7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Shaker at the brewpub (as well as the $1.75 Monday special). I loves me some smoked beer. This did not disappoint, it was smoked, apparent as soon as the beer had a few moments to warm up. In general there was a nice chocolate character that came off the malt as well. For a change the hops were timid on a FS brew. The elements were all there but the beer had a flimsy feel to it, yes there was chocolate and smoke but it was very light and fleeting. I would like them to emphasize a more brutish take on this brew. But I love smoke and can drink this a lot more.
Tried
from Can
on 11 Jan 2010
at 22:10
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Re-rate: next winter, next batch and nothing has changed. Still full of estery and fruit quad.
Shaker @ the brewpub (I cannot believe it was served in a shaker). This beer follows the pattern of all the other FS Belgian styles brews I have had - not well executed. This was a very FRUITY quad, I mean the fruitiest yeast aspects I have ever come across. This does not go all that well with the sweet malt backbone (think brown sugar and yada yada). Its decent stuff and actually not heavy, even a a bit watery in texture too offset the sweetness. However, its not what I look for in a quad, particularly one that is named "the Quad." It did come with a thick foamy atop a dark brown body, which made it appealing enough.
Shaker @ the brewpub (I cannot believe it was served in a shaker). This beer follows the pattern of all the other FS Belgian styles brews I have had - not well executed. This was a very FRUITY quad, I mean the fruitiest yeast aspects I have ever come across. This does not go all that well with the sweet malt backbone (think brown sugar and yada yada). Its decent stuff and actually not heavy, even a a bit watery in texture too offset the sweetness. However, its not what I look for in a quad, particularly one that is named "the Quad." It did come with a thick foamy atop a dark brown body, which made it appealing enough.
Tried
from Can
on 11 Jan 2010
at 22:04
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
10 oz draft pour at the brewpub. Pour is cloudy brown with a slight ruby twinge, and a small off white head that leaves behind mild lacing as it falls. Aroma of yeast bubblegum, some fruity over ripe banana and some nutty caramel malt below that. After the beer opens up, there is a nice roast element. Taste starts with the bubblegum banana sweetness, then turns to the caramel and hazelnut malt, finishing with a whisper of the roast from the nose. Better flavor integration in the taste vs the nose. Palate is medium, mouth coating, with low carbonation levels. This is not normally a favorite style (when it is on the sweet side of the style), though this was an enjoyable quad.
Tried
from Draft
on 04 Jan 2010
at 11:21
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
10 oz draft pour at the brewpub. Pour is a clear golden amber with a smallish white head that falls with glass coating lacing. Aroma of not too much, some straw some hay, maybe a touch of earthiness behind that. Taste is mild sweet malt followed quickly by really drying straw mineral hops. Palate has light to medium body with lighter carbonation and the aforementioned dry finish. This was clean and easy to drink, nice, well made, straight forward beer.
Tried
from Draft
on 04 Jan 2010
at 11:21
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Growler shared by csbosox. Pour is a slightly hazed black ruby brown with a small 1/2 inch light khaki head. Some light lacing. Aroma of smoked ham, light camp fire burning wood, earthy peat and a touch of malt sweetness behind that. Taste is smoky sweet maltiness, bright earthy peat, with straw and some grassiness. The finish has a bit of an off fruit flavor element that I can’t quite pin down. Palate is medium, low to normal carbonation. Bit of a lingering cherry skin finish. Thanks for sharing this one with me Chris, I had really wanted to try it.
Tried
from Growler
on 24 Dec 2009
at 07:10
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12oz bottle shared at the DC local tasting. 2005 vintage. Pours an oily, almost opaque black with a debatable amount of head and legs on the glass like a scotch. Aroma is BIG: wood, vanilla, chocolate, brown sugar, slight smoke. Flavor is sweet, boozy in a good way, rum, whisky, molasses, brown sugar, chocolate, toast. Finish is slick, full bodied. This is peaking right now.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Dec 2009
at 15:35
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Growler thanks to my girlfriend. Poured a dark mahogany brown with minimal head. Aroma full of grain and bread malts with a touch of wood lying underneath. Flavor was thick with malt notes which were particularly grainy with just a touch of caramel towards the end. Nice and thick on the tongue.
Tried
from Growler
on 03 Dec 2009
at 19:20
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 7.5
Growler filled at the brewpub by csbosox on a Sunday, graciously shared with me on the following Wednesday. Pour is a cloudy dark brown along with some very faint burgundy notes. Smallish off white head. Aroma of some brighter pine and resin hops, followed close behind by oak woody barrel and some mild vanilla sweetness. Nice nose, but a bit subdued. As it warmed, the aroma was a bit larger, but not by much. Taste is immediately more expressive than the nose, with the oak woodiness up front, followed close behind by grassy resin hops, a mild roast, then the woody sweet vanilla floral notes. Complex, with a lot of layers. The aftertaste has bright wine like acidity which really leads to a unique finish. Palate is medium, almost creamy with low carbonation. Coats the mouth nicely. Nice one Free State, thanks for sharing Chris.
Tried
from Growler
on 03 Dec 2009
at 11:27
7.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Growler from the Brewpub thanks to my girlfriend! Pours a slightly hazy orangish amber with minimal head. Aroma has notes of citrus and pine from the hops with a bit of yeast underneath. Flavor has notes of grapefruits and pine that is well balanced with a bit of yeast and spices as undertone.
Tried
from Growler
on 29 Nov 2009
at 19:20
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Shaker @ the brewpub. This is a plain stout, not a foreign stout, they kind of missed the mark there. Not sweet enough, not thick enough, not Jamaican enough. But its a decent stout, light on the roast, easy drinking, I would say the body is medium-light. Not much else to point out or really examine here.
Tried
from Can
on 16 Nov 2009
at 12:55