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Arcticus

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Caramel and dried fruit, orange marmalade and Christmas spices lead this winter beer, a slightly less alcoholic take on a traditional Belgian quadrupel. Ageing on American oak chips adds a woodsy warmth and subtle hints of vanilla. Arcticus comes from the independent Maximus brewery in Utrecht and is brewed at 8% ABV.

ABV
8%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
deep amber18
PaceSipper
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
oakcaramelspicy
oak
caramel
spicy
orange
dark fruit
vanilla
Aroma
The nose leads with warming spice notes—cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg—layered over soft caramel sweetness and dried stone fruit.
also:fruity,bready
not found:hoppy,roasted,clean,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Arcticus

◎ Appearance

Arcticus presents a deep amber to chestnut hue, reflecting its moderate caramel Malz bill and 18 SRM. The beer shows good clarity with a dense, off-white head that displays solid Schaumhaftung, leaving fine lacework on the glass as you drink. Carbonation appears moderate and well-integrated, lending a soft effervescence.

deep ambercleardense headfine lacing

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with warming spice notes—cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg—layered over soft caramel sweetness and dried stone fruit. American oak aging emerges as a woodsy, subtle backdrop with hints of vanilla and a gentle char note. Orange marmalade and a touch of dried apricot add roundness without dominating the composition.

Christmas spicesdried fruitcaramel sweetnessoak and vanilla

◐ Taste

Entry brings mellow caramel and toffee sweetness balanced by restrained bittering around 25 IBU. Mid-palate develops rich dark fruit character—prune, raisin, fig—alongside those warming spices and the oak's woodsy warmth. The finish turns slightly dry, with vanilla and orange zest lingering, the alcohol warmth (8% ABV) present but not aggressive.

toffee sweetnessdark fruitbalanced bitternesswarming spice

◑ Finish

The finish is moderately long and dry, with lingering oak, vanilla, and a faint orange note fading to a light spiced warmth. No harsh edges; the alcohol integrates smoothly.

dry finishoak fademoderate length
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
85
Taste
84
Appearance
80
Finish
78
Serve at 12–16°C

Serve at 12–14°C. This is a contemplative beer — warmth unlocks the dark fruit, caramel and complex malt.

Goblet

The wide mouth and heavy base promote head formation and channel rich aromatics toward the nose. Traditional for Belgian strong ales.

Built for cellaring. Age 2–5 years for deeper complexity. Store upright at 12–16°C.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Arcticus

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About Quadrupel

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Quadrupel?

Quadrupel is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Quadrupel

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same oak, caramel, spicy character as Arcticus will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

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