“As time passed, the abbeys aged. While the great building fell, the barrels in their cavernous cellars remained. In late 2021 we brewed The Untangling of Chaos Belgian Quad for the Carwyn Cellars Canvent. We loved this liquid so much we decided to age some in bourbon barrels for a special occasion. After a year of aging, we blended in The Fourth Horseman Imperial Stout and left it for another six months. Enjoy this Bourbon Barrel Aged Blend of Belgian Quan and Imperial Stout bursting with candied orange, dark fruit, toffee and of course bourbon!”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Somewhat Porter-esque with its near fully black body apart from the little bit of light breaking through at the foot of the glass. Hardly any head formation and minimal lace in its wake.

Aroma: Smells rich, complex and distinguished. This beer has undergone quite the journey too… beginning its life as a Quad which was barrel aged and then blended with an Imperial Stout – Fourth Horseman to be exact – resulting in this opulent fusion of Bourbon oak, molasses, burnt candi sugars, dark fruit chocolate, red wine, coffee, cracked pepper and dates/prunes. Ooft!

Flavour: Striking a very fine balance between the rich sweetness of the Quad and the roasty/charred elements of the Stout. The Bourbon barrels play this crucial bonding role as well. The Quad aspect really brings out the unique side of the beer with chewy dark fruits, dessert wine and or Port, spice, candi sugars and treacle which work back into the roasty stout qualities really well.

Mouthfeel: Thick, oily, chewy. Quite warming, medium-full body and the 12.3% ABV was noticeable but gatekept well enough.

Overall: Once again Deeds add to their supremely impressive range of barrel aged beers. Love the creativity here. Well executed too.