Schlafly - Quadruple Ale

Tonight we are treated with another guest review from our buddy Kasper.  Since he lives in Kansas City, we have tasked him with drinking the local stuff we can't find in Minnesota.  As expected, he was more than willing to oblige.  The local beer scene in the area has been booming, just like many other cities across the country.  Hopefully Kasper will continue to share his beer endeavors with us going forward.  I know I'm enjoying reading about his new experiences!

***

I've decided to spend some time hunting down more regional flavors as of late, and my beer journey led me to Schlafly's Quadruple Ale this week.  An assassin of an ale coming in at a weighty 12% ABV.

This one had me giggling all the way home from the liquor store, as I'm always interested to see how different beers handle the ever present issue of an alcoholic burn with such a high ABV.

As I pour the cloudy amber colored ale into my glass, I'm greeted with a thick tan head and a wonderfully fragrant fruity malty apple scent.  This effervescence had me excited for the first sip.

While the beer manages to quite expertly hide the high alcohol content, its taste has me at a loss.  It's very lightly bitter, and the flavor of apples and spice are very heavily present, though lacking sweetness.  It almost verges on a sour rotten apple taste at times, very discouraging, but it does drink similar to a few abbey ales I've had in the past, after it's sufficiently warmed.

Overall - A good beer to knock you on your ass if you aren't careful, especially with its 750ml serving size.  But you are going to have to brave an awkward flavor in order to achieve it.  I would suggest letting the beer warm quite a bit - only a slight chill passed room temperature - as this seems to mellow some of its less desirable characteristics.  Even at that, I can't say I have an urge to drink it again.

Deschutes Brewery - The Stoic

Does anyone out there play Words with Friends?  I'm dangerously addicted to this scrabble-esque game, it's like a bad crack habit.  Why?  First of all, it's free, my favorite price.  Secondly, I'm damn good at it.  If you're up for a challenge - start a game with me - my name is 'Duny22'.  Disclaimer:  If you challenge me, you will lose, probably many times over, and I'm not liable for your disappointment or frustration.  You've been warned!

Tonight, while I kick your asses in Words with Friends, I'll be drinking The Stoic from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon.  The Stoic is a Belgian-style Quadrupel Ale loaded with 11% alcohol.  This brew is fermented in 4 different stages, and aged in rye whiskey and wine casks.  There are some other, well-known Quads that Steve and I have had in the past, like the Trappistes Rochefort 10 and Ommegang Three Philosophers - brews in this style tend to be malty, fruity, and on the higher end of the alcohol spectrum.  Let's see how The Stoic stacks up against the rest of the pack.

This beer comes in a bomber bottle with a wax-sealed cap and a label that explains this is "A prized, potent Belgian-Styled Quad of stirring depth and complexity".  Below that it states "The Stoic: Malt Beverage brewed with pomegranate with 16.5% being aged in oak wine barrels and 16.5% being aged in oak rye whiskey barrels".  The beer is a clear, golden orange color, a lot lighter than I expected.  While this first glass is clear, I can see plenty of sediment stirred up in the bottom of the bottle.  The pour leaves an inch of fluffy white foam.  The aroma accentuates the Belgian yeast-funk up front, plenty of bananas, candied apples, cinnamon sugar, and tart, spicy alcohol fumes.  The fumes really waft out of the glass.  First sip, starts off with a wave of tart, sugary sweetness.  Then the yeast comes into play with a sour farmhouse flavor - grassy, herbal, earthy.  Towards the end, the fruits finally come through - hints of pomegranate, and some warm, woody oak is also there.  The alcohol finishes things off with some heat. 

Overall Rating:  This was a tough beer to rate.  Positives - pleasant quad flavors, the base beer is obviously very good.  Negatives - the pomegranate and barrel aging create too much of a diversion, and take away from what must be a great Quad at the foundation.  A good beer, but not quite great.  B 

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Tonight I will be drinking a real treat from Rochefort Brewery.  First, a little tidbit of interesting brewing history.

Rochefort (Brasserie de Rochefort) is a Belgian Trappist brewery located in the Abby of Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy.  This monastery has been brewing beer since 1595!  It's operated by 15 resident monks, who are extremely secretive of their brewing process, and brew a set amount of beer each year.  The proceeds generated from sales are used to support the monastery, and contributed to "other charitable causes", so they do not adjust their brewing rates based on demand from the market.  Rochefort brews three different beers:  Rochefort 6, Rochefort 8, and Rochefort 10.  Each increasing number represents a stronger, more alcoholic Belgian strong ale.  What does Trappist mean?  Trappists are monks that are part of the Order of the Strict Observance, which is a Roman Catholic religious order.  Authentic Trappist beers are brewed by monks in this order, following a specific process that's been in use for hundreds of years.  They are bottle conditioned, and contain residual sugars and yeast that you would typically find in home-brewed beer.  These beers are known to be some of the highest quality in the world.

The beer comes in a 11.2oz bottle with a simple label that includes the "Authentic Trappist Product" stamp on the front.  It also says "Abbey St-Remy  B-5580  Rochefort" on top of the label - this is probably the batch number?  I'm not able to find the bottled-on date, there are some numbers on there but nothing indicating an actual date.  Also worth mentioning is the 11.3%ABV - hot damn.

The beer pours a dark, deep brown, my friends here say they think it's jet-black.  The aroma is full of alcohol and dark fruits, mainly rainsins and plums.  Also some sweet fumes make their way through, must be figs.  The taste doesn't hit the palate as hard as I expected from the nose.  The flavors ease their way in, starting with plums and licorice.  Then comes a wave of sweetness in the form of figs and nutmeg.   Very rich and chewy.  There really isn't any bitterness present at all.  The finish is sticky, but isn't cloying....very smooth.  The alcohol is present only in warmth, doesn't contribute to the flavor but adds a comforting warmth to the beer, like sitting next to a warm fire. 

Overall Rating:  (5.5 out of 6.0)  No surprise here - this is an amazing beer.  The quality of the ingredients and the care taken in the brewing process are obvious.  Bottle conditioned to perfection.  Those monks know how to brew a good beer!