Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Blasphemy

What the brewers say

“Blasphemy, 11.8 percent ABV, is our Quad aged in bourbon barrels, which gives it gentle vanilla notes that complement rather than supersede the complex qualities that already make Quad such an incredible beer.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Some nice vanilla, bourbon, and oak on the front, with a hint of coconut and almond, followed by caramel and toffee notes from the malt. Sweet cherry, plum, fig, subtle raisin and date. Slight pepper phenolics. Touch of banana.”

Flavor: “Rich caramel and toffee malt sweetness complement the vanilla, bourbon, oak, brown sugar, and coconut of the barrel nicely. Nice dark fruit character with cherry, plum, raisin, fig, some red apple, and maybe a touch of strawberry. Medium alcohol that is warming but not hot...yet.”

Overall: “An excellent barrel-aged quad, where the barrel complements a very well-brewed base beer. Vanilla, coconut, and almond from the barrel combine with the malt notes of toffee and caramel to create a candy-like experience. Strong alcohol note that is surprisingly not hot. Extremely well balanced.”