Is there any beer more divine than a Belgian style abbey quad? I don’t know of any. Inspired by Trappist versions of the style, those being made in a monastery, quads with their rich exotic flavors and heady alcohol content may well be as close to heaven as one can get. In a glass, anyway. So, with that said, why does the Straight to Ale brewery of Huntsville, Alabama have Old Nick on the label of their Straight to Ale Fifth Anniversary Quad? Think about the name for a minute, and see if you can figure it out. I’ll wait for you while you do and have another sip of this delightful brew.

Get it yet? No, it’s not because the beer is sinfully (though it is to be sure). The name “Straight to Ale” is a play on “Straight to Hell”, hence the infernal references on the labels of lots of their beers. There, now that you have it, don’t miss this extra special beer. It bottled and sold on tap for a short time in the summer of 2015, perhaps not the optimal time for a quad, but hey, save a bottle for winter if you like.

I first tried this beer back in June (it was released in May) on tap at Taco Mac as a sample. That’s the nice thing about Taco Mac, you can get a free sample of any beer you like. Try before you buy if you will. It was so good that I ordered up a full glass in July on a subsequent visit. The brewery only says this about the beer on the label, and nothing on their website:

In celebration of the fifth anniversary of the first beer ever sold by Straight to Ale, we are releasing this Belgian style quadrupel. Dark and full bodied, deceptively sweet with dark fruits and a candy-like nose.

Straight to Ale Fifth Anniversary Quad has a hefty alcohol content of 11.4% by volume, so drink gently. I paid $7 for an 11-ounce glass at Taco Mac.

My glass of Straight to Ale 5th Anniversary Quad arrived a very dark brown color with a minimal head formation and loads of rich raisin and chocolate in the nose. Taking a sip, I was bowled over by the sinfully sweet full mouthfeel here as it just rolled over the tongue with waves of brown sugar, molasses, raisin, chocolate, cotton candy and a light smack of funk. The beer finishes sweet but the alcohol warms and dries that a bit. If only a bit.

I found this to be a delightful quad, rich and dark and fruity and complex. I have yet to see it in the bottle, but if I do, you can be sure I’ll pick some up to lie down. It’s certainly a prime candidate for aging, and it would be interesting to see how it develops over the years.

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