7 Swans-A-Swimming
The Bruery

7 Swans-A-Swimming7 Swans-A-Swimming
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
Quadrupel (Quad)
ABV:
11%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.06 | pDev: 9.36%
Reviews:
63
Ratings:
455
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 11, 2023
Added:
Aug 23, 2014
Wants:
  22
Gots:
  162
7 Swans-A-Swimming is the 7th beer in our "12 Days of Christmas" series. For this verse of the story, we chose the path we don’t often take – we brewed to style. No bells, no whistles, just our best take on the Belgian Quadrupel style. Brewed with nothing but water, malt, yeast, hops and a bit of Belgian dark candi sugar, this beer may not be as out-of-the-box as some of our past winter brews, but it’s just as tasty. Rich and complex, this robust dark ale juggles notes of raisin bread, dried apricots, burnt caramel and roasted pecans. The sweet flavors provide a full body and the bright yeast wafts the sweet holiday notes out of the glass, into your life. 7 Swans-A-Swimming is a perfect holiday sipper. Delicious right now, but suitable for aging up to 5 years, upon the release of 12 Drummers Drumming.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by stortore:
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
750 ml bottle into a goblet.

Pours a beautiful deep garnet/brown with a huge, creamy head. Very inviting. aroma is a big malty, somewhat bready blast, matched by the grapes, plums, figs and caramel. Taste is even more malt forward, but still well balanced. More plums, raisins and caramel, and some figs and toffee. This is really good. Great body, smooth and creamy- creamy not being how I usually describe a Quad. Lots of carbonation, but not fizzy feeling.

This is definitely a top notch Quad. As advertised, it's a straight up rendition, and it's done quite well. If you can still find it, go get one. Very enjoyable.
Apr 27, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Bluecrow
Reviewed by Bluecrow from New York

4.41/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The bottle was cellared for 8+ years. The pour is mahogany colored and clear and hosts a ring of fine, tan foam.
The aroma is of candi sugar with a hint of brandy.
The flavor is rich and nuanced. Plum, raisin, date and toffee accompany Belgian yeast flavors. The brew is sweet without alcohol heat.
The mouthfeel is pleasantly sticky and smooth without being thick.
-quite enjoyable
Feb 11, 2023
Photo of mschrei
Reviewed by mschrei from Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottled 11/14/14, and while it has fallen off a bit, it’s still pretty good. Pours a dark brown with ruby ending and a big fuzzy head that dissipates quickly, leaving no lacing. Scents of dark fruit, molasses, caramel, and brown sugar. Taste isn’t as strong as the nose, but the above flavors are there. Kind of thin, the alcohol is disguised well, and it’s an easy sipper. Good, but it’s like an older woman who, while she still looks attractive, was probably way better when younger.
Dec 31, 2022
Photo of BubbleBobble
Reviewed by BubbleBobble from New York

2.49/5  rDev -38.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
Rating for the re-brew. Pours a very dark reddish brown, 1" tan head with low retention and lacing, far less than expected from the style. Nose is sweet brown bread, black licorice, brown sugar. Apart from that, however, there's not a lot here - no big yeast notes, no dark fruits, very little spice. Not bad, but very one-note. Taste is equally subdued - it isn't overly sweet, but sweetness (date sugar?) is the predominant flavor. Very little complexity on the palate, no spice, no contribution from the yeast. Mouthfeel has significant weight, while the carbonation is quite light. Advertised by the Bruery as a to style Quad without any additions, and perhaps that's why they fell short with this one.
Dec 30, 2022
 
Rated: 3.73 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jun 28, 2022
Photo of mwilbur
Reviewed by mwilbur from Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter. Bottled 10/2/14.
A: Pours a dark clear ruby hue with a skim of tan head that quickly recedes.
S: Cherries and red wine. Dark dried fruit and soft oak.
T: Cherries, red wine, and some dried berries. Hints of dark dried fruit, soft oak, and subtle malt.
M: Medium body. Flat and past peak. It says best up til 5 years, and this is 7 years out. Dry sweetness.
D: Wish I had popped this open 2-3 years ago. The yeast elements are gone at this point.
Jan 31, 2022
Photo of illtexzona
Reviewed by illtexzona from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
750ml Bottle dated 10/3/2014 into St. Bernardus Chalice on 12/31/2021, the Seventh Day of Christmas

Dark Amber with minimal tan head. Smells of carmel malt, peach, and candi sugar. Taste was full on morello cherries and tart peaches. Not much in the way of Quad dried fruits. Possibly infected, but not in a horrible way. Leans more towards a dark fruited sour with 7 years on it.
Jan 01, 2022
Photo of q33jeff
Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
**
12/25/21

2014 Bottle (7 years old) to snifter.

Black color, brown-red mahogany color at edges, no head.

Tart cherry, black cherry, raisin. Blackberry. Wine.
Not sure if this has changed overtime, but i get none of the bready/yeasty belgian quad flavors. The tart fruit dominates.

**
Dec 26, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by imperialking from Illinois

Dec 21, 2021
 
Rated: 4.1 by RMW66 from Australia

Oct 15, 2021
Photo of Orca
Reviewed by Orca from Washington

4.16/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750mL (vintage 2014) into a chalice. Pours a deep clear mahogany w/ a minimal head; light carbonation rises from the bottom of the glass.

Aroma is dark bready malt, figs and dates, maybe some plums and cherries, Belgian yeast, and candi sugar. Standard Belgian dark ale fare.

Taste leads off with more bing/sour cherries, or maybe red grapes (checking the label, I see no reference to specific ingredients to corroborate this--in fact, the label carries little information at all about this beer). Brown sugar, caramel, dark malt, stone fruits, toffee. Again, other than the subtle cherry notes this is a pretty straightforward Belgian dark.

Mouthfeel is soft and gentle on the palate, thanks to the bottle conditioning and Belgian yeast. Light carbonation just right for the style.

Overall a nice addition to the 12 Beers series, though the last couple I've had haven't been especially distinctive.
Jun 10, 2021
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a brown head with a creamy texture to it. The beer itself is an opaque dark brown with a slight purple hue to it.

The smell is good. It has an extremely fruity and sugary dark fruit note like dates and plums with a light toffee malt note to it.

The taste is good. It has the same sugary plum notes with a light bitter ripe plum note and a hint of a toffee caramel note in the finish.

The feel is good. It has a medium body with a slightly syrupy texture to it and a very light tingling from the carbonation.

Overall, a good beer and one of the better one of the series so far even after a year of aging.
Jan 04, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Stengelfoot from California

Jan 01, 2021
 
Rated: 3.68 by michiganmatt from California

Jan 01, 2021
 
Rated: 3.59 by Dbot from Delaware

Dec 18, 2020
 
Rated: 4.36 by ummswimmin from New Jersey

Oct 03, 2020
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Poured into a snifter to a deep brown beer with some ruby colored highlights around the edge of the glass. The beer is topped by a finger of dense and rocky light tan head which fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing.
S: Smells of mulling spices, dark fruits, caramel and toffee. Just the classic belgian quad aroma.
T: Taste is stewed dark fruits, nice mulling spices, caramel, toffee, slight toasted bread flavors but a ton of dark fruits and fruity esters with a hint of cherries. On the swallow there's more mulling spices, dark fruits, cherries, and toffee.
M: This beer is fairly full bodied with a slightly creamy feel on the palate. Carbonation is smooth and adequate for the style while the beer has a drying finish which is expected for the style.
O: This beer is outstanding. Great flavors and complexity with all the notes you want in a belgian quad. Everything plays well and is well balanced which makes this beer a joy to drink. Although it's a little old it hasn't lost a step.
Apr 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4.18 by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

Jan 25, 2020
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A - Dark burgundy raisin color with nice clarity and a dense toffee colored lacing ring.

S - Dark fruit, raisins, figs, caramel, and plumb.

T - Follows the nose to a "T" - dark fruit, raisins, caramel, and plumb.

M - Thick, viscous, and lip smacking sticky.

O - A very nice Belgian Quad right there.
Jan 25, 2020
Photo of brycemc
Reviewed by brycemc from California

3.74/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Day 7:

L: Dark, almost opaque, medium brown deadhead, pronouced lacing.

S: Sugar (molasses, candi), pecans, alcohol. Pecan pie-esque. Bit of raisin.

T: Just per the nose, sweet and nutty. Burnt sugars. Kind of one dimensional, but tasty.

F: Big body, not syrupy but nearly so. Warming finish which lasts.

Overall this is a good beer but would benefit from some age to dry it out a bit
Jan 01, 2020
7 Swans-A-Swimming from The Bruery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 455 ratings