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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Deschutes The Stoic Belgian-styled Quad Ale



Deschutes Brewing certainly caught my eye with their cryptic label for their newest offering, Deschutes The Stoic Belgian-styled Quad Ale.  The Stoic poured a hazy, deep amber with a small white head.  The nose was sour and funky (is there Brett in there?), with sour apple, banana, honey, rye and coriander standing out. 

Deschutes The Stoic Quad opened bright, with orchard fruit and over-ripe berries settling into a spicy, funky middle of oak, clove, coriander, and alcohol heat.  Wine grapes and rye came through as the ale thickened in the middle, with a pronounced sweetness rising, but never overtaking, the alcohol heat.  As the ale faded, the sweetness persisted, bringing the spice notes to the forefront.

Deschutes The Stoic Belgian-style Quad Ale is an interesting, certainly uncharacteristic, offering from Deschutes.  It is clearly of the “more is more” school, and is a heck of a litmus test for how many flavors the palette can detect.  It has so much going on (even more as it warms and the flavors shift in and out of focus), it is almost fatiguing by the end of a 22oz. bomber, but makes for a heck of a sipping ale.  

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