Quintaceratops

I have no doubt that there were good intentions and sound reasoning behind this beer, and it may find an audience, but I doubt it will work for most people. An overabundance of liquor-like aromas and flavors - and the unavoidable ash-like phenolics - were just a bridge too far for me.

This beer is beautiful - there's no doubt about that. It pours a gorgeous mahogany with a thick tan head and is quite clear. The aromatics, though, give the first warning sign: This beer smells like straight-up rum. The alcohol impression is immediate and unavoidable, and other aromas are exposed only when the beer warms up. At that point, you get a hint of dark fruit and molasses, but they're still secondary (and maybe tertiary) after a double-hit of boozy alcohol.

The flavor is equally intense and adds substantial woody notes and a too-strong phenolic smokiness that was reminiscent of an ashtray. It's hard to detect the base beer under all of that, which is really saying something when the base is a Quadrupel. On top of all this, the body is viscous and syrupy with a harsh and tannic tightness that makes it tough to swallow.

As I noted at the top, this may well have an audience, but it hits some very questionable notes - and hits them hard enough to do damage.