Three Taverns "Heavy Bells" BBA Quad

I haven't had it in the bottle yet. On draft I thought it was really great. I still need to snag some bottles, but I'm definitely curious to know if it was just one flat bottle.

 

Plan to try mine today, @FATC1TY. I'll be sure to let you know.

 

I loved it, had it yesterday at work. My bottle was low carbed as well but not flat. I prefer a quad with a little less carbonation though, so it was perfect for my tastes.

 

I got a little, yes. Definitely lower carbed than most beers, but I enjoyed that part. My fave style is English BW, so I'm a fan of nearly dead flat beers. I'm sure there's bottle variation as it's hard to control conditioning on a large batch like that.

 

Greetings from the brewery. First off, thanks to all of you who purchased this specially made beer. We aged Quasimodo in 8 year old bourbon barrels that were freshly emptied. The barrels were still wet and heavy with bourbon saturated into the wood when they arrived. The months of aging Quasimodo pulled an intense amount of bourbon flavor and smell into the beer along with an increase in alcohol. This first year's version of Heavy Bells has a carb level consistent with the suggested carb level of big barley wine. And while the CO2 is lower than our other beers, it should not be flat. But it is going to be more of a sipper like a good port, which some prefer and, understandably, some do not. As for the head retention, the cold temps from the fridge and lower CO2 make it hard for this beer to produce much of a head, but if you pour it closer to room temp you'll discover there is a small head on the beer. Having said that, if FATC1TY's beer was actually flat, it was not our intention and we're sorry for that. The draft version available in limited supply at some bar's and in some growler stores has the higher CO2 that some prefer. The flavor is the same but the experience is a little different. And we're happy to make up for FATC1TY's disappointment with a complimentary visit to the brewery where Heavy Bell's is pouring on draft. Just give us a call at 404-600-3355 and let us know when you want to visit. And we'll pay attention to the overall response to this year's version when planning for 2015, which is already aging in bourbon barrels getting ready for next season's release. Thanks to all who support us with your hard earned money. We'll keep working to make distinct and flavorful beers. Hope to see you at the brewery. Cheers! BP

 

Understand completely. But please come visit the brewery. And if you can find a growler store, you'll get the big CO2 you're looking for along with the taste. Cheers!

 

First of all, I just want to say that I absolutely loved Heavy Bells. So much so that I'll be getting another bottle as soon as possible.

Following that, a few impressions. It poured a beautiful dark ruby that was clear in the glass. I decanted the beer into two glasses, a Teku and standard goblet, in a single pour. To confirm @FATC1TY's impressions, neither pour had any head. But this is not unusual with big ABV beers, especially quads. (After a decade of trying, I've never managed to get a lasting head with St. Bernardus Abt 12.)

As @FATC1TY suggests, carbonation was extremely muted. The beer was not flat at all (a la some of Lost Abbey's big beers), but it was restrained. Had it been any less, I might have been bothered, but there was just enough. Like @RDMII, I tend to appreciate lower carbonation in bigger beers, especially as they warm. (And I just want to say that I don't think @FATC1TY was bashing Three Taverns at all--his take was matter-of-fact, if not nuanced.) My Teku, with it's nucleation points, certainly helped in this regard.

Aroma and taste are where Heavy Bells excelled. Both led with oak profiles, but followed by stone fruits and incredible maltiness and breadiness. And here's where I diverge a bit from @bpurcell38. See, I didn't get an excessive amount of bourbon. I got oak instead. And this is a virtue--Heavy Bells is unmistakably Quasimodo, albeit somewhat oaked, and not "barrel juice." As far as I'm concerned here, Heavy Bells is one of the best American quads that continues to hold its own against the best straightforward barrel-aged versions of the style (e.g. Oak Aged La Trappe Quad and Straffe Hendrik Heritage.)

There could be some drawbacks depending on your perspective, including low carbonation and thinner mouthfeel, not to mention high, if well hidden, ABV. But these are far outweighed by the merits. I don't want to oversell Heavy Bells, but if you get this one, it's definitely worth a try.

 

Ale Yeah! Decatur had it on the growler wall going into the weekend and blew through it in a record time. People are absolutely loving it, for sure. I also think Quasimodo is the best American brewed quad in the market, and I'm a quad lover, I try to have them all from all over through trading and buying online, and Quas stands up above any of them. The barrel treatment really made it shine that much more. Low carbed or not, it's damn near perfect. Keep it up Brian.

For those looking, both Ale Yeah! stores have good stock on the Heavy Bells. *shameless plug*

 

I will add though, Eschaton has come light years ahead of the old TC batches. The newest ones from Avondale have a ton more pinot in them, which I love. It's much drier, less sweet, which it should have been all along. It's a great beer, but it's no Quasimodo.

 

That's fair. Barrel character is very much a matter of personal preference. Either way, I think we all agree that the final product was great. If we disagree, it's only about the minor details.

Re: Lost Abbey carbonation, I guess I should clarify that I'm referring more to the small bottlr releases like Angel's Share and the recent Track 8--those were practically flat to me.

 

Angel's Share and Deliverance are both incredible beers. Dead flat beers, but incredible. Lost Abbey seems to do that on purpose.

 

So, @RDMII, have you tried Quas or Heavy Bells in both bottle and keg? If so, do you have an opinion about which format is better? Having tried Quas both ways, I was left with the distinct opinion that it was better in bottle. I wondered if that just had to do with conditioning.

Which brings me to another question: Since Heavy Bells is bottle conditioned (and you really could see the yeast at the bottom), would more time in the bottle likely increase carbonation? Belgian Dubbels and Tripels are held for some time before distribution, in part, to allow for bottle fermentation. Could that be the case here--does Heavy Bells simply need more time in the bottle?