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Salted Caramel Quadrupel – ABV 13%

Salted… Caramel… Quadrupel. The mere utterance of those three words in the same breath is enough to get us salivating in anticipation.

Look: The beer pours a slightly orange brown with a big frothy head.

Aroma: Unsurprisingly, this delivers lots of salted caramel on the nose.

Taste: Salty sweet caramel and toffee, with dried fruit the yeast and warmth the alcohol. Unique.

Food Pairing: This beer is practically a pudding in its own right. Try pairing it with the saltiness of an aged gouda like Raypenaer.

Anniversary #2 Quadrupel with Walnut – ABV 11.3%

What a treat; almost nougat-like sweetness with nice levels of carbonation and nutty undertones – a delicious beer to sip and savour.

Look: The #2 Anniversary of Kees’ quad pours a deep walnut brown in the glass.

Aroma: Sweet, nutty and boozy with a nougat-like quality. The taste is classic Quadrupel with high carbonation, lots of dried fruit and esters the yeast along with the occasional flash of waxy nuttiness the walnuts.

Taste: It doesn’t scream walnuts, but it doesn’t need to. The flavours are in perfect balance which makes it a really delicious beer to sip and savour.

Food Pairing: The fruit and nut flavours of this beer pair really well with cheese. Try it with some shavings of Old Amsterdam for a match made in heaven.

Mooi & Meedogenloos Imperial Stout-Quadrupel – ABV 10.2%

The complexity of the malts in this beer signifies a Quad; but the colour says ‘Stout’ – all the same, fruit, toffee and floral aromas are strong and welcome.

Look: It certainly starts out looking like an Imperial Stout, dark black with a nice brown head and good lacing.

Taste: There isn’t much in the way of aroma with this beer, but first impressions on tasting are of a rich dessert Stout but then you notice the higher level of carbonation and the complexity of the malts which introduce some Quad-like qualities.

Verdict: Is Mooi & Meedogenloos (Beautiful & Ruthless) a Stout-ish or is it really a Quadrupel-ish? Depending on the batch the label might say one thing or the other, but the beer is always somewhere between the two. Instead of deciding, we’re just going to sit back, enjoy the beer and contemplate the question.

Tip: You’ve got almost 5 years on the best before date with this beer, but we can’t help thinking that if you wanted to keep it for longer it would age beautifully.

Rio Reserva 2012 St Emilion & Bourbon Barrel Aged Quadrupel – ABV 10.5%

This imperious BA quad was aged in St. Emilion barrels Tour Baladoz winery near Bordeaux, and then Kentucky bourbon barrels for layers of intense flavour.

Look: Dark amber-red with a small beige head and medium carbonation.

Aroma: Rich roasted malts, caramel, toffee and vanilla, all riding a wave of boozy fruit sweetness.

Taste: Sweet caramel and robust maltiness, some light yeast and vanilla notes floating through. Forest and red fruits the wine before drying to bitter, fresh finish.

Verdict: The best of American whisky and the best of French wine makes this Belgian quadrupel an international masterpiece.

Dual Runnings Quadrupel – ABV 12%

Collaboration with Kernel, brewed and bottled in 2015. This is a brilliantly balanced Quad with flavours of caramel and toffee.

Look: Pours light brown with a nice white head.

Aroma: Peaches, caramel and a hint of coffee.

Taste: Big flavours and toffee and dried fruit with a big boozy kick the 12% ABV.

Verdict: Two years is a long time to wait for a beer, but we think you’ll agree the results are worth it.

Unfourseen Consequences Quadrupel – ABV 9.7%

One-off Quadrupel made in collaboration with Weird Beard that has been ‘dry-nibbed’ with cacao.

Look: Deepest brown, with a white head that quickly reduces to nil.

Aroma: Salted caramel, raisins and milk chocolate.   

Taste: Creamy, toffee-rich decadence with a unashamedly boozy finish.

Verdict: Booze-soaked Tiramasu loaded with dried fruit and caramel. Get one while you can.