Squad of Quads #2 Moscatel
515 Brewing Company

In November I spent four nights in West Des Moines, jamming two visits to 515 in. The beer was excellent, but no #quads on tap. So a C&C 750ML bottle it is. Split with my wife while watching the Cheeto read lies off a teleprompter.

The cork was apparently put in with super glue, but it eventually yields to my bulging forearms. The pour is dark red mixed with a healthy dose of brown. The nose is light sweetness, plums, & low level alcohol.

Squad of Quads #2 makes me wish I had some Moscatel; it’s interacting so seamlessly with the quad that I can’t tell where one starts & the other leaves off. That lovely plum from the nose is strongest, with lots of dark fruitiness underneath: grape must, sherry, sugared apples, figs. Finish is drying wood & unresolved sugars. Dry & rich; one could almost pass this off as fortified wine. Only the strength of the sweetness keeps this from being a “bomber to the dome” beer. Such a stupid word, dome.

I have no idea why I’ve wandered away from the world of quads, but this beer has beckoned me back. Exquisitely balanced, the barrel is matched almost perfectly to the beer. An excellent beer that’s only a breath away from the elite. This place is the real deal.