The Stoic Belgian-Styled Quad

Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3: Pretty orange-gold. White, thin head, rings the glass. Hazy.

AROMA: 3.25/4: Spicy, tropical, citrus. Passion fruit, orange blossom, sweet raisin, richly aromatic. Alcohol.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Big, sour, tropical. White raisin, pineapple, orange, passion fruit, chamomile notes.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Whiskey aftertaste, bitter back of the throat. Whiskey sour is there, but the rest is lost.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Chewy, big-bodied. Alcohol tingle.

OVERALL: 2/3: The big body overwhelms the whiskey, relegates it to an aftertaste. If we knew what pomegranate tasted like, we'd have to say it's in there. Good, but BIG.

TOTAL: 14.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Complex, like any good Belgian. I feel like there are almost too many factors at play to evaluate it fairly, but I do like the sour. Worth a shot.
Ben: Maybe they tried to do too much with this. Would be better left with the Belgian yeast profile alone; the whiskey gets lost in the tropical flavors. Big and boozy, almost too much.

Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild Ale

Lagunitas Brewing Company
Petaluma, California

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Clear, deep gold color.  Hazy.  White, foamy head.  Pretty

AROMA: 3/4
All malt aroma.  Brown sugar.  Some slight citrus/grapefruit hop aroma.

TASTE: 8/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Very malty.  Sugary - cane sugar sweetness.  Bitter hop finish.  Citrusy-orange peel flavors.  Belgian yeast notes.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Citrus - grapefruit and orange peel and sugary flavors move to a nicely bitter finish.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Full-mouth feel.  Nice sweet offset by bitter on the tongue.

OVERALL: 2.5/3
A good offering by a good brewery.  A tad malty - we were hoping for a bit more hoppiness.  Overall we'd buy it again.

TOTAL: 16.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: It is delightful.  Light and sweet.  Maybe a bit too sweet but a nice.  NOT a session beer by any means though so watch out!
Ben: Sugar sweet.  An interesting offering.  I like it but agree with Matt that it may border on the cloying side.  Worth a try for sure.

Alesmith Horny Devil Ale

Alesmith Brewing Company
San Diego, California

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Highly carbonated. Thick, foamy head, tons of bubbles. Hazy gold, cloudy for a Belgian Golden.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Highly aromatic. Alcohol, cane sugar, sour. Apricot notes. Clean.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Minimal hop flavor. Sour candy, orange sour. Champagne-like. Coriander is lost in the Belgian yeast.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Bitter finish, dry. Sour notes and alcohol linger.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Boozy alcohol warming. Tingles on the tongue, bubbles move upward into your brain.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: A Belgian Quad times two—a Belgian Octuple? On par with Duvel—at 11%, it's a very big beer. Belgian yeast is front and center.

TOTAL: 15.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A good, very big Belgian Golden Ale—well-balanced for as big as it is, tasty but definitely boozy.
Ben: Sinus-clearing! A typical Belgian gold, Belgian yeast is nice and floral. If you like high ABV beers, here's one!

Avery Karma Belgium-Style Pale Ale

Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Golden-brown. Clear. White, foamy head that fades to ring the glass.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Pineapple, coriander, fruit-salad. Nutty, as well.

TASTE: 6.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: Sour, very nutty. Citrus-sour orange. Minimal hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Sour aftertaste, woody. Subtly woody.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Medium-bodied, weakly carbonated.

OVERALL: 2/3: It's not bad; we expected more complexity from a Belgian yeast. Not knocked out, wouldn't buy it again, but okay.

TOTAL: 13.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Not terribly complex or interesting–in many ways, like a sour amber. Just okay (and for an Avery beer, that's disappointing).
Ben: Needs more hop flavor. I expected more spiciness based on the description–Avery has made far better beers.

Great Divide Hades Belgian-Style Ale

Great Divide Brewing Company
Denver, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Yellow-gold, white head. Thin but rings the glass.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Citrus, lemon-orange, peppery notes. Earthy. Lemongrass, coriander, clove.

TASTE: 6.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Peppery. Bubblegum, clove, cinnamon, pineapple, banana. Subtle citrus, hop flavor. Spicy.
Aftertaste: 1.75/3: Hop bitterness, malt dominant. Finishes a bit harsh, metallic.
Mouth-Feel: 1.75/3: Fizzy, coats the tongue. Some alcohol.

OVERALL: 2/3: Definitely a Belgian. Unique, lots of complex flavors. Slightly astringent, not bad for what it is.

TOTAL: 14/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Very Belgian, and affordable enough, so if you're looking for a Belgian-style session beer, voilá! This is it.
Ben: Different from Duvel. Lots of unique flavors, interesting yeast character. Good to try (though one's enough for me).