Blind-Quad Tasting: The Results

Part of my rationale for engagement in the Great Ontario Westvleteren Shit-Show of 12/12/12 was to procure some Westy for a blind tasting of Trappist and Abbey Quadrupels and Strong Dark Ales and, despite the delay in blogging about it, I am happy to say the event occurred and was a marvellous success!

Having had Westvleteren beforehand, I wanted to compare it without the inadvertent effect of name recognition determining my thoughts.  What resulted was an experience that taught me a great deal as well as offering lessons for others and for the future.  Those lessons will be elaborated shortly.

Who tasted what?

Five beer-geeks were able to participate and our nine-beer list included the following, comprised of 4 trappist offerings, 2 Belgian Abbey offerings, 2 Quebec offerings, and 1 American take on the style:

Westvleteren XII
Trappistes Rochefort 10
Koningshoeven/La Trappe Quadrupel
Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue)
St. Bernardus Abt 12
Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw
Unibroue 17 Grand Reserve
Ommegang Three Philosophers
Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus

The most lamented absent-beer (as there were a few absent friends) was Achel Extra Buin, but alas we went ahead without it, it being nearly as difficult to procure as the Westy, though if and when I do again procure Achel, I will taste it, the Rochefort, and a remaining Westy alongside it.

How?  The Methodology

We each had some of all nine beers on the table at once by the end, with cups filled originally to about 4 ounces set atop numbered card-stock place-mats I created for the occasion so that people could return back and forth to directly compare each side by side.  Though I had devised a double-blind method of allowing everyone to participate without knowing which beer was which, a present non-participant poured and served for us allowing us all to imbibe without worry!

Several limitations can be noted: first, that these aren't always identical styles (with some considering the Quad a variation of the strong dark style) and the difference with the Van de Keizer was obvious as will be noted below.  Moreover, the U17 was over a year and a half cellar-aged and the Westvleteren was 10 months old according to the bottling date from the cap, while the others were much fresher.  However, as I often hear Rochefort to be better fresh and Westy to be better aged, I was curious and I believed I preferred Rochefort to the fabled Westvleteren.

Additionally, many of these beers can allegedly vary greatly by bottle and, for these reasons and others, I wouldn't presume these results to be definitive, though they do show a clear pattern that I think we can take fairly seriously.

The Group Results

My first lesson is how much blindness messes with what you previously thought - or, in other words, how much supposition plays a role at other times!  Yes, additional factors come into play - the order presented/first tasted, palate exhaustion, and many other factors affecting taste and smell on the day in question, but there are some telling trends the astute observer will quickly discover!

Though some us rated by personal Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) assessment out of 50, others simply ranked, so we will go with ordinal ranking here - without consideration of precise distance between places.

And the results by average ranking (and # of people picking that beer in each position):

1st:   Rochefort 10 (Two 1sts, one 2nd, two 4ths: Avg 2.4)
2nd:   Westvleteren 12 (One 1st, One 2nd, Two 3rds, One 5th: Avg 2.8)
3rd:   Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw (One 1st, Two 3rd, Two 4th: Avg 3)
4th:   Chimay Grand Reserve (One 1st, One 2nd, One 4th, One 5th, One 6th: Avg 3.6)
5th:   Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus (Two 2nd, One 5th, One 6th, One 7th: Avg 4.4)
6th:   St. Bernardus Abt 12 (One 5th, Two 6th, One 7th, One 8th: Avg 6.4)
7th:   Three Philosophers (One 3rd, One 5th, One 7th, Two 9th: Avg 6.6)
8th:   Unibroue 17 Grand Reserve (Two 5th, Three 8th: Avg 6.8)
9th:   La Trappe Quadrupel (One 3rd, One 8th, Three 9th: Avg 7.6)

My Own Results

These are followed by the BJCP rating out of 50 each received from me:

1st:   Chimay Grand Reserve (46)
2nd:   Rochefort 10 (44.5)
3rd Tie:   Westvleteren 12 (42)
3rd Tie:   Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw (42)
5th:   Unibroue 17 (40.5)
6th:   St. Bernardus Abt 12 (39.5)
7th:   Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus (39)
8th:   La Trappe Quadrupel (37.5)
9th:   Ommegang Three Philosophers (37)

Drawing Conclusions

On the blind aspect:

Blindly, a few things stand out.  First, the ONE I certainly identified without doubt was the Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw (Grand Cru of the Emperor) whose telling super-sweetness was a giveaway.  In the future, I think I'd leave such anomalies out of any such blind-event.  I still enjoyed it, but it spoiled the blindness for me on that level and though I tied it with (the one I didn't know was) Westvleteren, I knew I was choosing between unlike things and chose to leave them tied in ranking rather than choosing a preference.

Second, with the exception of the uber-sweet Van de Keizer, these are all so similar that - in a different setting - their BJCP scores alone would probably be closer together, but I felt compelled to differentiate substantially in order to leave space for others coming in-between.  The gap between these probably isn't - in most  cases - as huge as it might seem, since they are all solid beers!  The closeness of these products makes it very difficult to precisely differentiate, thus I may have exaggerated differences.

On the quality:

The above caveats aside, I think there is a clear division in quality here - even if it is slight.  My top four - Chimay, Rochefort, Westvleteren, and Cuvee Van de Keizer - were also the common consensus top four and I think that reflects that these three Trappist beers (and the Cuvee anomaly) rank atop the others and are the standard the beer-world aspires to for a legitimate reason.

Beneath them, I personally feel we see two more groups: that with U17, DV Hibernus, and St. Bernardus as solid, but not on the same playing field as the top Trappists themselves; and my personal low-end of Ommegang and Koningshoeven's offerings (which were my lowest rated quads beforehand, the blindness here lending credence to my initial assessments of them!)

On my own preconceptions:

I guessed the identities of the La Trappe and Rochefort successfully (as well as the Cuvee Van de Keizer) and found a few things I previously thought confirmed and one key shocking result.

Confirmations:

• St. Bernardus really isn't all that alike a Westy (at least a 9-month old one) which I had thought before though I had never tasted them side-by-side (blind or otherwise) - and every participant confirmed this.  Those of us with a taste remaining even came to the same conclusion after the results were revealed!
• Rochefort really is a gem and at $4.60 a bottle in Quebec and with a pending affordable Ontario/LCBO release means it should be most people's go-to quad.
• Westy really is good beyond the name, and so is worthy of praise, but the hype factor does play a role (as I predicted here).
• La Trappe really is of a lower standard in this style than the other trappists and the group as a whole seemed to confirm this.
• Personally, my first uncertainty about Three Philosophers (which found it not to be that remarkable) was confirmed here.

Shocker:

• I liked Chimay the most!?  I know Chimay makes solid beers, and never doubted it, but had no idea it would top these others for me in a blind assessment and figured it would be middle of the pack for me!
• I guess (at least after a cellared year) I couldn't truly discern the Unibroue yeast as I'd expected.  It had either mellowed or my own preconceptions led me to believe I dislike the yeast strain (and that it isn't as pronounced in this product as presumed).

Primarily, however...

and with some reptition, I'd emphasize that despite some inconsistencies, some methodological issues, the lack of replicability (and unlikelihood of it), etc - it seems fairly reliable to say that:

1. the Trappists deserve their recognition for these products - especially Chimay, Westvleteren, and Rochefort
2. Westvleteren is great but benefits from scarcity-induced hype (*says the blogger as if this is an earth-shattering revelation*)
3. Rochfort 10 is a gem and its ready availability and low price at the SAQ (and soon to be at the LCBO) mean no one need feel bad about missing out on Westvleteren, if they did
4. St. Bernardus Abt 12 is not the same beer as Westy 12.
5. Blind tastings are fun and telling, if not definitive, and tougher when 9 samples are considered.

More soon... I promise!

Somehow the Cuvee Van de Keizer got left out of the cruddy phone-photo!

Mondial Beer Review #1: Trappists, Abbeys, and the Belgian Inspiration

As a slight disclaimer before kicking into my series of five beer review posts from Mondial, I should say that I will slightly lump together some similar, but different beer styles to review a few together and note the best of the bunch first in their respective categories.  Sometimes these categories will be a bit catch-all and slightly unfair but will help organize things.


I'll also note that, when accompanied by some assistants on Saturday (thanks to Hec and Hec!), I tasted a few beers more than once and was reminded of the differences from day to day in what appeals.  These, as always are according to my palate on a given day and are of course personal, but also hopefully helpful!  Unfortunately, I only tasted 55 new beers at the event and cannot compare all of them, but of those, here begins a barrage of posts!


On the Belgian beer trail, I'll be including not only true Belgian beers, but beer styles associated with Belgium.  I have categorized these as 1) Dubbels; 2) Tripels; 3) Quads; 4) Saisons; and 5) Belgian Pale Ales.  Next, I will do a post on Pale Ales/IPAs/Old/Vintage/Scotch Ales/Barley Wines/Browns and Reds.  The next post will cover Stouts, Porters, and variations therein.  The fourth post will review my tasted Wheat beers and Lagers, and finally I will post on various sours and oddities.


Dubbels:


Having staggered upon a few desired dubbels that were sold out, I did manage to have two long-awaited Trappist offerings narrowing my list of untasted Trappist beers to just the Westvleteren ones and Achel's quad, but Westmalle and Achel's dubbels were worth their high ticket price at the event.


Personal Best of the Fest: Trappist Achel 8 Brune (8% ABV) is simply stellar.  Plummy aromas greet the nose alongside faint hints of figs and dark bread and an even fainter note of floral hops esters.  This presented a thick, creamy, yet smooth head of fine carbonation with excellent lacing and retention.  It is, indeed, best described as brown, though since (both of my) samples came from the top of a new bottle, no yeasty cloudiness was discernible.  Flavorwise, it is sweeter even than anticipated, not so much in the sugary way of many Trappist and Abbay beers, but in a very strong malty fruitiness dominated by figs, plums, and prunes, with a trace of raisins.  Despite being sweeter than many, it was so fruity (as opposed to artificial) that it was delicious and refreshing both times.  There was no sense of its booziness as it offered a smooth creaminess alongside a medium body and nicely drying finish.  This probably equals Trappist Rochefort's as my favourite dubbel.  Grade: A+


Also: Westmalle Trappist Dubbel (7% ABV) is similar in aroma, with dark fruits up front but there is also some cherries, perhaps even smelling like a candied variant - sort of like a cross between maraschino cherries and what cherries would be like if candied like a candy apple.  I wasn't crazy about this artificial sweetness scent (or flavour) but did mostly enjoy it nonetheless.  This beer pours a darker brown than the Achel, but with a whiter, if equally creamy, head that also expressed excellent lacing and retention.  Though still sweet, it is more dissimilar in flavor to the Achel than in aroma insofar as raisins, molasses and pumpernickel bread flavourings were more predominant.  Likewise, this is also medium bodied and nicely creamy with a perhaps slightly drier finish, yet I found it to taste boozier despite a lower ABV.  Overall, a very good beer (in a style I enjoy) but one that was simply bested by Achel according to my tastes.  Grade: A-


Tripels:


As someone who generally prefers dubbels and quads to tripels, I was surprised by the tripels that rocked my world at this event.  Despite tasting the famous Westmalle Tripel for the first time, and liking it, I found myself adoring two other tripels in ways I never knew I could love this style (though the recently tasted Tripel Karmeliet and Dominus Vobiscum Tripels also entice!).


Personal Best of the Fest: A two way tie between...


Trappist Achel 8 Blonde (8% ABV) smells excellent with notes of honey, pears, and rind most evident alongside sweaty yeast hints.  Quite cloudy (with only fine particulate), this fine Trappist ale pours a nice golden colour with a very nice (and nicely retained) white head of medium bubbles.  Flavourwise, it begins with sweet notes of pear, apples, and faint citrusy whisps, yet follow with a drying floral semblance of hoppiness with traces of cloves and spicy yeast.  It is quite carbonated with a medium body that well masks its high ABV.  This beer is not boozy in the least!  I am a convert to the ways of the Tripel!  Grade: A+


and it is tied with...


Allagash Curieux (11% ABV) offers a variant on this highly respected beer style insofar as it is aged in Jim Beam Bourbon barrels.  Aromas of sweet apples, bread, and rind meet the nose alongside an appearance that offers golden, lightly cloudy beer though with only a faint head (with a bit of spottyness on the surface) though the head may have been absent due to a bad pour.  Curieux is delicious: a sort of sweet and simultaneously sour apple is predominant alongside vanilla hints from the Bourbon barrels that are clearly present and enticing, yet not overwhelming.  Somehow, the two flavours balance perfectly with a sufficiently drying finish presented by a medium body with a tingly-crisp feel of fair carbonation.  Simply blissful!  Grade: A+


Yes, the legendary, original tripel, Westmalle Trappist Tripel (9.5% ABV) comes in behind these others to my tastes (on that given day, anyway!)  Aromawise, I was met with spicy notes exemplary of Belgian yeasts, alongside sweet pears and alcohol.  Also golden, but not as cloudy as the Achel, this could be due to topping the bottle, while it was poured with a good and comparably retained/impressive white head.  Though there is a complexity of spice and fruits in the flavour, I was a bit disappointed by an excessive booziness and obvious warmth alongside an equally excessive sweatiness to the yeast that - while not bad - were to me less pleasant than its peers offered.  Much drier and perhaps better balanced, though with a lighter body and carbonation than their peers that perhaps prevented the masking of the booze.  Perhaps it was overhyped for me, but though enjoyable and quite drinkable, I was more blown away by the nuance of the others and wonder if this simply commands its great respect (primarily) on legacy.  Grade: B+/A-


Quads:


Personal Best of the Fest: Microbrasserie Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus (10% ABV) wins out by a slight fraction over Malheur's below in my estimation.  It offers scents primarily of raisins and yeasty spices alongside faint remnants of caramel-like maltiness.  A bit lighter in colour than anticipated, it was still beautifully dark red with a near glow while the head was a perfect tan with remarkable retention, lacing, and yeasty surface-spotting. In the mouth, plum and berry notes are present, but so too are the raisins and spicyness evident on the nose.  A bit of dark bread makes its way in before the quite drying finish that comes off as very port-like.  It was a bit lighter bodied than anticipated, yet crisp in a moderate carbonation.  Very, very nice, even if a bit drier and lighter than desired.  Grade: A


Malheur 12 (12% ABV) finished just-a-shade below the Hibernus in my 50-point rating assessment (based on the BJCP).  The nose is dominated by sweet plums, caramel, and bready yeast.  It is dark brown with a fantastic creamy, tan head with superb retention and smooth lacing.  It is quite sweet in flavour as well with faint hints of chocolate alongside the ever-present dark fruits, but this sweetness is pleasant to me as it hides the ABV that could otherwise take over.  It brings a fairly full body with a medium carbonation, but perhaps not quite enough of a drying finish (if somewhat present) to balance for the sweetness, but it presents those notes so well, that this 'flaw' is, at most, negligible!  Grade: A


Ommegang Three Philosophers (9.8% ABV) is dominated on the nose by sour cherries that are quite enticing, as is brown colour and ample beige head of noteworthy retention, though with negligible lacing.  Flavourwise, I found it complex, yet overly sweaty and the cherry flavours became sweet but in an artificial sort of way.  Still nice, but not enlightening enough for me!  Though creamier and smoother than the other quads, I found it insufficiently drying and overly boozy despite a lower ABV.  Was it good?  Hell yes!  Was it worth the hype?  Not for me.  Grade: B+


Saisons:


I have sometimes loved a saison, and other times loathed them.  I do not consider myself well versed in the style though and one of these two was a taste of a peer's sample at the end of the night and I was unable to add too much nor smell too much, so I will say little, but I will note the following:


Personal Best of the Fest: Microbrasserie Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Saison Sainte Réserve (6% ABV) is fruity with pear and banana notes, alongside a slight spiciness and earthiness that can almost be called musty, but in a raw and appealing manner.  It is golden and slightly cloudy with slight head, yet fair spotting and retention though only slight lace.  The flavour is mild and mellow, yet faintly sweaty and earthy.  It is light-bodied and crisp on the tongue with a moderate carbonation evident.  It is nice, but a touch too dry bordering on astringency, yet I gather that this is style exemplary!  Grade: B+ (but on a scale I am just learning for this style that is yet to inspire a personal 'saison-spree')  (A shot follows with reviews continuing afterwards)

Again, I tasted a helper's beer called "Ichthus" according to the sign at the Le St. Bock booth - as it was on draft, I presume it was from Le Saint Bock.  It was called a "Saison Sushi" and was stated as 6.1% ABV, but the brewer was not listed, the beer is not in the program, and I cannot find it via internet search.  If anyone can help offer more information (or verify the brewer) or a link in the comments below it would be most appreciated.  All I can say for sure now is that it smelled and tasted a bit too murky, earthy, and/or funky for me at the end of the day and I would tentatively give it a Grade: B- 


Belgian Pale Ales:


I could call Ommegang's Rare VOS the best Belgian Pale I tasted, but I could also call it the worst as it was the only one I had at the event!  That said, it was good, if well overhyped for me personally!  It has citrusy and bready aromas, but they are dominated by the yeasty sweatiness.  It is lightly cloudy and spotty on the surface, while light amber in colour with a fine white head that boasts excellent lace and retention.  A hoppy pine quality not present on the nose comes through on the tongue, as does some yeasty spice.  It is bold and very, very dry nearly to the point of astringency, yet in an odd way: it is the combination of sweaty yeast and piney hops that dries as if merging the Belgian and American Pale Ale styles, but is closer to what could be called a Belgian/India Pale Ale possibly.  It has a medium body and a low carbonation that, if higher, could suit the dryness a bit better.  Grade: B-


That's it for now!  More to come soon as I'll continue with Stouts, Porters, Etc as soon as possible!

On the Belgian Quad Front: St. Bernardus Abt 12 and Rochefort 10

For those who are unaware, Westvleteren 12 as brewed by the Trappist Monks at the Abbay of St. Sixtus, is often considered/ranked as the 'best beer in the world.'  Yet, this quadrupel (like the dubbel, Westvleteren 8, and their Blonde) are extremely rare and typically only sold either at the Abbay itself, or on the grey market.

However, after World War II, St. Sixtus contracted the commercial brewing of 'Westy 12' (and the 8 and blonde) to St. Bernardus in nearby Watou.  Though the official commercial brewing agreement has ended, St. Bernardus has continued brewing beer with what is presumed to be the identical recipe of Westvleteren 12 and which uses the original Westvleteren yeast (though Westvleteren has allegedly now moved to Westmalle's yeast) under the name St. Bernardus Abt 12.  Apparently, these beers are remarkably similar and, though I have yet to get my hands on a Westy, the SAQ has provided me with the opportunity to taste both the St. Bernardus Abt 12 and, another highly praised Trappist Quadrupel, Rochefort 10.

The St Bernardus Abt 12 (10.5% ABV) pours a thick white frothy head, but one that recedes fairly quickly.  However, a slight semblance of head remains atop throughout the beer's consumption and a quickly-receding but smooth-looking lace trails the glass edges.  The beer itself is cloudy brown, perhaps appearing darker than it is due to the free-floating yeasts inside the bottle and glass.

The aroma is dominated by malt (alongside the yeast) and resulting scents of fig and fruit, especially raisins and grapes.  Slight brown-sugar and caramel traces follow, though these are much less predominant than the fruitiness that stands out.  Yet, the aroma is complex and, especially with the aging capacities of such a beer, I presume different with each tasting (sniffing?).

Dark fruitiness and yeasty spiciness dominate the fore-flavours, though it closes with a faint semblance of bitter dark chocolate that isn't excessively drying due to the remaining thick malty fruitiness.  Much like the aromas, the complexity of the flavour and its 'age-ability' indicate the opportunity for different realizations with every sip and serving.

On the tongue, it is medium-bodied with only slight carbonation.  It is slightly creamy and warming.  Though the alcohol can be felt and tasted perhaps more than in a Rochefort 10 or La Trappe Quadrupel, it is still very drinkable and certainly doesn't overwhelm you with its alcohol the way a lesser strong beer might.

A very, very good and complex beer.  Grade: A


Why not an A+?  Because the Trappistes Rochefort 10 gets that!  On different days, at different times, I found the Rochefort 10 to be the better beer, though I intend to both age some (of each) and try a blind tasting at some point to confirm my initial suspicion.

The Rochefort 10 (11.3% ABV) pours a darker head than the Bernardus which displays a beige colour alongside better retention (though with negligible lacing).  Colour-wise, this beer is remarkable: a gorgeous deep red that seems partially browned by the floating yeasts, but the two colours seem to both remain present and complement each other rather than blending in a way I have never before seen.

The yeasty and malty aromas of quadrupels generally are present, with fruits, figs, and plums being primary, though the secondary notes of chocolate and coffee are more discernible than in the Bernardus and this is one slightly more desirable quality for me (in differentiating two fantastic beers!)

The taste again benefits from the secondary strengths, in my opinion.  While still fruity, this is accompanied by bready malt and a sweet chocolate finish alongside a sufficiently drying hoppy floral flavour.  The sweetness is probably greater, but so too is the balance.  The complexity here again means that I might reevaluate this ranking given a different day.

This beer is thicker, creamier, chewier, and more full-bodied than the Bernardus, yet even though it is stronger, it better disguises its warmth and alcohol (again, not that the Bernardus is bad at this, just less great!).  Grade: A+  That said, this grade is for the style.  A fantastic beer, but I slightly prefer the Rochefort 8 since, as said before, there is something about the dubbel style that I generally, slightly, prefer to the quad.

I promise to give another assessment of these complex, living beers as they age.  I will probably try them again both blind and over the next year or two and will link back here to further the discussion.

Which quads have you had?  Which do you prefer and why?  Let me know!