Gravitation
Smuttynose Brewing Co.
Portsmouth, NH  USA

This is a Belgian Quadrupel coming in at.....well, it's not listed on the bottle.  According to this link to the Smuttynose site this beer was only 6.6% when it was first brewed in 2009, and 12% in 2010.  I would wager this was much closer to the 12% end of the spectrum. 

Brewed with 200 lbs of raisin puree, and boy does it taste like it.  While this may be an odd addition to a Quadrupel, I feel that this goes along with Smutty's style of playing fast and loose with tradition as long as it makes for a delicious beer.  I applaud them for not just throwing a ton of hops in everything they make and calling it a day.

The nose is alcohol, dark fruits (hello raisins!), and also alcohol.  Pours a thick dark orange.  First sip follows the nose, with alcohol being pretty dominant and a sweet fruitiness thanks to the raisins coming up close behind.  The finish is dry with the Belgian yeast making an appearance along with more from the alcohol and the dark sweet fruits.  The swallow brings a warmth as it goes down, and the flavors linger for quite some time. 

While this may not be the best traditional example of the style, I enjoy this beer quite a bit.  It's been a long time, but I almost get flashbacks to the one bottle of Raison d'extra I enjoyed before it was discontinued.  Big, sweet, and hot....if this is an appealing list of flavors for you, check this one out!