Black Friday
Free Will Brewing Co.
- From:
- Free Will Brewing Co.
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Quadrupel (Quad)
- ABV:
- 12%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 3.99 | pDev: 9.77%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 14
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 28, 2020
- Added:
- Sep 29, 2012
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 11
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
This Barrel aged Belgian quad has all the boldness and complexity you’d expect from the style. This rich malt driven beer has notes of dark fruit and caramel supported by yeast driven apricot and pear flavors, and complimented still by the oaky character of the brandy barrels it was aged in. This beer has a warming alcohol presence and a tart finish, and pairs well with venison, sharp cheddar, and Peking duck.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by devilfluff:
Rated by devilfluff from New Jersey
3.75/5 rDev -6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Feb 08, 2016
3.75/5 rDev -6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Feb 08, 2016
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania
4.08/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 vintage... poured from a 12 oz bottle into a DT tulip
L: Cloudy caramel brown pour. Turbid... thin head... with a modest rim of lacing.
S: Belgian candy sugar, booze, and sweets.
T.F: Sweet... strong brown sugar and caramel. Boozy and warming... the apple brandy comes through strongly at the finish. Oak and vanilla... lighter baked raisin/fig. Thick bodied and sticky... low carbonation.
O: 5 years in the bottle have really mellowed this brew... and I think this is 'Ella' before it became 'Ella'. A nice slow sipper... and definitely a dessert. Boozy... and as another reviewer noted this drinks somewhere between a Quad and a Barleywine.
Dec 28, 2020L: Cloudy caramel brown pour. Turbid... thin head... with a modest rim of lacing.
S: Belgian candy sugar, booze, and sweets.
T.F: Sweet... strong brown sugar and caramel. Boozy and warming... the apple brandy comes through strongly at the finish. Oak and vanilla... lighter baked raisin/fig. Thick bodied and sticky... low carbonation.
O: 5 years in the bottle have really mellowed this brew... and I think this is 'Ella' before it became 'Ella'. A nice slow sipper... and definitely a dessert. Boozy... and as another reviewer noted this drinks somewhere between a Quad and a Barleywine.
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts
3.52/5 rDev -11.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -11.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Very cloudy, light brown color. Nearly no head and certainly no lace.
Strong dark malt sweetness to the nose. Reminiscent of concentrated malt at homebrew shops.
The taste is a rich, thick malted candy lollipop. There's a dark barley element and a very strong alcohol presence. Very rich as would be expected. The carbonation is muted as well. The aftertaste is long,sweet experience -- think of pancakes to get the sensation.
Jan 14, 2017Strong dark malt sweetness to the nose. Reminiscent of concentrated malt at homebrew shops.
The taste is a rich, thick malted candy lollipop. There's a dark barley element and a very strong alcohol presence. Very rich as would be expected. The carbonation is muted as well. The aftertaste is long,sweet experience -- think of pancakes to get the sensation.
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania
4/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 bottling- 12oz into a tulip appears brown in color with a thin khaki head thats quick to fade to a thin ring around the perimeter.
Aroma is sugary sweet smelling then becomes something like caramel and bready pie crust.
Taste is sweet with caramel/vanilla but has noticeable oakiness. Lots of quad-like dark fruity flavors of typical raison/dates/prunes/plums and slight alcohol kick. There is a contrasting bitterness mixed with oak tannins that gives the perception of dryness. As it warms up, it has a bit of toasted coconut aftertaste.
Full bodied and lightly carbonated, this is a fine brew but I wont be having it again considering the luxury pricepoint in excess of $1 per oz.
Nov 23, 2016Aroma is sugary sweet smelling then becomes something like caramel and bready pie crust.
Taste is sweet with caramel/vanilla but has noticeable oakiness. Lots of quad-like dark fruity flavors of typical raison/dates/prunes/plums and slight alcohol kick. There is a contrasting bitterness mixed with oak tannins that gives the perception of dryness. As it warms up, it has a bit of toasted coconut aftertaste.
Full bodied and lightly carbonated, this is a fine brew but I wont be having it again considering the luxury pricepoint in excess of $1 per oz.
Reviewed by 57md from Pennsylvania
3.8/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.8/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours a muddy brownish copper with hardly any head. The apple brandy really comes out in the nose. The flavor profile is sweet and bready - right on target. However, the body is light for the style and does not hold up well in terms of the alcohol presence.
Feb 03, 2016
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