Aroma: “Rich, dark crystal-malt sweetness, with hints of toffee and caramel. Rich and somewhat subtle dark-fruit character (plum, cherry, prune, raisin). More malt than fruit. Slight spicy hops note up front.”

Flavor: “Malt dominates, mostly caramel and toffee from darker crystal malts. Well-blended, dark stone fruit (plum, cherry, prune, raisin). Medium carbonation and a mild alcohol warmth. Some spicy hops character. Good blend, finishes a touch sweet, but easy drinking.”

Overall: “More dark malt character than most other examples of the style, but the variation is creative and works. Nice, but subtle, flavor of dark-fruit esters with dried-fruit notes (apricot) and slight banana. It is a very sweet quad, and some may find the sweetness cloying. It’s a very nice example of a quad with an intriguing complexity to the malt character.”