3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20(Originally written for the Spring 2012 issue of TAPS Magazine.) Even more than most beer styles, quadrupel is one that’s strongly defined by a small number of renowned benchmark brews, including St. Bernardus 12, Rochefort 10, and the near-legendary Westvleteren 12. With comparison points like that, it’s going to be hard for a newcomer like Abbey Kat to stand out as an exemplary example of the style. The dark brick-brown brew throws out prominent aromas of caramel, prune, dark sugar, dried cherry and cloves, all of which are also components of the full, sweet flavour. As it warms and opens up a bit more, some banana-like esters start to lurk around the edges, and the finish develops a nice dark cocoa note. Not as deep or complex as the Belgians that inspired it, but still a very respectable effort that Alley Kat should be proud of.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
UPDATED: MAR 16, 2013 Smells like caramel and spices. Pours dark blackish brown.On the taste side of things its sweet up front, followed by raisins. Not bad but doesn’t blow you away either.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
(12oz bottle) Sampled at EskimoDave’s houseparty. Pours a lasting white frothy head atop a clear mahogany body. Nose of raisins. Plain, fig and grape. But all in all somewhat average. 6/5/6/3/13
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
[4683-20120817] Bottle. Light malty aroma. Slightly hazy, dark brown amber body with a long-lasting creamy off-white head. Fruity toasted malt flavour has a hint of bandaid. Medium body. Interesting. (7/3/7/3/14) 3.4
(@ Campground Brewdown 2012, Millmont, PA)
Overheard: "I’m taking the fxck out of it." -- Pizza Boy beer
4.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
Pours a very dark brown/black with light brown head that wont quit, sticking to the top of the glass. Aroma consists of caramel, fruity ester i assume from the belgian yeast. Tastes of caramel, toast, mixture of spice and booze dried cherry and plum, very complex and very good, it has come along way from when it was released(as i expected). Nice work Neal.
4.4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Let this one age for about a year as it was a bit boozy at first so let it age in the bottle proper for the style. Pours a clear black with a long lasting tan/brown head that leaves lots of spotty lace. Aroma is sweet caramel, fig and some alcohol. Taste is is caramel and some spice and smooth alcohol finish, far smoother than when it first came out.
3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
March 21, 2012 with blankboy and garthicus. Bomber c/o blankboy. I’m a-scared! Deep clear refractive ruby, quite bright, yet really deep in colour - with a decent and lasting foamy/creamy beige/tan head. Smells okay - caramel and cola candy sweetness dominates, some alcohol, maybe a little perfume bitterness - not much fruit or spice. Taste is sweet caramel, a bit more spice, weirdly grassy and pungent too (7-). Average body, mild carbonation, finishes a little sweaty and pungent - really develops a fresh-cut grass bitterness, I liked it less the more I drank.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
2012-08-17. Ruby tinged dark brown body, modest brown head. 3+ Sweet malt with fruity sugary notes in both the flavour and aroma. 6+ Average plus bodied palate. 3+ Decent but just okay. Bottle, Campground Brewdown 2012 my bottle from GregClow
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
22oz bottle from grannity (graham). Brown with a generous light brown head. Surprising amount of malt, fig, burnt caramel, alcohol, some yeast, prunes. Moderate carbonation and body, semi-sweet with lots of overripe fruit, more alcohol on the end. Worth trying.
2.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 10/20
Bottle sampled at Kramer’s Campground Brewdown 2012. Pours an amber body with light white lacing. Aroma is strong belgian yeast and spice. Mouthfeel is medium and carbonated with notes of caramel malts, belgian candy, lots of spice, and alcohol.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
22oz bottle, Campground Brewdown. Large beige head, clear garnet body. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, candi sugar, orange, light Belgian yeast spicy. Taste is sweet, Belgian yeast spicy, candi sugar, some raisin/orange, caramel. Sticky medium-full body.
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