Old Forge Bourbon Barrel Quad

I dropped in to check out the new Federal Taphouse in Harrisburg and I ordered a glass of Old Forge Bourbon Barrel Quad. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of vanilla, coconut, raisin, fig, caramel, Belgian yeast, and grass. The taste is sweet and smooth with raisin, fig, caramel, and Belgian yeast on the front end. Spice, light vanilla, and coconut from the bourbon come out in the finish surprisingly with no alcohol burn. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I really enjoyed the vanilla and coconut notes from the bourbon that were imparted on this quad, and I would drink this again if I saw it on tap.

Brasserie de Rochefort 10

At the Abbey Bar located within Appalachian Brewing Company, I ordered a bottle of Brasserie de Rochefort 10. The beer pours a dark brown color with a bubbly off-white head. The aroma is malty and has plenty of raisin, caramel, and fig. The taste is also malty and very sweet. Lots of raisin and fig come out on the front end, and hints of toast and chocolate linger in the background. The finish is bubbly and grassy with hints of earth. The alcohol content is 11.3% ABV. This was a wonderfully produce Quad, as was expected from a Trappist brewery. While having plenty of sweet flavors, the earthy balance kept the beer from being too sweet on the palate.

Sly Fox Ichor Abbey Style Quad

I received a bottle of Sly Fox Ichor Abbey Style Quad from the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club, even though Sly Fox is not that far away from me and I hadn’t picked up a bottle of it previously. The beer pours a murky dark brown color with a lofty and foamy tan head that leaves a small trace of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of raisin, chocolate, fig, sweet malts, and toffee. The taste is smooth and sweet with plenty of caramel and raisin flavor malts up front. Hints of chocolate and toffee peek through before the carbonation settles in and brings some grassy and earthy hops with it. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. This was quite an enjoyable quadruple, and I’d say it ranks up there with some of the finer Belgian quads. It had a great smoothness with just a touch of chocolate.

Schlafly Quadrupel

I picked up a bottle of Schlafly Quadrupel from Discount Wines and Liquors in Boonton, NJ, and decided to share it with my buddy Matt. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy off-white colored head that leaves a good bit of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of raisin, fig, date, and caramel. The taste is very biting with lots of raisin and fig up front, with the raisin causing the bite. Some slight alcohol burn comes in on the finish, but the beer rounds out with some caramel and date flavors. A hint of grass remains on the tongue in the after taste. The alcohol content is 12.0% ABV. This was a well put together quadrupel without too much of an alcohol burn. The dark fruit flavors really came out to play, and were very well blended with each other.

Iron Hill Octagon

The final beer I ordered at Belgium Comes to West Chester was Iron Hill Octagon, a quad. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy beige head. The aroma consists of alcohol, raisin, oak, and caramel. The taste is sweet with raisin, fig, date, and caramel. The finish brings out vanilla and even more caramel. The alcohol content is 15.0% ABV. I was quite impressed with the Belgian Quad, as it was well put together, and the alcohol content was well hidden. The good, sweet flavors made their presence known, but this was not a sweet-bomb.

Sierra Nevada-Abbey of New Clairvaux Ovila Quad

I ordered a glass of Sierra Nevada-Abbey of New Clairvaux collaboration Ovila Quad at Al’s Pub in Enola while watching my buddy Nathan perform live. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin filmy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of raisins, caramel, pepper, fig, and grass. The taste is smooth and sweet with lots of malts, chocolate, raisin, fig, and red grapes. There is a yeasty finish with toasted malts, coffee, cherry coming out as well. The after taste is dry and smoky. The alcohol content is 10.4% ABV. Of the three Ovila series beer, this one was my favorite, as it was a delicious beer but extremely complex. IT actually is one of the better Quads that I have tried.

Harpoon Leviathan Quad

While at the Harpoon brewery, I picked up a four-pack of Harpoon Leviathan Quad. The beer pours a dark amber color with red hues and a thin filmy tan head. The aroma consists of lots of sweet raisins with fig and hints of chocolate. The taste is smooth and sweet with a nice alcohol bite. Lots of raisins, fig, and dark fruits linger in the after taste, and a bit of orange hits in the after taste. The alcohol content is 11.75% ABV. This beer is a great quad, but fall on the slightly sweet side of things. I like it, but finishing an entire glass could be a little difficult.

Iron Hill Quad

Another visit to West Chester and another stop in to Iron Hill Brewery for dinner and drinks. I ordered a Quad as part of my visit this time. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin filmy off-white head. The aroma consists of raisin, malts, and alcohol. The taste is powerful and malty with a fig and raisin taste. There is a bit of an alcohol bite but not much and then the beer has a smooth sweet finish. Left in the mouth is a creamy and really sweet after taste. The alcohol content is 12.5% ABV. I thought that this Quad was a bit too sweet, as there were no balancing hops or alcohol.