Beer – #1031- North End – Salt and Wood Rhum Visitation

North End Salt and Wood Rhum Visitation. You don’t get NZ version of Abbey Quads very often and I remember having real FOMO about this beer. leaving work early to score one. I noticed the other day that there were a couple left on the shelf, but I could have missed out.

even better over ice cream

750ml bottle of 10.7% ABV beer and 22 IBU things, this makes it about 321 calories a serve, and this would then be 6.33 standard drinks in NZ

North End Salt and Wood Rhum Visitation is a beer that is  in the style of an  Abbey Quadrupel / Abt   which is brewed by North End Brewing Co in the wonderful Waikanae Beach, New Zealand

This beer also poured at Beervana and was awarded a gold medal at the BGNZ New Zealand Beer Awards this year.

Looking more like a pirate everyday

We took our Belgian style Quadruple Visitation and aged it over rum barrel oak resulting in a rich intense combination of Belgian esters and spice with oaky notes and warming confected rum.

In the French speaking islands of the Caribbean they distill  sugar cane juice to make Rhum; as opposed to the English speaking islands which distill Rum from molasses. We take our already rummy and rich Visitation Quadruple and age it over Rhumoak, resulting in the decadent treat that you are holding in your hand right now.

We reckon it’s amazing on its own and even better over ice cream

So, What could possibly go wrong? Well I don’t have ice cream, but I do have a fine platter of things that include some Camembert, Humus, Pastrami pickles and assorted break and crackers.  It’ll do.

Aroma on opening is not what I expected, I was slightly surprised by a sour note.It didn’t improve so I moved to pour it.

The pour is a lot darker than I expected, and that aroma in the glass didn’t really improve from a note that I wasn’t expected, ie sour, to one that was more yeasty and sugary,

However it does look very nice

Then there’s the taste, and if was going badly before then it’s only gone a complete 180 and hit it out of the park.

Outstanding lovely and delicious, also where’s the Ice-cream?

A lovely fruitiness, some expected bubble gum yeasty thing, some bitterness, it’s not all sweet and sugar, and most unexpected not a hint at all of any alcohol tang

This is quite robust in the sense that despite my eclectic nibbles and nibbling away the tastes in this stand up well and don’t seem to be swayed or moved by what I’ve just eaten. I like that.

I can’t get past that lack of aroma though, and I wanted this to be fuller in the mouth, and richer, which is being really picky. For a style that isn’t popular to make in NZ I’m so happy that I have this, and knowing there might be a couple left I’m tempted to grab another as honestly there’s not a lot wrong with this except my expectations and hope and desires.

Unlike other beers I’ve had though the gap between the expectation and the delivery is far from disappointment, and rekindles in me my unrequited lover of the Belgian dark, Strong and Abby ales, which I can easily remedy at the local  store. But when you can shop local is going to make it a little harder, or bring a guilt. I know my local Liquorland has a fine shelf of the Belgian ales, so I’m in good stead whichever way I go. I hope MrdPhil understands.

It takes a goodly time to drink all the beer, and so this naturally warms and gathers itself, and I find that the whole begins to grow into itself and there is the beginnings of a warm at the end of the sip (or sup, as I alarmingly appear to be be quaffing), which made me smile and take time to review the journey

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its things from the thing. A distinct lack of aroma in the bottle or glass belies the lovely taste that this delivers, without that alcohol tang that you can get from the higher ABV beer, and despite the sweetness I thought this had a lovely bitterness that gave it balance and enjoyment.

The double dip review

• Where did I get it? Fine Wine Delivery Company, Constellation Drive, Auckland.
• Am I enjoying it? It is lovely
• Would I have another? .Yes, I’m so happy the beer is in the 750ml bottle
• Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Possibly. This is a nice drinking beer but I have a suspicion that it’s not quite on the mark to style, it lacks fullness in the mouth and then there’s that lack of aroma that I find naggingly odd.

Music for this:  ”WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish on the Spotify Player

I have no idea if I’m really enjoying this or not. It sort of sits in that ‘experimental’ area, but it is magnificently crafted and easy to get along with, even if it’s only the one time.

ABT/QUADRUPEL

Abt, or quadrupel, is the name given to ultra-strong Trappist and abbey ales. The name Abt was pioneered to describe Westvleteren and the beer that would become St. Bernardus. Quadrupel was pioneered by La Trappe. Abts are the darker of the two, with more rich, deep fruity notes. Quads are paler, with corresponding peachy notes. Neither have much in the way of hop, and both are very strong and malty. Though both are bottle-conditioned, abts trend more towards yeastiness. Alcohol is very high (10+% abv) for both.