Another gem from the fine folks at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY. This one is an example of a Quadruple ale. Ales of this type do tend to be just that, four times as strong as those brews labeled as a double or triple. What makes these stand out is the higher alcohol presence in the taste, the heavy sweetness and malt presence.
Brewery Ommegang is located in Cooperstown, New York. They are very somewhat unique among American craft brewers. Taking the Belgian attitude of taking risks with traditional styles and producing bold flavors and high alcohol, this American craft brewery feels as if it’s in the heart of Brussels itself. Beginning only a meager 12 years ago, they have not only cemented their reputation in the states as the premier brewery of Belgian style ales, the got the attention of Belgian brewery Duvel Moortgat who bought the brewery in 2003 increasing Ommegang sales into Canada and Belgium. Since then though, Ommegang has continued to operate as they did before producing fine, bold Belgian style brews.
In absence of a tulip glass, preferred for this style, I poured this one into a standard pint glass. Still, it poured well, displaying a very deep, cloudy copper color that almost takes you back to that last great sunset you saw. It produced a plethora of bubbles that continued to rise to the top, just at the point when you thought they would end. This produced a great one finger head that stuck around for a good ten minutes before settling a little. What you end up with is a lacing on the glass, that stuck well.
The aroma is about what I would expect from this one. A sweet, very fruity scent, likely from the cherries that Ommegang says it puts in. hops are also prevalent, giving the aroma alone the bite I expect to see upon tasting. Take another whiff and you get a very nice malt presence balanced out by a subtle alcohol aroma.
Wow, this one was what I expected it to be. A sweet fruity taste, almost sticky if that is possible. Just wonderful with a spice I can not place. The fruit I smelled earlier is there and is definitely cherry. Upon reviewing Ommegang’s site, it turns out they put about 5% of a Kriek mixed with this traditional Belgian Quadrupel ale. Kriek is a traditional cherry Lambic of Belgian origin. The longer it lingers in your mouth, the more the malt presence and alcohol come out. The alcohol is subtle and is more present on the back end, at least if you sip this one slowly as you should.
Mouthfeel is good. Crisp, but also creamy. Very much like this style should be.
Overall a great beer. Treat it with the respect it deserves and it will reward you. Definitely placed g side Belgium’s best Quadrupels. Weighing in at around 9.8% ABV, you’ll want to take your time with this one, but it will be worth it. I decided to pair this one with a vanilla ice cream I had last nite and a great homemade brownie.
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