Quandary - Whiskey Barrel-Aged (Single Cask)
River North Brewery

"Quadrupel ale aged in whiskey barrels" brewed exclusively for Davidson's Liquor in Centennial, CO (who provided River North with the smooth ambler barrel this was aged in). 30 cases bottled. 2015 vintage. 11.50% ABV.

PACKAGING: Brown glass bottle. 375ml format. Unbranded silver pry-off cap.

HEAD: Pours a robust 2-3 fingers of head in my goblet. Retention is good for the high ABV - ~5-6 minutes. Not as creamy, thick, soft, or delicate looking as the best expressions of the style (e.g. Westvleteren 12), but well executed for what it is. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.

BODY: Deep dark amber of average vibrance. I see no yeast/lees within.

Looks appropriate for a quadrupel. Not unique or special within the style.

AROMA: Rich notes of caramelized dark fruit (prune, plum, fig, raisin) meld with gooey treacley amber malts and hints of whiskey warmth. A hint of vanilla nods towards oak barrel wood. Marshmallow and toffee presence bring this out of traditional quadrupel territory and towards a barleywine build. Fruity esters abound from the yeast, though the attenuation doesn't seem as high as would be imparted by properly treated Trappist yeast.

I don't know that the barrel is adding all that much whiskey character per se, but the oak it brings is nice. This lacks the delicate subtlety of a great quadrupel aroma and there are missed opportunities in terms of complex yeasty notes, but overall it's inviting.

Aromatic intensity is average.

TASTE & TEXTURE: Heavy oak undertones prop up this beer's gooey dark fruit core with wonderful notes of vanilla and barrel sugars. Whiskey takes a backseat to the oak somehow, lending only some warmth to the mouthfeel but little in terms of flavour; I get no spiciness nor peat or anything else you'd look for in whiskey (including the coconut and toastiness you might look for in a bourbon). Sweet to style, with some jammy fruits lending this a brighter fruit profile than is common in great quadrupel style beers; I hoped for more refined notes of plum and fig, but this skimps on the truly dark dark fruits in favour of a more Cabernet Sauvignon-redolent bright jamminess. There's a hint of marshmallow and maybe chestnut in the mix as well.

Creamy. Lacks the delicate fragile feel of a world class quadrupel, but it does feel thin and weak on the palate, lacking the body and weight on the palate needed to make its fruity flavours sing. Well-carbonated. Slightly chewy.

OVERALL: Absent of any egregious faults or off-flavours, Quandary Single Cask is a competent attempt at the style considering it comes from an American brewery, but those who adore great Belgian expressions of the style will find this wanting. The barrel chosen lends this excellent oaky tones but the base beer offers little for them to accentuate. I wouldn't buy a second bottle, but I do find myself wanting to pick up one of Smooth Ambler's spirits based on the strength of the barrel flavour alone. I'd love to see a more experienced brewery attempt this premise with a better base quadrupel.

C+ (3.15) / ABOVE AVERAGE

***
09.13.17 2nd impressions from another 2015 vintage bottle:

Gushes upon opening. Pours oddly bright for a quadrupel. Body colour is orange...blatantly wrong for the intended style. This isn't shaping up to be very good...

Aroma yields barrel sugars, orange marmalade, Delsym, and....well, that's it, actually. No dark fruit nor any whiskey spice, vanilla, oak, et al. Nowhere near appropriate for an ostensible quadrupel, nor is it enticing even outside style conventions. Aromatic intensity is subdued.

Taste is of marmalade, barrel sugars, and pale malt with a hint of Belgian yeast. No dark fruit or overt whiskey at all. This has really declined with age, not that it was anything special to begin with.

Texture is coating, medium to full-bodied, overcarbonated, slightly coarse/scratchy on the palate, and wet. Unrefreshing. Fails to accentuate specific flavours or to elevate the beer as a whole.

Overall, it's one of the most blatantly wrong attempts at a quadrupel I've ever tasted. Even treated as a Belgian strong pale ale, it's still lackluster. What a waste of whiskey barrel aging...

D+ / NOT RECOMMENDED