Sezoens Quattro
Brouwerij Martens NV

From a very worn 11.2 oz bottle into a snifter. You ever see really old bottles that were continuously refilled? You know, the ones that have been run through seemingly hundreds of miles of a bottling line. That's exactly what this is, a very roughed up brown bottle that is nearly paper thin around the collar.

The brew pours a clear amber color with a frothy tan cap. Spotty lace sticks to the glass and some webby patterns appear as more sips are taken. A light swirl brings up a gongs if quick dissolving froth composed of medium sized bubbles.

The smell is mildly sweet that blends into a fruited quality like apple skins and mild yeasty spice. A hint of candy to toffee and caramel malt. Some dried fruit like apple is noted along with some oaked quality and cheese that mixes with a faint hint of vinegar.

The taste is mildly reminescent of apple cider vinegar mixed with apple/pear skins. A bit of caramel malt sweetness is present but gets contrasted by some herbal hops and an oaked dry aftertaste. There is some earthy quality present that is lightly musty tht blends more into a barrel flavor as the brew warms up. There is a light orange zest element in the aftertaste.

This is a crisp brew. It is medium bodied and modestly carbonated. Quite bubbly and dry to the finish for a "quad." Quite a decent offering, there was no dating on the bottle but I'd love to know how old it was. There was a lot of stuff going on in this but something tells me it wasn't bottled within the past 5 years. Despite all the character, it still came across a bit watery. Nonetheless worth a try of you get the chance.

A dark, copper beer with a creamy head that leaves a nice lacing.

Smell of caramel, toffee, dark fruits. A spiciness coming from the yeast.

Taste is initially woody, oaky with marmelade hints and sweet. This taste develops into a very pleasing sipper, that has some caramel, tartness and an oak taste. These tastes really combine very good and make the beer lean towards a sherry. The alcohol is mostly hidden, but leaves a warming feeling. Hops are quite aromatic and I suspect Styrian Goldings or Fuggles as kettle hops. The bitterness is medium, and a part of the bitterness also comes from the darker malts. Now I get raisins and grapes, this beer is changing every sip. Mouthfeel is a bit too sweet for me, the beer leaves a sugary stickiness on my lips. Good beer though!