Feisty 10% alcohol-fueled ‘ale brewed with spices’ (from French-bordered fishing town brewhouse) gets major lift from gooey black licorice resonation. Heavy anise influence takes full control ahead of rich Belgian chocolate spicing, noirish red grape wining and distant plum-raisin-prune snip, bringing tongue-coating black licorice uplift to the forefront. Strangely, the wafting compost pungency never consumes tertiary hazelnut coffee and chocolate liqueur illusions. Betters annisette as an after dinner relaxer.
Exquisitely detailed multi-layered strong ale (11%) brings immediate warmth as engrossingly rich dessert tranquilizer. Floral-soaked cognac, bourbon and spiced wine illusions float to the surface above dank-cellared fungi yeast, informing dried-fruited black cherry, raisin, prune, and date nuances. Chewy brown-sugared caramel malting and sweet vanilla daub contrast underlying black-peppered hop bittering and vinous grape snip.
On tap at Barcade, interestingly sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon-regaled ‘quadrupel’ bock brings musty muscatel wining to dried-fruited raisin-plum-fig conflux and sharply hopped spices. Tartly tannic cranberry, raspberry, cherry and Muscat grape musk recedes beneath oaken pinot noir timbre. Lofty winter warmer affords serious fireside relaxation.
Lofty Abbey-styled quadrupel (with 9.9% alcohol reticence) brings authentic candi-sugared Belgian yeast musk to creamy brown-sugared molasses malting and black-peppered sour fruiting. Rum-spiced raisin, plum, prune, and black cherry saturate orange-bruised red wine bluster before approaching brandy, burgundy, cognac, courvoisier, and sherry illusions come into focus (draping lactic base). Chocolate nibs, cola nut, and praline spotted at deep recess.
Dark chocolate-spiced brown-bodied quad gains sweet rum-soaked barleywine-brandy attributes. Brown-sugared maple molasses and plum-wined raisin-fig deepen resolve. Soda-like hop fizz nearly overwhelms moderate mocha malt strength.
Mild copper-hazed plum-dried dark-spiced Belgian-styled quad retains pleasant light-bodied appeal. Plasticine-encased rum-soaked raisin, brown-sugared fig, and dried plum illusions reach cocoa-powdered chocolate-chalked midst. Subsidiary chamomile herbage seeps into subsequent oaken cherry strawberry-banana tartness. On ’11 re-tasting, citric-hopped herbal spicing and dark floral nuance found.
Rich Monastery-style quadrupel ale utilizes chewy Trappist wheat strain for wondrous ‘burnished chestnut’ full body. Peppery fig-dried raisin-prune-plum souring inundates bourbon-licked champagne yeast fizz. White rum, sherry, and burgundy illusions float across sweet banana-bruised clove sensation as earthen peat-smoked malting gains footing atop funky fungi-like backend.
Respectable auburn-hued Belgian-styled quad ‘for the mature connoisseur’ retains winter warming brown ale character to medicinal wintry holiday finish. Unmistakable Belgian yeast funk deluges chocolate-spiced sugared date, stewed prune, brown banana, black cherry, bruised orange, and overripe peach illusions fortifying plush Grand Marnier-Cognac-Chardonnay trifecta as well as tertiary spiced wine, dry port and dark rum flirtations. Chewy molasses-like caramel malting completes the score. Boasting more depth and richness than Boulevard’s superfine Long Strange Tripel, this round-tripper’s a true homerun.
Engrossing terrycloth-textured full-bodied Belgian knockoff maintains chewy chocolate-caramel-molasses malting. Candi-sugared Sugar Daddy sweetness echoes through cohesive hop-spiced raisin-dried cherry-grape-berry souring raiding medicinal orange-bruised pumpkin-pureed cognac persuasion and mild bourbon boozing. Tertiary sweet-corned fennel, anise, and caraway illusions also aid complex doppelbock-like quad.
Re-fermented-in-the-bottle, sophisticated prune-clouded medium body anchors mellow medicinal sherry sweetness to velvet-y smooth hop-spiced subtlety; lacking harsh alcohol pungency of inflated quadrupel label. Flowery clove-nutmeg accents, fizzy apple-wined tartness, and mild orange peel bittering provide exquisite holiday seasoning to chewy caramel malt facade. Cinnamon raisin, almond, and grape illusions come and go. Oddly compelling; melts in your mouth.
Meritorious bottle conditioned ruby-hued Belgian-styled quad brings strong prune nosing to thick dark rum-like sugar-caned maple-molasses sweetness, variable raisin-fig linger, chocolate liqueur simmer and earthen peat-tobacco remnant. Sticky licorice-candied malts rise against impending cherry-banana slumber, supple red grape tang and lemony raspberry tartness at plush sherry-port midst, further strengthening distinctive slow sipper. ’08 version brought burgundy, Merlot, and Chardonnay illusions and cherry puree whim to mellowed finish. Serve with hearty meal such as beef stew.