New Glarus Unplugged Belgian Quadruple

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

Dark amber orange color with a tall canvas colored head when poured into my Triple Karmeliet glass. Decent lacing. Dusty dry malt aromas with hints of cherries, light oak and a crisp Brett component. The more I sniff the more I like. Not overly complex, but subtleties exist with some cortland apples and light cloves. Quite smooth and slightly oily on the palate. It is quite amazing how the temperature changes the character of this one. At a local beer tasting it was served ice cold and was light, nearly fluffy and thin. Now warmer it is full and warming. I have to give it a 5 just because of the transformations this one can go through. Pale malt goodness start. Hints of lavender, mace and strong vanilla. This is one to set by the fire with. Light oak in the linger with a touch of single malt scotch dancing about. The stomach is starting to warm, but the throat and mouth only have a mild tingle. Likely a touch to sweet and malty for some, but for me, a self confessed malthead (with hophead tendencies), this is another awesome brew New Glarus. I’ll be stocking up on this one.

Wow, this smells great! Cherries, oak, vanilla, red wine vinegar and cream with a hint of earthiness. Taste is dark fruits, malty, sea salt, and alcohol followed by a rush of alcohol, tartness, and tannins that clear everything up making this into an 11% session beer. Such an immense amount of depth to every part of this beer, but easy to drink; it is the hallmark of a truly great beer. The barrels that gave this beer life also graced the lives of the Bourbon Barrel Bock, those were some great barrels!

bottle: pours a slight hazy nice copper orange colour with a small just off white head. aroma is great of rich fruits both dark and fresh, slight cherry and great malts. an ice hint of brett adn a decent wood aroma. flavour is also great with plety of oak and dark sugars adn fruit. decent brett again and fantastic malts. finish a little dry and just a great beer.

Dark amber/copper color. Smell of malt, toffee, caramel, sugar, wine, apples, cherries, gram crackers, vanilla and alcohol. Taste of cherries, malt, caramel, honey, bread, sugar, nuts, gram crackers, vanilla, wine, fruit, some hops, cand7y coated roasted almonds and alcohol. Nice and it really warms you up. It gets better when it warms up. I must get more.

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.

Bottle from JCB. Hell yeah man! Incredible nose on this one. Oak, bourbon, vanilla, darker fruits, raisins, brown sugar, caramel. A hint of barrely tart too - green apple. Really fantastic aroma. Pours amber with some golden orange hues and some browns as well. Flavors of oak barrel up front followed by green apple, sweet bourbon, raisin, brown sugar, vanilla, spiced apples. Quad flavors come through in the end - light dusty/musty yeast. A hint of barrel tartness and a little alcohol. Wow. Lively carbonation. Some alcohol, but not what you’d expect from 11%. This is incredible stuff. Like an amazing liquid desert with alcohol!

OK, for some fun. I rated this blind, not having even read the brewer’s description.

Purchased in New Glarus area this past weeked. Unfortunately the brewery was closed due to inclement weather. Served in a snifter. With a strong pour, a 1 finger head bubbled up and rapidly disappeared, leaving a creamy white ring around the edge of the glass. Crystal clear whiskey color. Wonderfully fruity, spicy aroma with a touch of Belgian yeast and alcohol. From the nose I am a hair suspicious that some of those Door county cherries spontaneously fermented and "accidentally" fell into the secondary barrel fermenter - not that I would have a problem with that! From the aroma alone I would have guessed a Lambic far before I ever guessed a quad. Mouthfeel is rich and smooth - perfect. I can’t imagine what would improve it. Flavor is complex, blended and balanced; I am having difficulty isolating individual notes, but I will try. Malt, Sour, Alcohol. Whiskey/Scotch/Something. Argh... I feel like I am drinking an oversized scotch/brandy/whiskey. The finish is a lingering sourness intertwined with a delightful warmth from the alcohol.

Now, having finally read the description, I see: Brett yeast. Oak Lager tanks. Bourbon barrels. It is all so much more clear now, and I am feeling more than a little silly, not just from the 11% alcohol, but for for not being able to spot the obvious. Self-administer a dope slap. Ow! The bourbon is clear now. I’m much of big bourbon fan due to an unfortunate adolescent encounter, but I can pick it up the profile clearly now - medium weight, and offset with the Brett and oaky characters.

I don’t usually run out and score more of a beer, but I’ll be snagging the next 4-pack of these babies that crosses my path.

Thanks for the brew tangfoot. Pours a clear medium amber, looks freaking good. Head dissipates pretty quick. Strong flavors in this one. Fruits, with a nice tart finish. Great brew.