BJ's Brewhouse - Barrel-Aged Abbey Normal Quad

BJ’s award-winning Abbey Normal Quad gets aged for eight months inside bourbon barrels, resulting in a decadent, ruby-brown beer that combines sweet impacts of fig and plum beside the rich, layered vanilla and oak presence from the bourbon barrels—with a nicely dry finish.

This pours a deep, brown-sugar color with honeyed edges, capped by creamy, light-tan foam that shows solid retention and lacing. Effortless brown sugar and lightly charred bourbon and oak lead the aromatics. Toasty spices, caramel, and vanilla, nicely balancing sweet and savory elements throughout. Round warming barrel notes, with licorice, brown sugar, and caramel.

Impactful bourbon-barrel presence from the initial sip. Full bodied with a generous combo of dark specialty malts and spices, mixing with very detailed, rounded oaky-vanilla character. The bourbon barrels play a significant role, with almond, oak, and char beautifully rendered. The core quad itself showcases impactful specialty malts and a well-handled yeastiness that’s peppery and spicy throughout, adding some welcome bitterness. This lands with significant oomph, and would be interesting for side-by-side comparisons with the Chocolate Stout.

This barrel-aged quad is sturdy enough for additional cellaring time; we’d pop a bottle every six months or so to keep an eye on sweetness levels. Definitely suitable for heftier pairings, we’d match its rich caramelization and bourbon with grilled tri-tip or sirloin kebabs.