Ovila Quad | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

3.73/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A ---- beautiful deep dark ruby red. A cross between a porter and dark scotch/red ale - Thick 1/2 head

S --- dark fruits, malts, cloves

T --- smooth, complex and a fairly strong presence of alcohol on the backend

M --- medium body with a nice amount of carbonation

O --- This is a good beer. My favorite from the Ovila series

I will buy another bottle or two and let them sit for 12-18 months. This could be an outstanding beer for Christmas 2012.

★ 452 characters

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

It's a great quad, no doubt, but doesn't hold a candle to some of the benchmark guys like St. Bernardus or Rochefort. Pretty solid taste of dark fruit and some spice, but the flavors aren't as diverse or as layered as I would like it. A little hot on the back-end.

★ 264 characters

4.12/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice aan amber infused deep chesnut brown with a sticky light tannish colored head atop.a very complex and appetizing nose with dark candied fruit,toasty bread,deep brown sugar,and spiced phenols in the nose,very well rounded with not one element dominating.Flavors of candied dark fruit and yeasty spiced phenols dominate,it's not overly sweet as the alcohol is not overly big, and it has a nice bready malt base.A real nice quad wich is my favorite "Belgian" style,alot going on but in good balance.

★ 518 characters

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle from whenever they first released these, poured into snifter.
Still retained the loud pop when the cork came off, so that's a good start.
Poured a deep amber/copper color with maybe a finger of head, which faded pretty fast.
Aromas of plum and raisin and some maltiness with flavors similar to the aroma but with caramel aNd some sweetness to it. Slight bit of lacing and moderate bubbles throughout the bottle (I don't share w wifey).
Refill was more of the same but gained a little more complexity as it warmed.
All in all about what you would expect from Sierra...a solid take on something (previously) outside of their realm.
Can't wait to try their Brandy barrel aged version tonight.

★ 705 characters

4/5  rDev +1.5%

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

In a goblet the beer was a very dark brown color with a small tan head.

Nice sugary/yeasty aroma. Dark fruit. Caramel.

Very malty taste, lots of caramel. Plums and raisins. Candy.

Medium-bodied but rich. Alcohol not at all noticeable.

Great beer.

★ 251 characters

4/5  rDev +1.5%

2.31/5  rDev -41.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

750ml bottle. Pours brown with a huge fizzy light tan head that retains well.

The aroma is pretty mild - some sweet caramel malts, cola and dark fruit.

The flavor is sweet sugary malts with some dark fruit and cola. The alcohol is fairly well hidden. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, way too sugary sweet for me. A poor man's St Bernardus.

★ 375 characters

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%

4/5  rDev +1.5%

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark, clear brown color with a large tan head. The aroma is full of dark fruit and candy sugar. I get a lot of prunes and dark cherries, as well as quite a bit of sweetness from the sugar. The flavor is similar. I get a lot of cherry, raisins, prunes and grape notes, as well as some toffee malt and a lot of candy sugar. There is also a Belgian yeast component in the flavor which goes well with the other flavors. The alcohol is noticeable and is warming. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A nice, easy to drink American-made quad.

★ 557 characters

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

4/5  rDev +1.5%

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

4.75/5  rDev +20.6%

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From tasting notes. L: deep garnet to chestnut with ruby notes, head dissipates o film S: Malt, spice, cola, fruit, prune. T: Malt attack and then almost immediately dissolves into fruit, plum, prune over caramel, some spice – possibly cardamom, faint cola, very faint banana and a suggestion of bubble gum F: Juicy, full body, very fine soft carbonation, warming. O: A big, beautiful quad.

★ 392 characters

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

3.2/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap served in a sampler 4 oz glass

A - Dark mahogany brown with a one finger tan head with minimal lacing and moderate head retention

S - Smells of dark fruits, caramel malts

T - Figs, raisins, plums, with caramel sweetness, just not as rich as I'd hope. A nice smooth finish with decent alcohol taste.

M - Medium body, and moderate carbonation

O - I had big expectation and felt like this was a really average beer. I'll try it again just to confirm my suspicions.

★ 473 characters

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep ruby brown hue with dark amber highlights when held toward the light, beautiful appearance. Light beige head forms silky and smooth above the dark nicely carbonated body fine bubbled, true Belgian style fermentation. Aroma has dark fruits with ripened tart apples, pretty solid nose, dark caramelized sugars are petty tasty. Flavor is sweet upfront sugar coated malt driven flavors with plums, tart apples, and a dry nutty Belgian yeast finish. Alcohol is apparent with the flavor and mouthfeel leaving a bit of warmth on the palate bewteen sips, fuller bodied Belgian ale with a healthy malt bill. Overall a decent quadrupel that will get better with age, keeps things more balanced than most quads out there but it also has a nice aging potential.

★ 754 characters

4/5  rDev +1.5%

4/5  rDev +1.5%

4/5  rDev +1.5%