bitter herbal finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s definitely a sipper with the booze and sweetness. Maybe a bit too sweet for me with lots of dark candied dried fruit and caramel. Still, the aroma and flavours were nicely complex with good barrel character.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, Brouwerij De Halve Maan

Straffe Hendrik Heritage 2015 Armagnac Oak Aged Ale

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Halve Maan
Country: Belgium
ABV: 11%
Style: Belgain Quadrupel
Other Notes: Armagnac Oak Aged Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This quadruple is a heavy and dark beer, brewed in the unique family brewery “De Halve Maan”, which has been located since 1856 in the historical centre of Bruges. This quadruple is matured for more than one year in oak casks in the ancient cellars of the brewery. It gives this beer a complex flavour and rich aroma. The beer is re-fermented in the bottle, and has a longer shelf life, during which the taste evolves still further. The tannins and the complex malt flavours ripen into a harmonious balance over the time.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.38
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottle no. 22214, 2015 vintage, and with a best before date of end of 2026. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark amber brown colour with an almost two finger creamy beige head that dissipated fairly quickly but settled to a rapidly replenishing thin layer over the top while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Plum, prunes, apple, oak, with notes of cherry, red berries, and brandy.
Taste: Dark fruit, plum, prunes, oak, boozy, brandy, caramel, toffee, apple, with notes of red berries.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied, light to moderate carbonation, and a warming finish.
Overall: Very nice complex flavours and the Armagnac barrel matched well with this Quad. I haven’t tried many barrel aged Quads, but this definitely makes me want to try more.