Bourbon Barrel Quad
Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Thanks to noblepudding for this beer, flowing free from a beautiful electric blue & silver 16 oz. can.

The pour is a gorgeous dark amber, perhaps liquified ancient resin. The nose brings bourbon & fruity yeasts, as expected.

Belgian Quad – Barrel Aged is lighter than the stouts I’ve been swilling relentlessly without any give on the heat. Plenty of bourbon, lovely, light, effervescent bourbon. Stone fruit fairies come out to frolic along with light, smooth caramel. A little fig, molasses, wood join the fun. Super smooth & easy to sip.

The states don’t have enough quads, much less packaged quads, much less barrel aged quads. C’mon, brewers, help us out here! Excellent brew.

Another tall can begging for a review... poured into the lazer snake glass (closest thing I have to a chalice), it's a soda red-brown, leaning toward black color sporting a decent foam that fades out into large bubbles around the edges. I smell fruit and alcohol here. The notes of dark and stone fruits - raisins, cherries, etc. - are very clear. Some brown sugar accompanies. The flavor follows very well. This one is complex. All of the above are there, along with a breadiness and a bit of spice that I adore. It also comes with a fabulous tug of war between the bourban barrel and vanilla. Maybe the numbing sensation of the alcohol gets too heavy at some point. Warming, a touch sweet with a molasses flavor, but also soft and smooth despite the middle of the road mouthfeel.

I wonder if they will bring this one back some day. They should.

16 ounce can, 2023D1 stamped on the bottom of the can, seems this was a December 2023 release from what I could find on their website. Thanks to Brutaltruth for this brew! Served in a Teku, the beer pours a murky dark reddish/brown color with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both pretty good. I like the aroma, the brew smells like dark fruit (raisins, figs), vanilla, bourbon, oak and some brown sugar. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some molasses and cherry flavors. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit coating and has a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a good overall brew, hopefully Great Lakes will bring this one back sometime!

From the 16 oz can in a snifter. This excellent quad pours a muddled
reddish mahogany with a decent head of khaki foam that settles to a thick
ring, thin swirling layer, and sports some light lacing. Nose of bourbon, vanilla,
dried fruits of cherry and cranberry, fig, date, and candy sugars. Flavors hit their
mark nicely with candy sugars, bourbon, subtle anise, cherry, cranberry, figs, dates,
dark bread, and subtle oak. Mouth feel is medium, light soft carbonation, smooth,
lightly warming, and finishing moderately sweet and subtly dry.

Overall, a stellar quad made at a very good brewery that is an Ohio legend.

Cheers

 

 

Damn. They destroyed this beer with the bourbon barrel aging. Generally I like a hot and heavy barrel presence but this smells taste like straight moonshine. The quad beneath it is great but I cant get past the Vladimir vodka on top.