Oak
(has 1 batch)

Pours dark Brown , no real head. Smell is bit whiskey’ taste is intense, sweet. Whiskey, in. Nice way. Chocolate as well as spices, dark fruits. Very Nice.

Commissioned quadrupel aged on oak chips, bottle from Wijnegemse Drankenhal. Quite a lot of pressure was released upon opening but no gushing. Creamy, irregular, moussy, beige-ish egg-white head quickly showing gaps in the middle but well retaining in general; deep burgundy colour, translucent with a purplish hue, typical quad look. Aroma of stewed plums, brown sugar, ripe banana, gingerbread, pear syrup, honey, candied fig, milk chocolate, candied cherries, vanilla-like oak hints and some wet wood in general, ruby port, fudge, kahlua, overripe blackberries, soapy coriander (even lavender), bubblegum or even ’gummi bears’, varnish, tea, caramel candy, dried leaves. Sweetish onset but not overly sugary, more of a fruit sweetness with hints of banana, apricot, fig and blackberry, light sourish accent underneath, vague umami touch here and there (gravy), softish carbo fit for this style; explicit candi sugar sweetness is there and will accompany the rest of the palate, but (fortunately) does not become too cloying. Fruitiness and some spicy phenols surround a thick malty core in the middle, very caramelly and toffeeish with a toasted touch, very light coffee accent even, more or less dried by the wood chip effect, indeed releasing some tannins as well as retronasal wood and vanilla hints but subtly so; maltiness continues in the end, thick and ’filling’, with a dash of earthy, lightly peppery hops providing some welcome bitterness, quite a lot of soapy coriander, a starch-like hint of yeast and - unsurprisingly - a glow of warming, port- or even rum-like alcohol, quite strong but nowhere wry or astringent (though a certain amount of ’heat’ is palpable here and there). I suppose this type of beer would be better fit for a gloomy winter evening than for a bright summer day like today but in its style, this is actually better than I had expected; it has the big brown sugar sweetness of a typical Belgian quad but at the same time avoids exaggerated stickiness, it has a considerable alcohol warmth but avoids astringency, and it has enough layers of flavor to remain interesting, though it does lack the finesse of the truly great (trappist) quads in my opinion. Oak chips usually - and naturally - have a less extensive wood effect than actual barrel ageing, but if the latter is not an option, they can still provide an extra layer of flavors and dryness which blend well with the lush and luscious, ’baroque’ properties of a quadrupel. The coriander could be toned down a bit (as is often the case in Belgian strong ales), but apart from that, this is a decent Belgian quad in several respects. Likely the best brew I had so far coming out of Hofbrouwerijke’s kettles.