El Cuatro
The Ale Apothecary

El CuatroEl Cuatro
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From:
The Ale Apothecary
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
11.12%
Score:
93
Ranked #2,909
Avg:
4.22 | pDev: 9.48%
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
145
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 18, 2024
Added:
Jul 04, 2013
Wants:
  48
Gots:
  29
EL CUATRO is made of barley and caramel malts co-mingling with lactobacillus and brettanomyces. After brewing and conditioning, the beer is transferred into brandy & whiskey barrels to age for over a year during an extended Brettanomyces Lambicus fermentation. Prior to bottling, the beer is blended with a small portion of year-old SAHALIE. The only hops added to this beer arrive from the aged SAHALIE. 
The brandy barrels and wild yeast fermentation give EL CUATRO a plum & cherry fruitiness balanced by the slight toast of the malt body.

ABV varies by batch:

5/2/2015 = 8.79%
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by StonedTrippin:
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
definitely a one of a kind strong ale here, open fermented and very wild tasting to me, aged in both pinot noir and then brandy barrels, its crazy complex and refined, and although its quite sour, it has a ton of layers to it, especially as i let it warm up in the glass. like all the beers these guys make, its stupidly expensive, but again, we get what we pay for with this one, and the process intensive nature and use of cool local ingredients seems to justify it. one thing about this beer, and a lot of their stuff really, is that the bottle conditioning with the honey is so on point. they end up dry but with just the lightest essence of the honey at the end, and so fizzy and lively, it makes it seems almost impossible for this to be as strong as it is, i love the high carbonation with the fuller body on these, its really an important detail, and it makes the beer for me. that was also true with their sahalie. the sourness is high here, and i do think it interferes a little bit with the flavor depth, like it cuts itself off at times, but the brandy is obvious in here still with some cool rich and regal sweetness in the middle, real nice with the heavier grain base. some fruitiness from the pinot noir as well, but its subtle in comparison, blackberry and cherry maybe, but well behind the brandy and oak for me. it could be a little less acidic to pick up more nuance from the grain, but even still this isnt hurting for complexity. really cool wild yeast profile to it. it sounds like maybe some of the barrels have changed from batch to batch on this, but i like this current combination a lot. fun to get to drink a few of these beers side by side, they have always been so cost prohibitive. tasty and unique!
Jan 22, 2019
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigred89 from Maryland

Feb 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.21 by QuakeAttack from California

Nov 12, 2023
Photo of Harrison8
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a burgundy-brown with a heavy hazy translucency. Head is two fingers of fluffy off-white foam, even from this aged bottle. Aroma is cellar stone, white grapes, green apples, oak, chardonnay, and dark fruits. There is a mild tart funkiness to each whiff. Flavor profile is white grapes, green apples, and dark fruits, swirled together with background notes of cellar stone, lemon grass, melon dew, and oak. Chardonnay is a big influence. Tartness is mild, but firm, swelling a little at the finish. Acidity is mild, but forward. Slightly dry at the close. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a firm effervescence. Overall, a really well decorated and fun sipper. This bottle is well aged, and yet the tartness remains well balanced.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 750mL bottle. Batch: Jul 31st, 2017. Consumed / reviewed: December 23rd, 2022. ABV 9.85%.
Dec 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.15 by kjkinsey from Texas

Mar 26, 2022
 
Rated: 4.4 by morrowd3 from Vermont

Mar 16, 2022
Photo of BGDrock
Reviewed by BGDrock from Canada (ON)

4.34/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Deep, rich amber body, with ruby undertones, with a light caramel head that struggles to form, low retention.
The nose is tart, musty, oaky, red wine, dates, faint cinnamon and clove, spiced cider - intriguing, warm, mysterious.
A curious tension of flavours - warm and yet sharp, fruity and earthy, tart and sweet. Getting tart cherries most prominently, balanced by a blend of fruity rum, caramel apple, oak, faint pumpkin spice. It has a sense of age to it. Feel has a sharp cleansing acidity, but also sticky sugars, with fine, medium carbonation and medium body. Finishes dry, flavours lingering and enticing another sip.

Fantastic complexity, unique and enrapturing. So much going on in this.
Jan 30, 2022
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

4.27/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A 375ml corked and caged bottle, brewed in November 2017, bottled on 1st November 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.

Appearance: A hazy deep amber orange colour, with a thin khaki head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving some nice lacing.

Aroma: Grape, oak, vanilla, brandy, lightly vinous, light funky, with a touch of citrus zest.

Taste: Sour, tart, oak, dried apricot, stone fruit, hay, honey, with light brandy and orange citrus notes.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Enjoyable complex aroma and flavours. A good sipper.
May 02, 2021
Photo of bret27
Reviewed by bret27 from California

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5
11/2016 - 9.06% batch.
Currently 4+ yrs old.
Thanks to Tom B. Of Lupulo.
Looks like light cranberry juice, no carbonation.
Tart and complex.
Dry, but would prefer a little carbonation.
Jan 06, 2021
 
Rated: 4.4 by Beerbom from California

Dec 19, 2020
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4.56/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
5/2/2015 bottle date. Poured from a corked bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Cloudy amber pour with big fluffy off-white head. Great retention and lacing.

S: Packs a punch... fruit and berry... tart and acidic. Oak, lacto, and cherry.

T.F: Very sweet/tart with a modest pucker. Strong oak... fruit and berry. Baking cherry, funk, green apple, honey, tanins, and caramel. Whiskey subtle but present and adds a nice undertone. Moderate acidity... this baby has some bite. Medium bodied... zesty carbonation. More funk, tart, and fruit to finish.

O: An outstanding barrel-aged wild ale. 5 years in the cellar and it emerged fantastic. Complex, tart, fruity, and delicious. One to seek out.
Dec 09, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by TallGuyCM from California

Jun 23, 2020
Photo of avalon07
Reviewed by avalon07 from South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Poured from a bottle to a snifter glass. Had a reddish / brown color and a very cloudy consistency. There was a quarter inch of creamy, off white, somewhat long-lasting head. Above average lacing.

S: A very sharp aroma of stone fruit, yeast, malt, booze, and berries.

T: Tasted of a good amount of brettanomyces (a major factor, though a subtle one), lots of stone fruit (cherries, in particular), some berry notes (blackberries, especially), a bit of whiskey (and its accompanying barrel), a little caramel (quite sweet), and malt as well. This is a sour, tart, and lively flavor. The whiskey is a good addition. Tasty.

F: A well-carbonated beer with a vibrant finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A wholly enjoyable sour beer. Drinkable.
Jun 16, 2020
 
Rated: 4.93 by Cashbail from New Hampshire

Dec 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4.18 by Dharmelink from Wisconsin

Nov 02, 2019
 
Rated: 4.43 by Dactrius from Netherlands Antilles

May 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.15 by BeerBako88 from California

Feb 24, 2019
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A very nuanced beer with layers of dry wine and grain, wet, sour and tart fruit, and a constant but subtle funk with hints of pine. The fruits of cherry, plum, melon, elderberry, and apple, really are beautifully incorporated into the rest of the beer. Sneaky sweet with a kiss of honey too. Nice barrel character through out the taste and feel
Dec 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by KAP1356 from Pennsylvania

Nov 26, 2018
Photo of KensWorld
Rated by KensWorld from Florida

4.85/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Batch July 31 2017.

Perfection in a bottle!
Oct 21, 2018
El Cuatro from The Ale Apothecary
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 145 ratings