Ex Cathedra
The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, California, United States 🇺🇸
Belgian Style - Quadrupel / Dark Strong Rotating|
Score
7.29
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Barrel aged quadruple ale with ginger & orange.
The Holiest protector of dogmas, doctrines, faith, and spirituality, the Pontiff is in charge of it all. He's got his own Italian city and a bullet-proof Popemobile to take him wherever he wants. And he answers only to the big guy upstairs. Dude's living large, all the while acting as The Rose to the world's moral compass.
That's a ton of pressure being the wisest sage in the land and having your finger on the trigger of Ex Cathedra, Maybe it causes him to throw back a few glasses of the Sacrament from time to time? Lord knows if we were in that situation, we'd tipple to.
The Holiest protector of dogmas, doctrines, faith, and spirituality, the Pontiff is in charge of it all. He's got his own Italian city and a bullet-proof Popemobile to take him wherever he wants. And he answers only to the big guy upstairs. Dude's living large, all the while acting as The Rose to the world's moral compass.
That's a ton of pressure being the wisest sage in the land and having your finger on the trigger of Ex Cathedra, Maybe it causes him to throw back a few glasses of the Sacrament from time to time? Lord knows if we were in that situation, we'd tipple to.
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7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes. Consumed: 11/11/2019; Veteran's Day present to me from a great friend, Thanks Paul!
Bottle to chalice.
Appearance: dark brown to almost black in color with no head
Aroma: seems like the normal qualities of a Belgian quad but with some added orange peel and some ginger
Flavor: sweet to spicy to citrusy sweet, a light tart tone and some earthy sweetness; finishes with some candied fruits (the Belgian quad part, I guess) and some of the ginger
Texture: medium bodied, definitely a sipper; some smoothness but also some grip on the tongue from what I'm guessing to be from the Belgian quad part (and so I expected that), ginger seems to play a very little factor in any possible assertive behavior against my tongue
Overall: well, I liked this for me, but sometimes I wonder if the ginger and the orange may have turned this beer into something else. Eh, it is what it is and there I go thinking too much about stuff like this again.
Bottle to chalice.
Appearance: dark brown to almost black in color with no head
Aroma: seems like the normal qualities of a Belgian quad but with some added orange peel and some ginger
Flavor: sweet to spicy to citrusy sweet, a light tart tone and some earthy sweetness; finishes with some candied fruits (the Belgian quad part, I guess) and some of the ginger
Texture: medium bodied, definitely a sipper; some smoothness but also some grip on the tongue from what I'm guessing to be from the Belgian quad part (and so I expected that), ginger seems to play a very little factor in any possible assertive behavior against my tongue
Overall: well, I liked this for me, but sometimes I wonder if the ginger and the orange may have turned this beer into something else. Eh, it is what it is and there I go thinking too much about stuff like this again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Feb 2026
at 18:34
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Keg at the Beavertown Extravaganza, day two, 09/09/2017. A jet black coloured pour with a halo of tan head. Aroma is brown apple, dried fruits, black malts. Flavour is composed of sticky sweet, brown sugars, apple, warming alcohol. Palate is semi sweet, moderate carbonation. Hint of maple, lingering brown sugars.
Tried
on 26 Apr 2020
at 19:15
5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 2
Texture 4
Overall 5
Bottle: Poured a Brown with orange edges with tan head. Aroma is boozy. Taste is off medicinal ginger ugh. Why?
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Oct 2018
at 20:08
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
[9/8/18] Draught at Beavertown Extravaganza 2018 in London. Day 2. Dark brown. Lots of spices, vanilla, bourbon, caramel, cookies, sweet, alcohol.
Tried
on 06 Oct 2018
at 12:02
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Keg at the Beavertown Extravaganza 2018, The Printworks, Surrey Quays. Deep brown pour with a white head. Nose of chocolate raisin, ginger, caramel, cinnamon. Lots of alcohol heat. Flavours of toffee, ginger snaps, caramel, splash of black cherry. Quite liked this one.
Tried
on 10 Sep 2018
at 14:01
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
On tap at Beavertown Extravaganza 2018. Thanks to Tony. Dark brown colour light head. Minty aroma. It's like a minty American strong ale. Bizarre.
Tried
from Draft
on 08 Sep 2018
at 15:10
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Draught @ Beavertown Extravaganza 2018. Spicy, heavy and bourbony with loads of ginger, some wood, oak, toffee and malts. Heavy and spicy slow sipper.
Tried
on 08 Sep 2018
at 14:57
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Tap at BeaverEx2018, London. Colour is very dark brown with very small white head. Aromas and flavors: Spices, mint, some menthol, ripe fruits, some ginger and malts. Very heavy menthol beer. Extremely heavy.
Tried
from Draft
on 08 Sep 2018
at 14:52
8/10
Backlog
Tried
on 05 Sep 2018
at 09:50
8/10
Backlog
Tried
on 05 Sep 2018
at 09:50