Sunday, May 9, 2010

Ithaca Excelsior Twelve Monastery-style Quadrupel Ale

I acquired a bottle of Ithaca Excelsior Twelve Monastery-style Quadrupel Ale through a beer trade with Lee from hoptopia.com. The beer pours a dark brown color with an over-the-top lofty bubbly head. It took several minutes (more like 10-15!) and pours to get the beer to a drinkable condition, and the wait killed me, but was totally worth it. The aroma consists of sweet malts with raisins, figs, and a bit of molasses. The taste contains heaps of raisins and a good amount of fig. There is a light toasted malt undertone with a sweet chocolate finish. There are hints of oak on the outside of the mouth. The alcohol content is 12% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed this Quad, and it would rank among my favorites Quads. Not only does it include the typical raisin and fig flavors, but the chocolate and toasted malts really enhance the experience. Get your hands on this beer while you can.

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