7 Swans-A-Swimming
(has 2 batches)
The Bruery in Placentia, California, United States 🇺🇸
Belgian Style - Quadrupel / Dark Strong Series|
Score
7.21
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Belgian-Style Quadrupel Ale
7 Swans-A-Swimming is the 7th beer in our 12 Days of Christmas™ series. For this verse of the story, we chose the path we don't often take - we brewed to style. No bells, no whistles, just our best take on the Belgian Quadrupel style. Brewed with nothing but water, malt, yeast, hops and a bit of Belgian dark candied sugar, this beer may not be as out-of-the-box as some of our past winter brews, but it's just as tasty. Rich and complex, this robust dark ale juggles notes of raisin bread, dried apricots, burnt caramel and roasted pecans. The barrel-aged edition layers on complexities of oak, plums, toffee, tobacco and liquefied dates, with the Belgian yeast esters mimicking winter-like spicing on a warm bourbon backdrop.
7 Swans-A-Swimming is the 7th beer in our 12 Days of Christmas™ series. For this verse of the story, we chose the path we don't often take - we brewed to style. No bells, no whistles, just our best take on the Belgian Quadrupel style. Brewed with nothing but water, malt, yeast, hops and a bit of Belgian dark candied sugar, this beer may not be as out-of-the-box as some of our past winter brews, but it's just as tasty. Rich and complex, this robust dark ale juggles notes of raisin bread, dried apricots, burnt caramel and roasted pecans. The barrel-aged edition layers on complexities of oak, plums, toffee, tobacco and liquefied dates, with the Belgian yeast esters mimicking winter-like spicing on a warm bourbon backdrop.
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7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Dark amber colour with small head.Ara of toffee caramel and malt light candy note mild feels light and mild easy to drink not to heavy good by style beer.
Tried
from Bottle
at
Amager Bryghus Taproom Bryggen
on 13 Feb 2026
at 14:38
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Likely my last review of the year, I intend it to be one of a good beer. I have a 12.7 oz bottle, 2024 edition bought from the brewery in a collection. Time to celebrate a quad tasting, receiving the pour will be a Straffe Hendrik glass I found in Bruges. The appearance is a dark copper with a fair skim of silver-tan foam. I take a sniff, well, it is decent, no surprises. Ripe dark fruit, yeast, berries and grain. A drink now, decent too. Figs, baked bread, leather, malt, a touch of chocolate and red cherries. A straightforward quadrupel, you will get no complaints from me. Not the best quad from The Bruery but a good one.
Tried
from Bottle
at
The Bruery
on 31 Dec 2025
at 23:05
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Served at a good temperature in the low 50s. Small head that soon dissipates and lightly carbonated. Lots of dark ripe fruit and oranges with a touch of roast and maybe cocoa. Quite sweet.
Tried
from Bottle
at
Bodega Brew Pub, Inc.
on 31 Dec 2025
at 01:47
7.8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Sample at Palace Hall 13/12/2025 Malmö December tasting - (2024 vintage) dried fruit shred, molasses, yeasty linger, medium body, spiced toasted sweet malty close.
Tried
on 13 Dec 2025
at 18:11
8.6/10
Raisins, malty and spiced
Tried
on 31 Dec 2024
at 16:21
5.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle thanks to William. Pours a muddy brown with no head. The aroma/taste is dark fruit and bready malt, decent.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Dec 2024
at 22:18
7/10
Sweet, light, a bit boozy. Malty, smooth, nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Jan 2024
at 15:31
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Poured from 750mL bottle (2014 vintage) @ Black Xmas. Mahogany orange with small beige head. Dried fruits, candi sugar, a bit old, but decent.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Dec 2023
at 02:36
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
750ml (thx, Brian!) @ Black Christmas 2023 at Heritage Hall. Vintage 2014 Appearance: brown, beige head. Aroma: dark fruits, old Belgian esters. Taste: along the same lines, a bit of sour dark fruits. Overall: ok.
Tried
on 16 Dec 2023
at 02:35
7.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
750ml bottle opened in March of 2021. Nice. I don't think age did this any favors, but it holds up well enough. Big, malty, deep fruity yeast undercurrents. Quite a solid beer. True to style, really deep, delicious malt tones. Excellent.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Mar 2021
at 09:06