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Trip In The Woods: Rum Barrel Aged Quad
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Quadrupel (Quad)
Ranked #15 - ABV:
- 11.7%
- Score:
- 94
Ranked #1,984 - Avg:
- 4.35 | pDev: 3.91%
- Reviews:
- 15
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 18, 2023
- Added:
- Jun 28, 2019
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
94
Outstanding
94
Outstanding


Notes:
his classic Quad in rum barrels is a nod to the great Trappist brewers of Belgium. Deep ruby-brown in color, the beer is rich and full-bodied with the style's familiar dark fruit flavors, while the yeast creates a hint of spice. Rum barrels impart delicate sweetness and complexity to this beer that can be enjoyed today or cellared for years to come.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia
4.41/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.41/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The beer pours a creamy khaki head that looks very good and takes a while to dissipate. The beer itself is an opaque and deep mahogany brown. It looks really good.
The smell is delicious. It has a sweet sugar note with hints of molasses and rum with a sharp alcohol note. The yeast has nice cinnamon and clove notes. There also appears to be a toffee smell among the date notes.
The taste is equally wonderful. It has the same dark fruits such as dates and raisins with a toffee flavor mixed in with them. There is also the brown sugar notes with the rum dancing around the edges.
The feel is pretty good. It has a heavy body with a silk texture to it. It has some bubbles but no real carbonation.
Overall, a delicious and indulgent beer worth having during the winter.
Jan 18, 2023The smell is delicious. It has a sweet sugar note with hints of molasses and rum with a sharp alcohol note. The yeast has nice cinnamon and clove notes. There also appears to be a toffee smell among the date notes.
The taste is equally wonderful. It has the same dark fruits such as dates and raisins with a toffee flavor mixed in with them. There is also the brown sugar notes with the rum dancing around the edges.
The feel is pretty good. It has a heavy body with a silk texture to it. It has some bubbles but no real carbonation.
Overall, a delicious and indulgent beer worth having during the winter.
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana
4.5/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
25.4oz undated cork & caged bottle poured into a snulip glass at 55F, 11.7% ABV per label. The beer pours darker brown with slight ruby hints and khaki head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island. Minimal lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring rum, candi sugar and a hint of dark fruit. The taste is semisweet caramel, rummy, oaky deliciousness. The dark fruit candi sugar are there as well. Minimal bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with just less that average carbonation and a semi dry finish. Seems much lighter than 11.7% Overall, world class quad. Wonderfully balanced and enjoyable to sip.
Dec 31, 2022Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio
4.27/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look - fantastic thick super dark brown, basically black
Smell - rum wood dark fruit sweetness
Taste - slightly sweet dark fruit raisin along with a nice woodiness and run.
Feel - full body with a medium light carb
Overall - so easy and tasty
Feb 14, 2022Smell - rum wood dark fruit sweetness
Taste - slightly sweet dark fruit raisin along with a nice woodiness and run.
Feel - full body with a medium light carb
Overall - so easy and tasty
Reviewed by TreyIsWilson from Michigan
4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A - Pours a dark brown with a fizzy off white head. Nice amount of soapy lacing.
S - Aroma is raisins, dates, grapes and rum.
T - The taste is fig, plum, grape, toffee and finishing with a nice punch of rum barrel.
M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.
O - Really solid rum barrel aged quad.
Feb 21, 2021S - Aroma is raisins, dates, grapes and rum.
T - The taste is fig, plum, grape, toffee and finishing with a nice punch of rum barrel.
M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.
O - Really solid rum barrel aged quad.
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia
4.5/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a nice dark ruby brown color with a nice tan head and lacing
Aroma has rum, dark fruits and spice hints
The taste follows the nose with a very well balanced rum, dark fruit and spice flavors
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A very well done Rum barrel aged Quad
Dec 21, 2020Aroma has rum, dark fruits and spice hints
The taste follows the nose with a very well balanced rum, dark fruit and spice flavors
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A very well done Rum barrel aged Quad
Reviewed by Pontzie from Florida
3.97/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L: Thick walnut brown pour. Fine tan head leaving a lasting lace.
S: Pretty syruppy sweet smell, but an under note of oaky woodiness.
T: A sweet sugarry situation. The sweetness masks a bit of the intense alcohol that is present. A touch monotonous, but drinkable considering it is a quad.
F: Relatively smooth and a bit surprising that the high alcohol moves through the palatte so quickly. Leaves a bit of a sticky aftertaste.
O: The whole thing is good but pushes a bit too deep into the sweet notes. If you like a high alcohol quad, and don't mind finding your way through a bit of sweetness 5his is pretty good. Honestly, not much of 5he rum barrel here other than in the.sweet and slightly woody situation.
May 25, 2020S: Pretty syruppy sweet smell, but an under note of oaky woodiness.
T: A sweet sugarry situation. The sweetness masks a bit of the intense alcohol that is present. A touch monotonous, but drinkable considering it is a quad.
F: Relatively smooth and a bit surprising that the high alcohol moves through the palatte so quickly. Leaves a bit of a sticky aftertaste.
O: The whole thing is good but pushes a bit too deep into the sweet notes. If you like a high alcohol quad, and don't mind finding your way through a bit of sweetness 5his is pretty good. Honestly, not much of 5he rum barrel here other than in the.sweet and slightly woody situation.
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois
4.18/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.18/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle into a goblet. Had 1/25/20.
Pours a ruby brown, semi opaque, with a one inch foamy head with good retention and a decent amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of caramel, malt, some rum, plums, some figs and cherries, a little chocolate. The flavor shows more rum than the nose, then caramel, dates, malt, raisins, plums, grapes, light figs and cherries. Smooth, a very good medium body, well carbonated.
This has a solid, traditional base quad, and while the barrels are a bit muted, they enhance that base. Very enjoyable.
Apr 06, 2020Pours a ruby brown, semi opaque, with a one inch foamy head with good retention and a decent amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of caramel, malt, some rum, plums, some figs and cherries, a little chocolate. The flavor shows more rum than the nose, then caramel, dates, malt, raisins, plums, grapes, light figs and cherries. Smooth, a very good medium body, well carbonated.
This has a solid, traditional base quad, and while the barrels are a bit muted, they enhance that base. Very enjoyable.
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas
4.19/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours an effervescent mahogany with a finger of tan head. Above average lacing & average head retention
S: Dark fruit, leafy hops, & cola once warm. Raisin shows when near room temperature
T: Follows the nose, some rum & cola notes to include dryness. Figs mix with cola/rum sweetness, barrel dryness & leafy hops as this warms. Finishes dry with rum & coke, plus jammyness
MF: Medium body & firm carbonation, warming
I really enjoyed this one, the barrel brings a lot to the party
Mar 22, 2020S: Dark fruit, leafy hops, & cola once warm. Raisin shows when near room temperature
T: Follows the nose, some rum & cola notes to include dryness. Figs mix with cola/rum sweetness, barrel dryness & leafy hops as this warms. Finishes dry with rum & coke, plus jammyness
MF: Medium body & firm carbonation, warming
I really enjoyed this one, the barrel brings a lot to the party
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio
4.43/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
From the 750ml bottle in a snifter. This beast pours a
muddled dark brown with a very nice head of tan foam that
subsides to a thick ring, thin clumping layer, and shows nice light
lacing. Nose of rum, brown sugars, subtle oak, raisin, and dark
breaded malts. Flavors exceed the nose with rum, faint herbal notes
of coriander and anise, dark bread and crust, biscuit, raisin, slight
banana, and spicy rye like elements with mild oak. Very nice mouth
feel; medium body, smooth, warming, medium light and lively
carbonation, and a warming subtly dry finish.
Overall a really nice addition to the "trip" line.
Excellent
Mar 05, 2020muddled dark brown with a very nice head of tan foam that
subsides to a thick ring, thin clumping layer, and shows nice light
lacing. Nose of rum, brown sugars, subtle oak, raisin, and dark
breaded malts. Flavors exceed the nose with rum, faint herbal notes
of coriander and anise, dark bread and crust, biscuit, raisin, slight
banana, and spicy rye like elements with mild oak. Very nice mouth
feel; medium body, smooth, warming, medium light and lively
carbonation, and a warming subtly dry finish.
Overall a really nice addition to the "trip" line.
Excellent
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut
4.31/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Excellent head production. Retention can't quite live up to that promise, but that's expected for a double digit ABV barrel aged brew. Body is very dark, even for a quad.
Nose hits all the right notes: clearly a quad, and clearly barrel aged. Waves of dark fruit and bread mingle with rum and oak in a back-and-forth dance, sweet, dark, spicy, and slightly sour. Nuts, toffee, banana, and brown sugar round out the profile.
On the palate, the rum barrel influence perfectly complements the quad tones. Instead of asserting its presence, it more serves to amplify everything else. Belgian spice, thick bready dark malt, dark fruity tones - every bit is emphasized and made larger than life. You actually have to dig a bit for tones you could consider uniquely "rum" in character.
Big, bold, full bodied, but a fairly easy sipper, allowing you to savor the brew at your leisure.
Feb 10, 2020Nose hits all the right notes: clearly a quad, and clearly barrel aged. Waves of dark fruit and bread mingle with rum and oak in a back-and-forth dance, sweet, dark, spicy, and slightly sour. Nuts, toffee, banana, and brown sugar round out the profile.
On the palate, the rum barrel influence perfectly complements the quad tones. Instead of asserting its presence, it more serves to amplify everything else. Belgian spice, thick bready dark malt, dark fruity tones - every bit is emphasized and made larger than life. You actually have to dig a bit for tones you could consider uniquely "rum" in character.
Big, bold, full bodied, but a fairly easy sipper, allowing you to savor the brew at your leisure.
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
4.33/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.33/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Coffee black to dark brown with very thin, clear red edges, all under a creamy tan head that settles to a persistent collar with a sweep of film on the surface.
A dark fruit nose of cocoa and fig eases you into snickerdoodle or gingerbread cookie flavors that bring with them an assertive rum presence. A little barrel char and even a hint of peppery bourbon pair with touches of maple and milk chocolate that develop as it warms. It sounds decadent, but the sweetness is well balanced here.
The solidly full, round body has a fine carbonation running along a pleasant heat coming to a semi-dry, semi-sticky finish. This goes down so well and so fulfillingly, with a wonderfully pleasant level of heat, that it's a totally perfect winter comfort.
Jan 31, 2020A dark fruit nose of cocoa and fig eases you into snickerdoodle or gingerbread cookie flavors that bring with them an assertive rum presence. A little barrel char and even a hint of peppery bourbon pair with touches of maple and milk chocolate that develop as it warms. It sounds decadent, but the sweetness is well balanced here.
The solidly full, round body has a fine carbonation running along a pleasant heat coming to a semi-dry, semi-sticky finish. This goes down so well and so fulfillingly, with a wonderfully pleasant level of heat, that it's a totally perfect winter comfort.
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina
4.38/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.38/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750 ml bottle into chalice, bottled on . Pours fairly crystal clear dark ruby red/brown color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lasts. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, berries, peppercorn, clove, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of vanilla, licorice, molasses, roast, nuttiness, oak, rum, banana, bubblegum, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Minimal booziness in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, candi sugar, dark/bready malts, and light-moderate rum barrels/earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of huge raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, berries, peppercorn, clove, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of vanilla, licorice, molasses, roast, nuttiness, oak, rum, banana, bubblegum, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast, rum/oak tannin spiciness; and herbal, floral, woody, grassy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, berries, peppercorn, clove, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, vanilla, licorice, molasses, roast, nuttiness, oak, rum, banana, bubblegum, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, candi sugar, dark/bready malts, and light-moderate rum barrels/earthy hop flavors; with a fantastic malt/sugar, bitterness, and yeast/rum/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and yeast/rum/oak spiciness. Medium-plus carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, fairly sticky/tannic, and lightly slick/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 11.7%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged Belgian quad. All around amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, candi sugar, dark/bready malts, and light-moderate rum barrels/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mellowly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish. Fantastic soft feel for the ABV. Not a ton of barrel, but solid; which is fine as it usually leads to a super boozy beer. Amazingly balanced Belgian yeast, sugars, and rich malts; with solid noble hops. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly amazing offering, and top tier style example. Just as impressive as any true Belgian.
Sep 21, 2019Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
4.21/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Taking another trip through the woods with the Sierra Nevada team, the tastebuds stumble upon a rum soaked, caramelized, winey array of flavors that only a rum barrel aged Belgian-styled dark ale can provide.
So their Trip in the Woods, Rum Barrel Aged Quad edition pours with a very deep garnet hue, ominously translucent only about its margins. As a dense but stubby froth builds upon the rim, its scent is illuminated by the dark fruit, racy dark spices and a melange of both rum and wine. Deeply caramelized, the rife scent of toffee, brown sugar and molasses lends over to the taste also as its malty sweet upstart is nearly Strong Scottish Ale in nature.
As the ale traverses across the tongue, the tastebuds begin to dissect the complexity of flavors, starting with the rum spices breaking up the malt slightly to allow a fruit filled center of plum, date, fig, blackberry, red grape and off-prune to stew on the middle palate. Its yeast spices follow up with the pop of peppercorn, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove to nearly suggest a holiday-type of taste. Oak, nuttiness and the sweet spiciness of rum extends into a long late palate of sweet, savory spiciness with low bitterness and faint vinous tartness.
Full bodied, rich but never cloying, the complex array of flavors have the senses thinking fuller and richer than is actual, but still, the robust flavors and its booze balances the sweetness and creaminess while supporting the malt and giving them identity. Too heavy for authentic quad-styled ale, the beer is quite an amazing American adaptation of the styles finer attributes.
Sep 20, 2019So their Trip in the Woods, Rum Barrel Aged Quad edition pours with a very deep garnet hue, ominously translucent only about its margins. As a dense but stubby froth builds upon the rim, its scent is illuminated by the dark fruit, racy dark spices and a melange of both rum and wine. Deeply caramelized, the rife scent of toffee, brown sugar and molasses lends over to the taste also as its malty sweet upstart is nearly Strong Scottish Ale in nature.
As the ale traverses across the tongue, the tastebuds begin to dissect the complexity of flavors, starting with the rum spices breaking up the malt slightly to allow a fruit filled center of plum, date, fig, blackberry, red grape and off-prune to stew on the middle palate. Its yeast spices follow up with the pop of peppercorn, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove to nearly suggest a holiday-type of taste. Oak, nuttiness and the sweet spiciness of rum extends into a long late palate of sweet, savory spiciness with low bitterness and faint vinous tartness.
Full bodied, rich but never cloying, the complex array of flavors have the senses thinking fuller and richer than is actual, but still, the robust flavors and its booze balances the sweetness and creaminess while supporting the malt and giving them identity. Too heavy for authentic quad-styled ale, the beer is quite an amazing American adaptation of the styles finer attributes.
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois
4.42/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Dark brown with a finger of tan foam. Dark fruit, namely fig and raisin, vanilla, rum, belgian yeast, and a little cola in the nose. Taste is boozy but not hot like the nose is, barrel adapted well, get a little wood, but mostly the rum aspect, fit must better into the quad than expected, thought rum might stick out a little. Feel is boozy but not too hot, full bodied, and smooth.
Sep 19, 2019Reviewed by FriedSlug from North Carolina
4.65/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.65/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Dark with a light cap of dense head. Smells amazing with dark fruits, rum and hints of vanilla. Tastes the same. Sweet, caramel, raisins, figs, rum and vanilla. Just an amazing and delicious beer.
Sep 17, 2019
Trip In The Woods: Rum Barrel Aged Quad from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
94 out of
100 with
35 ratings
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