New Glarus Unplugged Belgian Quadruple

Formerly brewed at New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

Bright copper and clear as crystal, an off white foam dissipates quickly. Already we seem far from the Belgian masters that inspire the brew. The nose is confused and confusing. Pear, apple and lemon provide an unexpected sourness opposed to the sterile scents of rubbing alcohol and talcum. Ginger, clove, cherries and a somewhat inappropriate bretty oak character add to the commotion. The aromatic experience does not fall completely amiss as a semblance of unison is reached after breathing. The flavor follows with an odd, almost artificial combination of strawberry, cherry and vanilla, underlined by malapropos nuances of bourbon. Nutmeg, apple, nougat and honey are present and appreciated but do not contribute enough weight to counteract the overwhelming alcohol. The unpleasantly sour, dirty finish leads to a conversely enjoyable caramel and banana aftertaste. I’ve had a streak of good luck with New Glarus and especially their Unplugged series but this effort was decidedly unbalanced and not up to par. Such is the nature of these one-off productions, I suppose.

12 oz. Bottle via trade with AlexDeLarge - Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a one finger thick off white head. Very light spotty lacing. Aroma is a lightly sweetened bready malt and esters. Flavor is sweet malt, esters, light spices, alcohol, and faint oak. Palate is fairly soft and smooth even with the alcohol kick. Medium to full body. A pretty good beer. Thanks Jason.

Clear orangey mahogany. Quickly fading head. Rich, albeit a bit chaotic aroma. Sugary and oxidized with vanilla, nuts, ice cream (lactic), figs, grapes. Never juicy though – there’s a faint toastiness that border roast that sweeps that initial impression away. Full-bodied, sticky, low carbonation. An original creation, but despite the use of brett, it remained immensely sweet. Sweet, vinous, fruity and oaky. I don’t know what would make it easier to drink, perhaps tannins.

Pours sparkling clear copper, with a spongy, off-white head. The porous foam rose to two inches before slowly receding to a decent skim coat on the surface. The nose has a bready malt base, followed by red grapes, juniper berries, and fuselish cloves. The mouthfeel is on the sticky side of medium, fairly crisp, and tacky. The pallet has a malt base with a fair amount of residuals, ripe fruit, gin-infused bubblegum, and warming alcohols. Bitterness and all other hopping is minimal and balancing at best. Finishes with some heat on the back of the tongue, and a wince of quanine. A fairly straightforward Quad. Plenty quaffable, but restrained in nature.

Served in a Chimay chalice Wow, where to start! Pours a clear copper with a dense, frothy tan head. A beauty to behold. Aromas of Candy sugar, vanilla and yeasty, bready alcohol. The taste is maybe a little too sweet, but nothing some ageing won’t cure. Warm caramel, raisins and bready yeast flavors with a really nice warming alcohol. Soooo smooth it’s scarry. Very easy to find yourself downing a few too many and not realizing the alcohol because of the smoothness. Possibly one of the best releases from New Glarus. I can’t wait to try this after a few years.

Pours a crystal clear dark orange amber color. A small, foamy, cream colored head settles to a patchy film with random mounds of bubbles. Scattered flares and spots of lacing decorate the glass. The aroma is unlike and Quad I’ve ever had. Tart, dried cherries strike the nose first, followed by candy sugar, bourbon, oak and vanilla. Nutmeg and clove add hearty spices to the nose. The flavor is sweet and very fruit forward, with cherries striking and nerve on back of the tongue. Candy sugar provides ample quadruple sweetness to counteract the tart fruit. Vanilla smoothness balances out increasing alcoholic heat. Subdued nutmeg enhances the overall depth. The medium-full body is slightly syrupy, yet perfectly carbonated. The brew finishes with a short, intense rush of cherry sourness. This is as unique a Quad as you will find. Does anyone do cherry better than New Glarus? I think not. Very impressive.

Bottle from iowaherkeye on 01/08/08. Thanks! No indication of bottle age. Small to no head, but liquid has carbonation. Amber brandy color/appearance. Lots of melanoidins, and caramel buttery oakiness. A hint of banana in the aroma. Some bourbon and alcohol in the aroma detracts slightly. Very sweet (I like sweet). Tastes young, and I bet this would be great with some serious aging.

Honey colored beer with a thin white head. Vanilla and plum type aroma with a noticeable bourbony tang. Staggeringly delicious. Very fruity at the start with an outstanding oaky finish. Plenty of plum and cherry. Plenty of vanilla and bourbon. Plenty of awesome.