As the Six String crew moved towards their tenth anniversary in 2023, they decided to monster up the first beer they ever brewed – the Dark Red IPA – for both their birthday and 2022's GABS festival.
Before we get into the beer, it pays to have a look at how we got here. Back in 2013, the craft beer industry was just about gaining traction, so it was Six String’s intention to release a flagship beer that showcased who they were: big, bold, and full of flavour. At this stage, red IPA was not really a style other breweries were pumping out, so it put Six String on the craft beer map. On their first anniversary, they went for Double Dark Red IPA and followed that up in 2019 with their Triple Dark Red IPA, also for GABS, which went down a winner with this writer and his mates at the festival.
So, it only seemed right, with the tenth anniversary around the corner, that they upped the ante and conjured up the Quadruple for GABS 2022, which, to the surprise of the brewery, made it into the GABS beer packs too. It saw them not only reach an audience across the country but be inundated with enquiries as to how punters could purchase the beer, which led to it being rebrewed. As a bonus for red IPA fans, the brewery are also releasing a limited-edition mixed pack of the Dark Red, Double, Triple and Quad – keep an eye on their website if you're seeking a soaking in chewy malts and hops.
As for the Quad itself, it’s like sucking on an adults-only version of a Werther’s original toffee mixed with a citrus Dime bar (if one were ever invented!). It should have on the side of the can, “Not for the un-Werthy” and should be sipped very slowly and, in all honestly, is so massive it has the potential to melt your face off.
There's a lot going on and the longer it warms up, the more it opens up. Booze-soaked raisins, lemon peel, pine hops, caramelised demerara sugar and Devon clotted-cream toffee infused with ribbons of sweet chocolate all make an appearance. It's full-bodied, malt-driven, and coupled with a fierce bitterness which makes it a winner on a cold winter’s evening, while tickling the tonsils and going down smoother than a single malt from one of those Scottish isles. Indeed, you have to almost wonder if GABS included Quad in their Festival packs to keep the other beers warm when in cold storage.
So, fire up the pit on a cold night and crack this huge quaddie open; it’ll last longer than a four-pack of any other IPA.
Neil Richardson
Published July 15, 2022 2022-07-15 00:00:00
