Dethhanger Quadruple Brown Ale
CIB Brewery & BBQ

Deep brown color; no light passes here.

Slight off-white head; no lacing.

Whiskey sour smell.

Medium mouthfeel.

Sweet & sour taste; tart but drinkable, if a bit much.

 

 

 

Why is this rated so low? It's a fantastic sour/brown/quad combo. An awesome unique combination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serving type: 750 ml bottle. No freshness date. The cap was sealed with white wax.

Appearance: Poured into a tulip. Beautiful color: very dark brown with caramel and ruby tints. Three fingers of medium tan head dissipated very slowly and evenly, eventually leaving a dense skim. There is a lot of sedimentation at the end of the bottle.

Smell: Wild yeast funk is dominant, as well as pepper-like spice. It is sweet and fruity, too. Granny apple, tart berries, brown sugar, molasses, and hints of sweet caramel. The apricots and baker’s chocolate mentioned on the brewery’s website description are also present, though I cannot say the same for the leather and meat drippings. As it warms, the booziness dominates and becomes reminiscent of rubbing alcohol.

Taste: At first, the alcohol is somewhat harsh and overpowering. I let the glass and bottle warm a little longer before taking a couple more sips. The alcohol edge does dull as it warms, but only slightly. It is paired with the wild yeast (which is on the sour side) and spice, which I think is pepper. The fruit sweetness emerges slowly, at the tail end of each sip. Nothing stands out, really. There are shades of apricot and apple, but there is mostly a general tartness. Eventually, the tartness dissipates and the spice takes over in its place.

Drinkability: What it lacks in complexity and definition, it compensates with booze and spice. Perhaps subsequent batches will improve, or the beer would benefit from a little aging. Hmmm. I think I am leaning toward disappointment, especially for $13 a bottle (which would be equivalent to a $36 six-pack).