It is that time of year again, when the fourth installment in the Cellar Reserve
series from Grand Teton Brewing
is released. This year, the 2014 Coming Home beer
is a Belgian-style Quadruple, which many of you may be more familiar with by
its alternate name, a Belgian Dark Strong Ale.
What barleywines are to traditional English and American brewing, so a
Belgian-style Quadruple is to Belgian and Trappist brewing; both are strong
flavorful beers meant to be enjoyed when the weather is cold and the additional
alcohol and flavor are most desirable.
As you may know if you’ve read my previous posts on Grand Teton Cellar
Reserve releases, many have been excellent (if you have not, check out the tags at the bottom of this post).
While I have enjoyed all of the Grand Teton beers that I have had, the
brewery really shows off what it can do with the Cellar Reserve series. As with all previous Cellar Reserve beers,
the Coming Home 2014 should cellar well and take on added complexity as it
ages. Good luck finding a bottle however,
as the Coming Home releases have historically been pretty rare.
I usually enter into the review with scores from the two major review
sites, but it neither has reviews or a score at this point so, on with the
review. Previous Cellar Reserve posts
have had additional information from the brewery; if any comes in I will edit
this post.
They Say:
COMING HOME
2014 HOLIDAY ALE
Our intent for our annual Holiday Ale series is to release a special beer
each November to be enjoyed with special friends on special occasions. This
Belgian-Style Quadrupel ale is full-bodied and robust, boldly showcasing
flavors of sweet dried fruits delivered on a smooth, velvety palate. Specialty malts and roasted barley give this
beer a sweet malty aroma that complements its complex fruitiness. Brewed in the
Belgian tradition with dark and clear candi sugars and a Trappist ale yeast,
Coming Home 2014 is rich and flavorful.
The use of traditional Belgian candi sugars allows the alcohol content to
be boosted without imparting too many other flavors or a heavy mouthfeel. At
10% alcohol by volume, this beer is warming and complex. Serving the beer at a
slightly warmer temperature will help release even more complex aromas and
flavors. This Belgian-Style Quadrupel has a dense, pillowy head and a gorgeous
dark ruby color, thanks to the dark sugars and special malts.
The Belgian-Style Quadrupel is the biggest and darkest of traditional
Belgian-Style ales. Historically brewed by Belgian monasteries as the highest
strength beer, the Belgian-Style Quadrupel usually consists of the first
runnings from a mash. This style of beer typically sports an ABV of 9% or
higher. The high alcohol content, dark malts, and Belgian yeast make this beer
a great addition to your cellar and will develop for years to come. The aromas
are sweet and rummy, reminding us of delectable treats. Subtle hop flavor gives
enough bitterness to balance the brown sugar and caramel flavors, mingling with
figs, raisins, and dates. A robust beer on its own, this deceptively drinkable
ale complements gamey meats, fruitcake, and pumpkin pie.
Belgian-Style Quadrupel
Original Gravity: 24˚
ABV: 10.0%
IBU: 27
Lovibond: 28˚
Coming Home 2014 will be available November 1, 2014 in bottle-conditioned
750mL cases and keg-conditioned 1/6 bbl & 1/2 bbl kegs.
Limited quantities, pre-order only
I Say:
Coming Home 2014 pours a
translucent mahogany with cherry and ruby red highlights. It has a thick, creamy, khaki head with
slight rocky breakup on top. The head
holds moderate retention, and leaves a moderate amount of lacing behind in the
glass. Coming Home is a pretty good
looking beer. The aroma is interesting,
but a little odd. Slightly sour and
metallic notes are evident when the beer is cold out of the bottle. Fortunately, the sour and metallic notes fade
and the aroma takes on the notes of a good Belgian Quad as the beer warms. Slight roasted barley notes blend well with
tart black plums, red grapes, and caramelized sugars, and a note of rum cake. Sweet boozy notes round out the back end.
Smooth, sweet malts come to the
forefront in the flavor, with moderately strong notes of dark fruits. Figs, dates, tart black cherries, plums, and
red raisins blend with a slight breadiness, adding to the complexity of Coming
Home 2014. Sweet alcohols and black plums
round out the beer and lingers in the after taste. The moderate maltiness pairs well with Coming
Home’s low bitterness, leading to a semi-dry finish. With a medium-light body, and a moderately
high level of carbonation, Coming Home 2014 comes in right about where it
should for the style.
Coming Home 2014 is another
solid release in the 2014 Cellar Reserve series from Grand Teton Brewing. The slight metallic and sour notes in the
aroma threw me for a while, although they were short lived. Fortunately as Coming Home 2014 warmed, it
took on the dark fruit notes that should be prominent in a Belgian Quad. The warming, sweet alcohols were also welcome,
although they did betray the alcohol content in this beverage. I am usually a big fan of the Grand Teton
Cellar Reserve beers, but while I did enjoy this year’s Coming Home, it only
gained the complexity that I look for in Belgian Quad after it was in my glass
for an extended period of time. Perhaps
I served it a little too cold, and had I waited I would not have been greeted
by slight metallic notes.
As with all previous Coming Home
releases, this one is extremely limited and was available for pre-sale only. If I am able to find another bottle
somewhere, I will definitely pick it up as I am curious how this beer will age. If you are able to find a bottle near you, remember
to serve it around 50-54 degrees for the best experience and by all means serve
it in a clean goblet, snifter, or tulip glass for best effect.
That’s all for tonight, check
back soon for my next review!
Happy
Drinking!!