Glassware: Trappist tulip.

Appearance: Bright and clear crimson hue with a thumb of tanned foam on top. The head retains well and weaves a magnificent lace trail down the glass.

Aroma: Sweet and candy-like. Thick, syrupy, but not cloying. Nicely balanced by the savoury biscuits, spice, earthy and herbal hops. Lots of deep-seated dark fruits, toffee, caramel and treacle which adds another layer of depth and complexity. We’re also picking up subtle hints of honeycomb, apple pie and molasses which are very alluring. We must say we’re pleasantly surprised.

Flavour: Again, very well balanced between the ultra sweet and savoury characters. Lots of candy/confectionery, caramelised malts, toffee, earthy hops and yeast esters. The latter opens up more as it settles, bringing those classic banana, orchard fruits, spice and bubblegum. Dark fruits-a-plenty, a mild toasty note and herbal tea which puts a unique punctuation on it.

Mouthfeel: Chewy, velvety and fairly well weighted. Low-ish Co2, medium-full body and a very well behaved 10.2% ABV.

Overall: We’ve been pretty disappointed by PL’s limited release range of late but this one thankfully bucks the trend. Who would’ve thought a Belgian Quad would be the one they got right! Solid offering.