Brouwerij Maenhout is an artisanal brewery located in the municipality of Pittem in the West Flanders province of Belgium. The brewery got its start towards the end of 2009, founded by Thijs Maenhout and Birgit De Rammelaere, and their core releases are generally focused on Belgian style staples, including a 6.5%-ABV blonde ale called Blinde Mol as well as an 8.5% tripel called Koeketiene. The brewery's one-off releases have included renditions of traditional Belgian styles like saisons, witbiers, dubbels, and Belgian pale ales. This month we're excited to be able to offer our favorite of the brewery's core releases: their Ferre quadrupel, which, like the Bux Tripel, has thus far only appeared in the U.S. in very limited quantities, seeing minimal draft-only distribution to select markets in Florida. The bottled version has never before been sold in the U.S., and we're having this imported exclusively for our Rare Beer Club members.

Ferre pours a dark, orange-amber color, though on the lighter side compared to a lot of other quads, and capped by a finely bubbled foam that leaves solid lacing. Generous aromatics provide a clear sense of where this beer's headed overall: deep, potent maltiness with a ton of accompanying red fruits, subtle vinous warmth, and touches of caramelization thoughout, with a subtle clove-like spiciness from the Belgian yeast. Perfect carbonation keeps this feeling light on the palate, and that focused impact of sweet, caramelized malts and red fruits is immediate. For being 10% ABV, this quad is super nimble and an absolute pleasure to drink. Alcohol stays tucked away throughout, contributing fruity, wine-like elements but showing restraint even after this has warmed up fully. Layers upon layers of toffee, caramels, and ripe fruits, while the Belgian yeast keeps sweetness in check, provides a hint of clove-like bitterness, and just makes this massive beer so easy to dig into. A truly delicious take on the quadrupel style.