Wild Berry Quad
Ethereal Brewing

They sure don't make quads like they used to. The new spin that Ethereal Brewing puts on the stronger, darker Belgian styled ale shifts the balance toward the fruit with generous additions of plum, elderberry and blackcurrant. A nice long slumber in oak barrels and the spiciness makes a strong return.

Wild Berry Quad pours a nearly barleywine depth of tawny brown and burgunday along with a short statured and brief froth. Sultry aromas of dark, pitted and dried fruits bring a sherry-like savory scent with a pep of spice, brandy and pepper. Richly malted on the early palate, the taste of hard candy, spice cake and and brown sugar applies a sweet start on the tongue.

As the ale unfolds on the middle palate, the individual fruit flavors arise, but first doing so with the natural esters of apple, date, fig, raisin and apricot. As those more moderate fruit flavors simmer on the tastebuds, the additions of plum, black berries and grape bring a fortified wine character along with the piquant balance of fresh cracked peppercorn, wood spices, nutty oak and an rounded medley of allspice and clove.

Light on bitterness, the full bodied ale has its lingering malt sweetness lumbering the late palate without the normal, higher carbonation rates. The prickling spice of cognac heats the back of the tongue and throat while a tangy gloss of malt and acidity tease the aftertaste long and lushly afterwards.