Country of Origin: United States
Price comparison: About 1½ times the price of everyday beer.
Alcohol percentage by volume: 9.8%
Cute bottle/label? 750ml brown glass corked and caged; understated white label. Looks very like wine at first glance.
Appearance: Hazy dark brown with heavy white head and lots of lace. Except for the head, the beer, like the bottle, looks very like wine.
Scent: Highly malty; also fruit, brandy, and some peppermint.
Flavor: The flavor is predominantly malty as well, but sweetness pops through from time to time. I tasted black coffee and cherry pie, but virtually no hops. Nice dry finish with some yeast on exhalation.
Impressions: Like its cousin, Duvel, this is a diva. It really needs to be consumed with something solid but is too good to be paired with cheap snacks. The experiment involved here, that of blending a Belgian-style tripel with cherry lambic (to produce a quadrupel) is, I think, a success. The flavors are lovely together and I definitely prefer the combo to cherry lambic by itself.
Will I buy this beer again? I think I should. There's a nice sprinkling of loose yeast at the bottom of the bottle that's practically waving both hands at me and saying, "I can make this beer a goddess by next year, just give me the chance."
Rating:
4 out of 5 cute beer glasses
Reviewed: January 21, 2004
