Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week": New Glarus Unplugged Belgian Quadruple

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Sep 26, 2007 4:00PM

Years ago our mother and stepfather moved from Chicago and eventually settled in the town of South Wayne, Wisc. The town is unincorporated; it could quite literally be the middle of nowhere. But even the middle of nowhere has to be close to somewhere, and it just so happens that a few miles east of South Wayne is the town of New Glarus. Mothers are always smarter than they let on, and ours is wise to the fact that if we're making the trip to South Wayne, it's partly because we're loading the trunk with Spotted Cow and other wonderful selections from the New Glarus Brewery on the way home.

Spotted Cow's legal non-availability in Illinois has raised the beer — and the brewery — to the point of legend. As farmhouse ales go, it's definitely worth the hunt for a sixer. But we're big fans of New Glarus' "Unplugged" line of heavyweight, Belgian-inspired ales. We were re-arranging the pantry a couple weeks back and came across four bottles of New Glarus Belgian Quadruple we brought home from a springtime visit. One sip of this beer in New Glarus' tasting room was all it took for us to realize that brewmaster Dan Carey meant business when he brewed this beer. Unplugged Quadruple is a high-gravity (25° Plato) Belgian-style dark ale, twice aged: once in the brewery's oak lager tanks, then in bourbon barrels. Carey also uses a specially sourced Brett yeast in the brewing process, which adds a sour finish to the beer. Other characteristics of Unplugged Quadruple are sweet honey and nutmeg on the palate, a thin head with light rings of lace on the glass, and a deep amber color.

Autumn is a great time for a day trip, and New Glarus is only two hours away (if you drive the speed limit). The New Glarus Brewery is worth the trip; you could make it part of a whole day in "Little Switzerland." Just make sure to bring home some New Glarus Unplugged Belgian Quadruple, Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week."