Belated Notes

A few belated tasting notes from the weekend.  I had wanted to get them out over the weekend, but got "distracted".  Hey...good beer will do that!

On Saturday I tried a new Belgian style beer from Allagash called Four.  The beer is made from 4 malts and fermented 4 times using 4 different yeast strains.  Not exactly shocking with a name like Four, but I thought it had the chance to be a very interesting beer.  Here's a note from Allagash's website that details the production process:

"During the mashing process, we add Date Sugar to the mash tun. Later, during the boil, we add Light Candi, Dark Candi, and Light Golden Molasses. After primary fermentation with the first strain of yeast, we add more Candi Sugar, and referment the beer with a secondary strain of yeast... that process is then repeated with a third strain of yeast, and finally a fourth for bottle conditioning in the cellar."

My notes from the tasting:

• ABV: 10.0%; Original Gravity: 1090
• Appearance: Light brown with a hint of red, cloudy, nice head formed but did not last
• Aroma: Fruits and candy, toffee, some spice
• Taste: Slightly tart upfront but that gives way to some great fruit flavors and sweetness, Raisin and cherry flavors mix with a sweetness similar to a dark sugar, Alcohol is noticeable but not over the top, Finishes dry with some lingering spice flavors

Overall I think this is an enjoyable beer.  The dark sugar and fruit flavors combine nicely with the spices in a way that is not too over the top.  Despite the strong date and cherry flavors I still came away thinking "subtle" yet also "complex".  Many Belgian Quads can be too sweet and cloying to really enjoy.  At least for my tastes.  As with any beer, it all depends on what you personally like!  This bottle was about $10 so I will let you decide whether its worth trying.  If you do not like it, I will be happy to help you finish it!