Bell's Belgian Quadriceps
Call to Arms Brewing Company

 

they had to know they would get into trouble with bells given the name. i have seen everything from markers crossing off the name on the bottle to mailing labels placed over the name, in stores, nothing less flattering to the presentation of a beer, but thats the risk you run. it cant be long before their khores ballroom gets noticed either. fortunately for them, this beer is awesome, in in a lot of ways better than anything i have had from bells in awhile, so good for these guys! its a port barrel aged sour quad with pineapples, which sounds like too much on paper, but in the glass its excellent and super original. deep burgundy to brown in color, moderately viscous, and as lively as you would want a belgian style to be from the bottle. lots of sweet fortified dessert wine on the nose, grapey and strong, with the belgian yeast and the sweet almost dried pineapple there as well. its oddly mouthwatering, there is some tannic acidity here, tart cherry or cranberry, bacterial too, lots happening. the belgian yeast is relaxed in the taste, its more the malt build of a good quad than the yeast profile of one, with the wild side being much more apparent. sharp acidity smoothed by the grain sugar, and a bit of funk as well. the pineapple adds more sweetness, but is a petty unique partner flavor for the port barrels, and in the end, it works really well. i am glad its so carbonated, it really feels lively, and i am also glad its a bit sour, it turned me off at first but by the end its a critical piece of this. nice to see these guys killing it with ambitious beers like this, but they have to get their name game figured out or it will end up hurting their business before too long. this is great beer that deserves some attention!