Friar’s Festivus
Monkless Belgian Ales in Bend, Oregon, United States 🇺🇸
Belgian Style - Quadrupel / Dark Strong Winter|
Score
7.13
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Quadrupel winter seasonal
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8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
500ml corked bottle, thanks Sarah and Craig! Clove aroma with notes of caramel, Candi sugar, bread, nutmeg, allspice and spicy Belgian yeast. Pours deep caramel brown with a finger of tan head that has excellent retention and lacing. Starts with caramel, Candi sugar, nutmeg and allspice flavors as well as having a rich, full body and smooth mouthfeel. Finishes smooth and a touch dry with bread, clove and spicy Belgian yeast flavors. Very nice quad.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Dec 2025
at 05:49
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
500ml bottle - as has been noted by previous raters, this one is heavily spiced with winter spices (nutmeg, clove, allspice), and this infusion distracts (and detracts) from the enjoyment of what is otherwise a solidly-made quad - nice carbonation - peppery and dusty yeast presence - dark fruit - drying, earthy, complexly phenolic finish - the spices finally get out of the way in the finish, but really make the overall experience less than it could be - sometimes less is more, guys.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Joy Wine and Spirits
on 22 Jun 2025
at 23:54
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
500ml corked and caged bottle. Shrinkonomy size. Certainly tastes spiced. The carbonation level is high and mouthfeel is excellent for a US version of the style. Awkward nutmeg, clove, orange peel disrupt a really sublime base beer. Awesome deep malt and yeast flavor combinations bring to mind Abbaye de Rocs and other Belgian classics.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jan 2024
at 04:55
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
(Bottle) hazy, bright orange amber color with a medium tall brown head; aroma of stewed fruit, fruitcake, then honey; balanced flavor with a long, light bittersweet and then longer light bitter and mineral finish. Valiant try at a quad, hopefully they will keep working on it and refining it.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Nov 2023
at 01:40
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle thanks to Trevor. Pours a dark brown hue with a medium tan head. A big spicy yeasty nose. Rich, Belgian yeast, chocolate, spices. Very good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Jan 2023
at 06:04
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
500ml bottle from Homebrewstuff. Brown pour with thin skin of beige head, foamy ring. Aroma is herbal, mint, licorice, clove. Taste is sweet, Dr. Pepper, herbal, minty, fennel. Savory flavors mask the quad characteristics, except for maybe some of the yeast peeking through. Maybe light plum notes at the finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Dec 2022
at 04:17
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
On tap at the brewpub. Pours a clear earthy amber brown with a light brown head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has lots of dates with licorice and earthy sweet grains supporting. Flavor starts with dates and sweet dark grains with bread and a bit of anise in the finish.
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Dec 2022
at 01:18
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Tons of Christmas spices. Dark brown pour with decent head and lacing. Kind of foul, doesn't come off well. Too much Christmas BS going on. Cinnamon, marzipan or something.
Tried
on 08 Apr 2022
at 22:15