Deep Ellum Brewing Company Four Swords
What the brewers say
“You’ll notice a big surge of fruity esters on the nose: bubblegum, spices, and stone fruits. The aromatics lead to a full-bodied malt profile, laced with caramel and dark fruit flavors.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Rich, robust malt sweetness with notes of toffee and caramel, followed by a moderately strong fruity ester profile (raisin, cherry, plum, and fig). Very low alcohol note. Some phenolics, mostly pepper.”
Flavor: “Sweet malt flavors up front with hints of caramel, toffee, and Belgian candi sugar, well supported by a fruity ester note of raisin, date, plum, low banana, and slight licorice. That’s all balanced by a decent hops bitterness and a bit of heat and alcohol sweetness that seem to highlight pepper phenolics. Medium carbonation and a big body.”
Overall: “A nice alcohol presence without overpowering, a very deeply layered, yet balanced malt backbone, and rich fruity notes make for a delicious and dangerously drinkable quad.”