One Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty-Five
Kane Brewing Company

 

*2016 bottle reviewed in February 2020.*

Good head production for a BA and blended Belgian Quad, but the retention is nothing short of fantastic. Around 20 minutes after a careful pour, about 1/8 finger of dark tan foam still lingers. Body is dark, the color of pumpernickel or perhaps fruit bread, and displays no visible flaws.

Some oxidation is unavoidable on the nose, but it can't hide the swirling notes of dark fruit, fruit bread, oak, rye whiskey, bubblegum, dry spice, pumpernickel, brown sugar, caramel, toffee, and nuts. Very dark and sweet aroma.

Nose almost translates perfectly to the palate, losing a touch of the oxidation in the process. Moderately sweet up front, with a dry spicy finish; this leans toward sweeter Quad profiles overall, no doubt impacted by the rye whiskey aging and the years spent in the bottle. Whiskey up front, along with banana, nuts, brown sugar, prunes, raisins, red grapes, and bread. Red grape finish. Chocolate and prune aftertaste, with a kiss of whiskey. Long, long finish.

Very smooth on the palate, but still lively, with a noticeable sting from the whiskey and the high ABV that doesn't prevent you from really savoring it.

Dark brownish-black with dark ruby red edges and a tall fluffy khaki head slowly settling to a thin ridged collar.

Rich caramel, toffee and ginger snaps meet sweet charred oak in this surprisingly clean, beautifully presented quad. It's especially impressive to me for its age. As it comes to temp, further expressions of cocoa dusted date, black pepper and tobacco develop, via a medium body that has a soft froth before finishing semi-dry. At its peak it exhibits a wonderful aroma and aftertaste of maple bruleed brown sugar.

A: dark, matte dark brown color that is almost black. Large, 2 finger tan head

A: molasses, prunes, raisins, berries, leather, tannins, oak, vanilla, whiskey, caramel, toffee, and some coriander

T: raisins, dark cherries, oak, and a touch of chocolate. Dark berries and a subtle kiss of rye and whiskey. Leather and molasses behind that. Huge note of fresh dough and candi sugar

M: heavy, low carbonation

O: it’s tasty, but in my opinion, quads are better not BA. It’s a good beer but the barrel takes away from some great Quad flavors

Pours very dark, no head. Aroma is mainly dark dried fruits: figs & raisins. Flavor follows nose: lots of raisin, dried figs, pretty fruity, a touch acidic. Bourbon barrel on the finish. High abv is not noticible. Carbonation adds to a creamy mouthfeel. Overall, not my favorite but I thoroughly enjoyed the 4 oz pour. Would not have liked a 750ml bottle.

9/6/18
Draft at brewery
4 rating

10:13/18. Tried the raspberry variant at brewery - this was excellent, would have drank a bottle of it.

 

 

 

750 mL bottle aged for nearly a year. Poured into Kane tulip glass and allowed to come to temperature.

L: 1F very light tan head. No retention, only a very thin ring left. Beer is very dark brown with edges lighter brown when held up to light.

S; Bourbon barrel and bourbon. Kandi sugar and Belgian yeast. Dark fruits. Really very good, a step up from the prior year.

T: Bourbon barrel and bourbon. Sweetness like molasses and kandi sugar. Dark fruits and mulling spices. This is excellent. A little bit of alcohol heat on the finish.

F: Medium to full bodied, still a decent bit of carbonation, just the right amount. Construction and balance are very good. As I noted, a little bit of heat on the end. Maybe another year melds and rounds it, maybe it doesn't.

O: Seriously good. I think Kane is putting an amount of the previous year's (or multiple) into the new ones so can't wait for Two Thousand One Hundred Ninety, which probably will be out soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love Kane's beers so when I was given a bottle of this by Ryan (the owner) at the Cloverleaf Tavern, I was very grateful to have a chance to try a full bottle of this. The idea that has past blends of the anniversary mixed in with the current batch is beautiful and for the most part, so was this final result. A beast of a beer, this was a slow sipper that deserved to be enjoyed over a relaxing span of time!

This poured a dark cola brown with just a hint of light seeping in around the edge, with a moderate, tan head that quickly and loudly receded. Lots of rye and bourbon-like stickiness in the understated nose as the more colorful flavors were to be found in the taste. Plum, raisin, and dark and bitter chocolate combined with cherry and blueberry juice for a dark, slick, and warming mouthfeel that fit in beautifully with the rye barrel aging as this beer was as balanced and full as could be for a Quad. Nearly felt like a Stout given the thickness and potency of it but this finished clean because of the rye and low carbonation. Of course, this allowed the dark, mysterious, and alluring flavors to subtly shine and hold their own long after each sip went down.

Make no mistake - this was a strong and although much of the alcohol went undetected during my session, I could feel a slight burn and stronger warming sensation once this was finished. Deserving of it's style, age, and moniker, there couldn't possibly be a better beer for this 5th Anniversary that honored their past and the level that they've achieved here in my home state. A stronger nose and bolder appearance would have put this over the top but as it was, this may have been their best beer that I've had. Worth seeking out by all means!