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Préaris Quadrocinno

Prearis QuadrocinnoPréaris, Vliegende Paard Brouwers, burst onto the Belgian beer scene in 2011 when they won a prestigious home brewing competition with their Préaris Quadrupel.  This competition featured brewmaster judges from Orval and Dubuisson who named the Préaris Quad as best home-brewed beer in Belgium.  Paul Arnott, Dubuisson’s masterbrewer, had this to say about the Prearis Quad: “What a maturity for a craft beer: all hearty, rich and balanced, very mature. A beer to enjoy!” This victory inspired Andy Dewilde to begin producing his beer commercially.  Like other homebrewers turned professional brewer, Andy had to get his beer made in a larger brewery than his home setup.  For the meantime, Préaris beers will be produced by the famous Proefbrewery.

Andy’s fortunes in the beer world continued to rise when he met Christine Celis, daughter of the renowned Pierre Celis, who encouraged him to export to the United States.  She introduced him and his beer to an importer she worked for as a beer liaison: Authentic Beverage Management, a subset of Artisanal Imports.  A year after turning pro, Préaris beers were available in the US.  Currently, Préaris’s lineup includes their original Quad, a 6% Blonde ale, a specially hopped Wit, a Belgian IPA, a coffee version of the Quad, and a barrel-aged version of their Quad known as Grand Cru.

Brewed with Costa Rican coffee, Quadrocinno was initially a special winter release of his original Quad but due to popular demand became a full-time beer. Over the last few years, it’s been winning awards at various festivals including best dark beer at the Belgian Zythos Festival in 2014.

Appearance: Murky brown, tan head, great retention.

Aroma: Chocolate, mocha, cinnamon, toffee, hard wood, molasses.

Taste: Cola notes, molasses, mocha, chocolate, spice.

Overall Impression: The coffee treatment of the Préaris Quad is quite exceptional in its richness. The coffee is very well-integrated into the flavor profile and doesn’t stick out as a one note treatment like coffee sometimes can in a beer if improperly handled. Préaris’ Quadrocinno is a nice balance between a traditional quad and modern coffee beer, and one that should be tasted.

Availability: In small quantities, newly available in the US via Artisanal Imports.

10% ABV

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