Name: Waghoba
Brewer: Cult of Oak, Green Duck Beer Co. (United Kingdom)
Style: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (Base Style: Belgian Dark Strong Ale)
ABV: 10.5%
Review Year: 2021
An ode to the ancient leopard god, Waghoba is a massive Quadrupel aged in a freshly emptied Makers Mark barrel for 10 months. This is a complex creation by Roberto Ross, the Eternal Grand Master behind one of the newest names in the UK’s craft beer scene, Cult of Oak, and was made in collaboration with Green Duck Beer Co. This is bottle 127 of 300.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (33B) with the Belgian Dark Strong Ale (26D) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
The Belgian Dark Strong Ale, as per the guidelines, is sometimes known as a Trappist Quadruple, with most being simply known by their strength or color designation.
TASTING NOTES
Slightly opaque deep brown with ruby highlights; flat head. Waghoba unleashed moderately high aromas of molasses, cola, dark chocolate, dark fruits (raisins, prune) with medium impressions of oak and whisky. Full-bodied, low carbonation, viscous and syrupy; sticky afterfeel. The flavor was similar to the aroma profile as intense chocolate, molasses, cola, and raisins rushed in. Oak, vanilla, spice, and whisky flavors also surfaced albeit at moderate intensity. Bitterness was a notch below the high level of residual sweetness. The aftertaste lingered long with molasses, cola, anise, and oak.
THE VERDICT
Waghoba, a Quadrupel aged in a freshly emptied Makers Mark barrel, is a creative deviation from the traditional Belgian Dark Strong Ale (BDSA). The appearance alone tells its drinkers that it is not a traditional specimen; it lacks the huge, dense, mousse-like, and persistent head associated with the classic BDSAs. Like a traditional BDSA, this interpretation was complex, rich, sweet, and had the complementing dark fruit esters and spicy phenols. However, the sweetness of this Quad was significantly more intense and had a syrupy mouthfeel, which is not appropriate in classic BDSAs. As a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer or a beer aged in wood with added alcohol character from previous use of the barrel, Waghoba showcased whisky, vanilla, and oak as expected.
Overall, Waghoba can be likened to a rich, malty-sweet, barrel-aged Imperial Stout (20C) with esters and phenols associated with Belgian yeasts but without the roasty character. It definitely is a sipping beer and one that was brewed to make a statement. Again, not a traditional beer, but very good.
Related Reviews:
Cult of Oak
Green Duck Beer Co.
Beers From the United Kingdom
View this post on Instagram
