Templeton Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Belgian Quad
Upstream Brewing Company - Old Market

 

this is an incredible beer, extremely limited from what I understand. hand written bottle 147 of 216. picked this up from the special fridge at the old market location awhile back now and have been saving it. we opened it up side by side with a mélange number 3 from the bruery, and I have to say I honestly liked this better, no kidding. it pours a reddish muted color, hazy and thick, with less than an inch of patch khaki colored froth. its got a real complex nose, Belgian yeast and rye whiskey for the most part, but plenty of interesting grains, a good hopping, some decomposing wood, molasses sweetness, and a mellow spice element. the flavor is all of those things wrapped up into a neat little set of waves. the whiskey is first, spiced and strong, then the sugars from the grain, honey sweet, molasses spice, even maple seasonality. finally, alcohol and richness, like a brownie that's just a little too big, its got a heavy feel to it. the yeast is pepper and sharp, which cuts some of the sweetness, but adds to the intensity of the alcohol. this is a massive brew in both flavor and feel, huge body, long finish, an honorable way to abuse my guts. I loved this. the bottle says brewed in November 2011, bottles in march 2013, that's a lot of barrel time, and it really shows. an exceptional offering I wish more people could get to try.