Elevation Beer Company - False Summit

To round out this collection of massive Elevation releases, we’ve got the delicious bourbon-barrel-aged quadrupel ale that is False Summit. This comes in at over 11%, and it brings in some entirely different dimensions from what we’ve seen from these beers so far. This quad is brewed with additions of Belgian pale malt and dark candi sugar, and—much like the Oil Man brings forward a vast imperial stout spectrum—False Summit is an exceptionally deep and honeyed take on quad land. Ripe fruits, herbaceous honey, a touch of mint in the nose.

False Summit affords tons of honeyed malt complexity, with fine-bubbled carbonation and some warming alcohol providing some endearing textural components beneath. Where the Oil Man and variants head into chocolate and cocoa turf, the honey and caramel and chewy dried fruit here provide for one of the most expressive quads we’ve had in a very long time. Notes of toffee and dates lead into warming, vinous alcohol and a plush layer of red berries and burnt caramel. A very different profile from the big stouts—but equally vast and tasty.

This 11% bourbon-barrel quad feels like it might have the most longevity of the bunch, as it seems to have the most tightly wound core notes. A touch more oxidation and dry caramel is likely to add some further dimensions here. The brewery recommends pairing False Summit alongside fare like spicy jambalaya, honey-glazed barbecue chicken, and bourbon pecan pie.