Apis IV
Elevation Beer Co.

Apis IVApis IV
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From:
Elevation Beer Co.
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Quadrupel (Quad)
Ranked #65
ABV:
10.7%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,317
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 9.07%
Reviews:
51
Ratings:
186
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 12, 2023
Added:
May 22, 2012
Wants:
  19
Gots:
  43
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.5 by RBorsato from Virginia

Jun 12, 2023
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Reviewed by philbe311 from Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Slightly less then a fingers worth f two-toned khaki colored froth, some medium and some a shade or two darker... Modest retention... Color is an aubergine that lets small amounts of light in around the edges... Nose is slightly musky with notes of honey, brown sugar and faint Belgian yeast... More robust on the palate as everything is amped up quite a few notches... Brown sugar, honey, faint coffee and Belgian yeast, in that order... Fairly dense and on the fuller side of medium bodied... Hides the ten plus percent ABV rather well... Very nice beer...
Apr 16, 2023
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

3.65/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
1837
Name: Apis IV
Brewery: Elevation
Location: Ponca Springs, CO
Style: Quad
ABV 10%
Date: 04/06/2022
I decided to try a lesser-reviewed beer style, the quad. Another beer I got from Elevation when I was there a couple of months ago. Using an old-school Pabst chalice, I served it at 52 degrees. The pour created a frothy and creamy light tan one-fingered head. The retention is okay, dissipating quickly, leaving some lacing on the glass. Charting the color somewhere around SRM 20, dark amber brown with garnet hues. The clarity is clear with lots of carbonation. Other than the poor head retention, this appearance is average.
Nosing the glass, I smell toasted bread, honey, malty sweetness, dried cherries, figs, black pepper, cloves, caramel, hints of floral, and a touch of vanilla.
The flavors I taste are toasted bread, malty sweetness, raisins, dates, black pepper, cloves, hints of floral, vanilla, and a touch of banana phenols.
The mouthfeel has a noticeable alcohol warming. The body is medium-plus, has medium-plus carbonation, and has a lingering finish.
I wanted more of those traditional Belgium flavors and aromas. Nevertheless, they are there but muted. The quad is an okay beer, but I feel it could have been a bit more robust.
Jan 13, 2023
 
Rated: 3.96 by einman from Minnesota

Dec 25, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by NickMunford from Wyoming

Jul 17, 2021
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bought two from Beer Drop. Had the first out of season in 84 degree heat. Not learning my lesson, I had the second on a rainy summer day.... I should have waited for Christmas.

This is a good, but not great, quad. If it has a major flaw, it has too many cloves for me to drink other than at Christmas.
Other than too many cloves consumed at the wrong time of year, the minor flaws are not worth debating.

Apis IV Looks great, a pretty ruby. Smells are the dark dried fruit medley the style is known for. As noted, cloves hurt the Tastes; otherwise well-balanced and does not get sweet despite the honey added. Mouth is full enough, despite the clove after-taste.

I imagine that Elevation is a relatively common story in rural Colorado. Small mountain town without a lot going on; but there is a love of crafted beer. And Elevation delivers; barrel-aged also, pretty good for a ten year old. Also important to its community, I suspect Elevation is a good enough brewer to be shared with the world. Thanks, Beer Drop. I will have more Elevation Belgians.
Jun 09, 2021
 
Rated: 3.47 by Sjohnson8585 from Colorado

Mar 15, 2021
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Reviewed by J-legend-K from Colorado

3.96/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Gorgeous garnet red with tan head
S: Carmel and honey laden cheerwine
T: lots of good Belgian spice supported by lingering sweet burnt toffee
MF: borderline syrupy with noticeable effervescence that bring out the spice.

Overall: happy to have this available as a seasonal offering, but seems a bit one dimensional compared to other beers from Elevation
Feb 25, 2021
 
Rated: 3.32 by RochefortChris from North Carolina

Jun 07, 2020
 
Rated: 4.02 by Sound_Explorer from Washington

Mar 10, 2020
 
Rated: 3.65 by Kolb from Montana

Apr 25, 2019
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Reviewed by AmeriCanadian from Tennessee

3.6/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Certainly checks many of the styles boxes: ruby brown body, malty palate, with and spicy phenols. But the overall personality is quite mild and a little meh.

Year-old can poured into a tulip. Deep reddish-brown body that's opaque, extremely well carbonated, but a little chunky with bubble-sized floaties. Looks a little thin, and the light khaki head provides only spotty lacing.

Malty, yeasty, and a touch chocolaty on the nose. Some dark fruits, banana bread, and baker's spice lingering there as well. I may be imaging it, given the beer description, but there is an element of clover and honey in the background.
Pleasant and inviting nose, but fairly mild and uninspiring.

Taste follows with medium-roast malts, faint notes of chocolate and fig, clove, yeasty bread, and maybe a little licorice.
There's an almost medicinal bitter quality in the aftertaste that is fairly unpleasant on my palette. Definitely sweeter than it is dry, but not a rich or deep beer in any way.

Feel is medium-light for the style, not boozy or hot at all, very smooth and almost creamy.

Good to try something different from a brewery I've never experienced. This is a "fine" but largely forgettable beer.
Feb 09, 2019
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Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
A thanks to the founding father of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer, Poured from a 12 oz, can. Has a dark brown/ ruby color with very little head. Smell is mild, a bit of dark fruits. Taste has alcohol right up front, malts, dark fruits, and a touch of spice are in the background. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is decent, but not a great example of this style.
Feb 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.75 by Irrationalist from California

Jan 10, 2019
 
Rated: 3.99 by cbcrunch from Wyoming

Sep 30, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by walkinginplace from North Carolina

Sep 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by COBEERHUNTER from Colorado

Sep 01, 2018
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Reviewed by Beaver13 from Colorado

3.31/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz can. Pours dark ruby amber with a small off white head that quickly goes to a thin dusting that leaves little lacing.

The aroma is fruitcake malt with banana and clove.

The flavor is sweet bready honey malts with fruitcake and some Belgian notes leading to a subdued alcohol finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, an interesting sweet honey quad.
Aug 24, 2018
 
Rated: 3.81 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Jul 26, 2018
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Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

3.84/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Bought a 6pack at Liquor Shed. They were canned on June 4th 2018.

It pours a dark reddish brown, a substantial head of foam that shrinks to a solid layer, excellent lacing.

Lots of dark fruit and brown sugar in the smell. Raisins, plums, some Belgian spices like cloves, lightly woody.

The taste is very good if slightly off kilter. Dark fruits and a strong sweetness and almost as strong booziness greet my taste buds. Cloves are stronger here than in the smell. Sweetness comes across as honey and molasses and candi sugar. Tres sweet.

Almost if not full bodied.

Nice slow slow sipper.
Jul 10, 2018
Apis IV from Elevation Beer Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 186 ratings