Kasteel Barista Chocolate Quad 16.9 oz can

Kasteel Barista Chocolate Quad 16.9 oz can

Brewed by: Browerij Van Honsebrouck NV
Country: Belgium
Style: Quadrupel

ABV: 11%
BeerAdvocate.com rating: 93

Kasteel Barista Chocolate Quad from the Van Honsebrouck Brewery is a decadent and elegant Quadrupel that pours a deep dark mahogany with a creamy light tan head.  Barista is brewed with Kent, Belgian, Kent Golden and Sower hops; pale-ale malt, pils malt and roast malt.  The addition of coffee and Belgian chocolate to the brew results in an aroma rich with the warming scent of coffee, toffee, and dried fruits.  Chocolate is the most prominent taste, reminiscent of a chocolate stout but with a classic quadrupel’s unmistakable flavors of coffee, plum, fig, and raisins in the finish.  The mouthfeel is medium, creamy and velvety, and the considerable alcohol (11%) is well-hidden.  Limited brew. 

Pairings:

Meat, game, beef casserole.

Chocolate desserts.

Brewery Information:

The Van Honsebrouck Brewery (makers of Kasteel beers) began as a small farm and brewery on the outskirts of Ingelmunster in the West Flanders region of Belgium.

Purchased in 1900 by husband and wife Emile and Ludovica Van Honsebrouck and expanded in the 1930s by their two sons, major success would elude the brew farm until the 1950s when grandson Luc Van Honsebrouck took over the business.

Educated at the brewing schools of Ghent and then gaining practical experience at a large German brewery, Luc would change the direction of the family business by breaking with tradition and concentrating on the production of high quality specialty beers. His vision proved fortunate, and made him a legend in the craft brew industry.

Today the Van Honsebrouck Brewery – still family owned and operated – distributes its specialty ales to at least two dozen countries including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, Brazil and Japan.