Winter ale from the literally 'highest' located brewery, at the edge of the Hautes Fagnes region. Creamy, medium thick, greyish pale beige, shred-lacing, slowly opening head on a deep, hazy bronze beer with ruddy-rusty reddish hue. Aroma of cookie dough, crumbled biscuit, prunes, caramel, 'sirop de Liège', fig compote, brown bread, hints of cinnamon, dried blackberries, freshly cut red apples, ruby port, tea, some anise (which has apparently faded a lot meanwhile, considering the emphasis some of the below raters put on it) and a 'false note' of iron in the background. Sweet onset, ripe pear and red apple with a dim undertone of dried blackberry, sweetened by a strong dark sugary effect but nowhere cloying; softish carb, smooth, quite full body. Brown-bready maltiness with chestnutty and caramelly edges, leading to a gently spicy finish with ongoing sourish note underneath; the metallic effect, which I feared based on that faint orthonasal iron hint, appears to be as good as absent in the taste. Clove, cinnamon and nutmeg aspects in the end, late but important leafy hop bitterish note connecting with the dark malts and becoming a tad tea-ish, while dark fruit notes (indeed, 'sirop de Liège' again) linger, highlighted by a warming, port-like alcohol glow. Sweet and somewhat 'desserty' quadrupel, but quite distinct and feeling 'up to date' - almost as if an American or Scandinavian craft brewery would have a go at the old quadrupel style. Port- and pear syrup-like aspects combined with this sweet cookie aroma really set this one apart. Well done, like most of Peak's beers.

--- Beer merged from original tick of Peak Winter on 10 Feb 2020 at 23:59 - Score: 6

05/08/2019 - 75cl bottle from the brewery shared with Peter. Clear reddish brown with medium tanned head. Nose is dark malts, bit dark fruits, anise. Taste is dark malts, bit fruits, sirope de Liège, anice. Too much anice for me, I just don't like it.