Church Brew Cherry Quadzilla

Brewed by Church Brew Works
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA

Serve in Trappist glass

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Bottle. 24.5 oz. Split in the parking lot of the Phils game. Pours a bright turbid amber red with a tall, bubbly head that quickly recedes to leave a slick surface. Aroma of rasins, dark cherries, plums, candied sugars, and marichino cherries. Medium bodied with an intensely sweet, yet not sickenegly so, finish. Decent experimental quad

Poured into a goblet. 3.0 A: Hazed cherry plum color. Maybe a finger of fizzy head. It was gone before I could evaluate it. 4.0 S: Strong cherry and clove. Overripened plums and pepper next. Fig and dates after that. Caramel malts to finish. Clean overall. 3.0 T: Cherry and clove dominate the taste as well. Somewhat tart with a surprisingly present bitterness. Very little fig, date, and pepper. One dimensional, which is a bit of a shock considering the nose is somewhat complex. 3.0 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. I wish this was a bit spritzier and creamier. 3.5 D: Decent beer, but doesn’t match up with the best of Belgium (or the US for that matter). Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 03-18-2012 03:09:44

bottle... the premise of the beer is one that sounds good but like the cheesy name in this case just didn’t do it for me, the base isn’t that great the cherries come across generic but the alcohol is well hidden, not for me

750 ml bottle
A rather pedestrian, if possibly subpar, quad I found it hard to get overly excited about this beer. Even fresh and on tap it lacked the depth and complexity of the true masters. The cherry angle does set it apart. Even so the end result is simply not all that satisfying. Try some of their other beers instead.

Aroma / Appearance - The appearance is that of an optimistic cherry drink - rosy red with lively carbonation and a muted head. The aroma of Cherry 7-UP spiked with alcohol tickles the nose but there is not the typical depth of a normal quad. Instead the dry touch of brett is the most remarkable aspect.

Flavor / Palate - Cherry pie, malts, and fresh from the oven sourdough bread hit the senses in a muddle. Medicinal chocolate notes come next before a warm alcoholic finish. There’s nothing cohesive to bind the different experiences together. Instead it sort of crumbles on the throat. It wasn’t bad but in the end there are many other alternatives worth buying instead.

Bouteille de 750 ml partagée lors d’une dégustation Ratebeer Montréal. Arôme: Légère odeur de caramel et de cerises. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée voilée. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Léger goût de cerises et de caramel au beurre. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence de cerises en arrière goût. (Rating #3905)

Nice combination of spicy Belgian yeast character with a cherry flavor that stays in balance. Cherry isn’t overpowering like some fruit beers. Fine carbonation, smooth mouthfeel.

Bottle @ Dan’s house, courtesy of arminjewell. Thanks Armin! Ruby red with a touch of orange and a tan head. Dull fruity (cherry/berry), belgian yeasty, light candy sugar aroma. Dull, mildly tart cherry, dark belgian ale flavor. Not much candy sugar in the flavor and it’s nice that it is not syrupy like some quads.

Pours clear reddish red with thin off white head. Aroma has notes of cherry, belgian yeast, dark fruit, some slight toffee, molasses notes as well. Taste is some sweet cherry, belgian yeast, some slight dark fruit, some toffee, candi sugar notes as well, with a sweet finish. Not complex, lots of cherry, some slight belgian notes but overall pretty average and one-dimensional.

My Bottom Line :
Sweet cherries linger well after this Quadrupel’s citrus and caramel flavors have disappeared.

Further Personal Perceptions :
-A veil of foam tops the dull amber-red.
-Malt flavors are poorly developed for a Quad...
-The cherry flavor is rather bland, even though it is lengthy.
-Light minerals are present in the finish.
-Although light, fruity tartness is apparent.
-The base beer is either bland, or its profile has been eaten up by the cherries. Either way, this simply doesn’t work that well in the end.

Bottle.

On draft at the brew pub. Pours almost milky. Looks like there’s a lot of yeast still in the brew. Aroma is slightly alcoholic with medicinal cherries in the aroma. Taste is very bready. Strong cherry medicine flavor. Finishes lighter than you’d expect.