What is it about the “quadruple” style that’s so goddamn appealing? Is it the ridiculous alcohol level – nearly 12% in the case of URTHEL SAMARANTH? It is the sweetness combined with heavy malts that makes it work so well when done right? I can’t say that I have much experience with this style, but after trying & embracing this winner, AVERY’s THE REVEREND, and the TRAPPISTES ROCHEFORT 10, I’m going to step up my Quadrupel game in a big way. URTHEL SAMARANTH QUADRIUM is from Belgian brewers BREWERY DE LEYERTH, part of a new clan of Belgians who are experimenting with American styles & combining them with their own expertise to create exceptionally unique beers. I reviewed their HOP-IT a month or two ago right here. Anyway, this one doesn’t have a shred of Yankee in it, just a beautiful, deep golden/orange beer with an incredible deep body, one that contains layers upon layers of fruit & yeasty flavors. I tasted something along the lines of apricot; one website I saw noted marzipan & nuts. Such is the prerogative of the novice beer snob! A mark of a special beer is one that can go into double digits in alcohol (11.5%, for instance) and not make you notice or even stop to think about it, and SAMARANTH is one of those special beers. (that’s one of my huge pet peeves, that hot & flushed alcohol taste, and one reason why I’m kinda down on my local SPEAKEASY beers). I’m going with 8.5/10. Looks like URTHEL’s got five beers in total, three of which are being imported to the US, so that’s two down, one to go, and two to save for my trip to Belgium.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
A HUGE QUADRUPEL FROM URTHEL
What is it about the “quadruple” style that’s so goddamn appealing? Is it the ridiculous alcohol level – nearly 12% in the case of URTHEL SAMARANTH? It is the sweetness combined with heavy malts that makes it work so well when done right? I can’t say that I have much experience with this style, but after trying & embracing this winner, AVERY’s THE REVEREND, and the TRAPPISTES ROCHEFORT 10, I’m going to step up my Quadrupel game in a big way. URTHEL SAMARANTH QUADRIUM is from Belgian brewers BREWERY DE LEYERTH, part of a new clan of Belgians who are experimenting with American styles & combining them with their own expertise to create exceptionally unique beers. I reviewed their HOP-IT a month or two ago right here. Anyway, this one doesn’t have a shred of Yankee in it, just a beautiful, deep golden/orange beer with an incredible deep body, one that contains layers upon layers of fruit & yeasty flavors. I tasted something along the lines of apricot; one website I saw noted marzipan & nuts. Such is the prerogative of the novice beer snob! A mark of a special beer is one that can go into double digits in alcohol (11.5%, for instance) and not make you notice or even stop to think about it, and SAMARANTH is one of those special beers. (that’s one of my huge pet peeves, that hot & flushed alcohol taste, and one reason why I’m kinda down on my local SPEAKEASY beers). I’m going with 8.5/10. Looks like URTHEL’s got five beers in total, three of which are being imported to the US, so that’s two down, one to go, and two to save for my trip to Belgium.
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3 comments:
I absolutely love this beer! Urthel beers are consistently good & interesting but this one is my favorite by a mile. Where did you get it - City Beer? A store in Sacramento had it for a minute & when I went back to buy them out, it was already gone - seemingly never to return.
scott
Scott, I did indeed get it at City Beer. Unless I'm hallucinating, I think I also saw it at Whole Foods in SF as well. Fantastic beer.
Also available at Healthy Spirits, though I expect Craig at CBS might have a larger supply.
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