-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Abbey Kat Belgian Style Quad
Alley Kat Brewing Company
- From:
- Alley Kat Brewing Company
- Alberta, Canada
- Style:
- Quadrupel (Quad)
- ABV:
- 9.4%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 4.02 | pDev: 7.21%
- Reviews:
- 7
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 24, 2014
- Added:
- Jan 18, 2012
- Wants:
- 3
- Gots:
- 1
Taking a page from the traditional Monastery breweries in Belgium, Alley Kat releases Abbey Kat a "double Dubbel" or Quadrupel brew. This high alcohol beer has notes of burnt caramel, fruit and clove.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Phyl21ca:
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)
3.91/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle: Poured a hazy deep brown color ale with a medium size foamy head with OK retention and some light lacing. Aroma of caramelized candi sugar and dry raisins notes is pleasant. Taste is also dominated by caramelized candi sugar with some light toffee notes with some dry fruits notes also perceptible. Body is a bit light for style with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Though style to brew with so many staples but still an enjoyable version.
Dec 24, 2014More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Rutager from Canada (BC)
3.9/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Thanks wordemupg!
Appearance. Pours a deep red-brown with a finger and a half of thick khaki head that lasts a long time and leaves some heavy lacing.
Smell. Brown sugar, plums, cherry, raisins, cola and some fruity belgian yeast.
Taste. Cola, ripe grapes, brown sugar, nutty spices, raisins and some earthy bitterness.
Mouthfeel. On the low side of full bodied, medium amount of very smooth carbonation.
Overall. An interesting take on the style. Maybe not especially traditional, but tasty and quite easy drinking.
May 02, 2013Appearance. Pours a deep red-brown with a finger and a half of thick khaki head that lasts a long time and leaves some heavy lacing.
Smell. Brown sugar, plums, cherry, raisins, cola and some fruity belgian yeast.
Taste. Cola, ripe grapes, brown sugar, nutty spices, raisins and some earthy bitterness.
Mouthfeel. On the low side of full bodied, medium amount of very smooth carbonation.
Overall. An interesting take on the style. Maybe not especially traditional, but tasty and quite easy drinking.
Reviewed by joemcgrath27 from Canada (AB)
4.09/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - a deep red wine hue, respectable head retained solid at a finger leaving some lacing
S - enticing notes of grape, banana bread, brown sugar, spice, and a light bubble gum hint
T - strong yeasty phenols of grape cough syrup, lighter on the banana and spice, but the brown sugar is a big player, bready malt in the background
M - solid carbonation keeps this creamy smooth, slight tickle into the nostril, pleasant alcohol heat, finishes sticky sweet
O - always a fan of big belgians heavier on the yeasty phenols as opposed to esters and this one does it very well, a big and easy drinking sweet treat that will sneak up on you
Jun 14, 2012S - enticing notes of grape, banana bread, brown sugar, spice, and a light bubble gum hint
T - strong yeasty phenols of grape cough syrup, lighter on the banana and spice, but the brown sugar is a big player, bready malt in the background
M - solid carbonation keeps this creamy smooth, slight tickle into the nostril, pleasant alcohol heat, finishes sticky sweet
O - always a fan of big belgians heavier on the yeasty phenols as opposed to esters and this one does it very well, a big and easy drinking sweet treat that will sneak up on you
Reviewed by leaddog from Canada (AB)
4.2/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - Dark brown with a hint of amber tones. Pours with a finger width of foamy cream-coloured head. Slight bubbles are present.
Smell - Dark fruits (plums, cherries), spice blend (clove, hint of nutmeg), burnt caramel.
Taste - The dark fruits flavour comes through with a blend of the burnt caramel. A bit spiciness when it first hits the tongue. Bittersweet flavour overall.
Mouthfeel - Medium-to-full bodied with sharp carbonation. Leaves a bit of a syrupy feeling (like when you eat a spoonful of maple syrup).
Overall - Very impressed by this Quad by Alley Kat. Considering this is my first Quad, I am quite pleased with this brew and would like to see how this ages (as others have mentioned). Their bottle series always keeps me on my toes and wanting to try more. ABV is well concealed. Nice blend of spices to complement the fruit/caramel flavours. One of their best bottles.
Jan 29, 2012Smell - Dark fruits (plums, cherries), spice blend (clove, hint of nutmeg), burnt caramel.
Taste - The dark fruits flavour comes through with a blend of the burnt caramel. A bit spiciness when it first hits the tongue. Bittersweet flavour overall.
Mouthfeel - Medium-to-full bodied with sharp carbonation. Leaves a bit of a syrupy feeling (like when you eat a spoonful of maple syrup).
Overall - Very impressed by this Quad by Alley Kat. Considering this is my first Quad, I am quite pleased with this brew and would like to see how this ages (as others have mentioned). Their bottle series always keeps me on my toes and wanting to try more. ABV is well concealed. Nice blend of spices to complement the fruit/caramel flavours. One of their best bottles.
Reviewed by IronDjinn from Canada (AB)
3.58/5 rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I'm sorry to have missed the cask of this, first Sugar Bowl cask I've ever missed. This comes in a 650 ml brown bottle. Pours out a deep translucent brown, cola highlights when held up to direct light. Dense creamy beige head that settles to a thin cap.
Toasty, wafery, bready malt on the nose, some raisin and dates, a bit of Belgian yeasty twang.
Bready malt up front in the flavour, some sweet dark malt, followed by peppery phenols and raisin, with a sweet, almost cloying finish. A creamy type of sweetness also develops.
Medium-full mouthfeel, full creamy texture, moderate carbonation.
Not quite as malty as many versions of this style, and as a result there isn't as much to play off of for the present phenols from the Belgian yeast. This is still quite young, and will probably benefit from some aging.
Jan 25, 2012Toasty, wafery, bready malt on the nose, some raisin and dates, a bit of Belgian yeasty twang.
Bready malt up front in the flavour, some sweet dark malt, followed by peppery phenols and raisin, with a sweet, almost cloying finish. A creamy type of sweetness also develops.
Medium-full mouthfeel, full creamy texture, moderate carbonation.
Not quite as malty as many versions of this style, and as a result there isn't as much to play off of for the present phenols from the Belgian yeast. This is still quite young, and will probably benefit from some aging.
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)
4.08/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
650ml bottle. The latest in the Big Bottle series.
This beer pours a clear, dark reddish cola hue, with two stout fingers of tight foamy, fairly creamy head, which leaves a few dramatic up-swellings of desert vista lace around the glass as it bleeds away.
It smells of sharp toasted biscuit grain, a bit of bready caramel, ripe banana, demerara sugar, mild earthy yeast, a small alcohol twinge, and musty hops. The taste is more caramel-oriented on the roasted malt front, with that crackery edge subsiding, raw brown sugar, some nice subtle fleshy fruit on top of the given banana mush, a trippy floral yeastiness, a persistent, but still on the down-low booze, and lingering low-key musty, dusty hops.
The bubbles perform a decent Low Countries imitation with their fine, ever so slight prickliness; the body renders a solid medium weight, and decidedly smooth. It finishes a bit sweet, the malts and direct sugar notes still contending with that forced mambo with the yeast and booze.
Well, lots going on here to foster scrutiny towards the best of breed - and I assert that Alley Kat comes off fairly well. Rochefort? Not quite. St. Bernardus? Getting warmer (pun not intended). Lest I open myself to ridicule, let's just say that this is right up there with the best of the New World attempts at this less than rigidly delineated style. That is a good thing, by the by. And the big booze? Well integrated, right here, right now - any aging could only aim for some further wringing of complexity from this promising rookie. I shall be gleefully adding this to my planned battle of the Quads tasting before winter's end.
Jan 20, 2012This beer pours a clear, dark reddish cola hue, with two stout fingers of tight foamy, fairly creamy head, which leaves a few dramatic up-swellings of desert vista lace around the glass as it bleeds away.
It smells of sharp toasted biscuit grain, a bit of bready caramel, ripe banana, demerara sugar, mild earthy yeast, a small alcohol twinge, and musty hops. The taste is more caramel-oriented on the roasted malt front, with that crackery edge subsiding, raw brown sugar, some nice subtle fleshy fruit on top of the given banana mush, a trippy floral yeastiness, a persistent, but still on the down-low booze, and lingering low-key musty, dusty hops.
The bubbles perform a decent Low Countries imitation with their fine, ever so slight prickliness; the body renders a solid medium weight, and decidedly smooth. It finishes a bit sweet, the malts and direct sugar notes still contending with that forced mambo with the yeast and booze.
Well, lots going on here to foster scrutiny towards the best of breed - and I assert that Alley Kat comes off fairly well. Rochefort? Not quite. St. Bernardus? Getting warmer (pun not intended). Lest I open myself to ridicule, let's just say that this is right up there with the best of the New World attempts at this less than rigidly delineated style. That is a good thing, by the by. And the big booze? Well integrated, right here, right now - any aging could only aim for some further wringing of complexity from this promising rookie. I shall be gleefully adding this to my planned battle of the Quads tasting before winter's end.
Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)
4.07/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.07/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
650ml bomber poured into tulip 17/1/12
A looks pretty dark at first but has a ruby red glow when held too the the light, a two finger head quickly falls to a dense thick film leaving a few partial rings of lace
S lots of bruised banana and spices, lots of brown sugar all as stated on the label, just a little yeast, booze, bubblegum, Christmas cake, and raisins, this smells great I have very little too complain about here
T a little licorice on top of what I smell, not quite as strong or complex as the nose though,
M not as thick as I was expecting but not by any means watery, good carbonation and lingering earthy aftertaste, a little heat on the finish but still mellow considering 9.4%
O its a good beer for sure, I'm not saying this is on par with the Abt 12's and Trappists Quad's of Belgium but its a respectable Quad from an unlikely place
I liked this brew and I can see it doing well with some age, the booze is pretty well concealed in a fresh bottle and I can imagine aged bottles would be smooth as silk. pretty happy with this one and will be stocking up for future winter days
Jan 18, 2012A looks pretty dark at first but has a ruby red glow when held too the the light, a two finger head quickly falls to a dense thick film leaving a few partial rings of lace
S lots of bruised banana and spices, lots of brown sugar all as stated on the label, just a little yeast, booze, bubblegum, Christmas cake, and raisins, this smells great I have very little too complain about here
T a little licorice on top of what I smell, not quite as strong or complex as the nose though,
M not as thick as I was expecting but not by any means watery, good carbonation and lingering earthy aftertaste, a little heat on the finish but still mellow considering 9.4%
O its a good beer for sure, I'm not saying this is on par with the Abt 12's and Trappists Quad's of Belgium but its a respectable Quad from an unlikely place
I liked this brew and I can see it doing well with some age, the booze is pretty well concealed in a fresh bottle and I can imagine aged bottles would be smooth as silk. pretty happy with this one and will be stocking up for future winter days
Abbey Kat Belgian Style Quad from Alley Kat Brewing Company
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
18 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!