7.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Quadrupel from a new Groningen microbrewery, aged for four months on oloroso barrels. From a 37.5 cl bottle (bought at Beerdome), number 74 of only 210 apparently. Creamy, thick, regularly shaped, membrane-lacing, pale yellowish beige head on a hazy coppery bronze beer, dark but fully translucent, with ochre-tinged edges. Aroma of lots of dusty old wood and sherry, draped over a basic profile of chestnuts, dried fig, treacle, hay, dried orange peel, caramel, dusty attic, old bread crust, raisins and an onsetting note of ‘rusty’ oxidation, but subtle enough not to disturb. Sweet onset, candied figs and dried prunes, apple peel accent, soft bitterish hightlights in between, softish carb, full and bit syrupy, more or less vinous mouthfeel. Caramelly malt base with a honeyish sweet side, nutty and eventually a little bit toasty bitterish, the latter amplified by a firm dosis of very peppery, rooty, leafy hop bitterness and strong drying woody tannins; lingering unfermented sweetness and obviously a glow of warming, mildly sherry-flavoured, but also somewhat brandy-ish alcohol. Very decent dark barleywine, ambitious enough for what it intends to be, but could do with a bit more finesse.