When our brewers sat down to determine the focus of each drop, elements like hops, yeast, and malt were given. But there’s one element that matters just as much—even if you can’t hold it in your hands.
“Time is an ingredient like any other,” says our Innovation Brewer Isaiah Mangold. “It can turn back the clock or evolve the beer entirely.”
Indeed, time has the power to transform a beer.
Take a barrel-aged beer: the more time spent on wood, the more flavor the barrel (and its previous inhabitant) contributes to the result. Conversely, if you’ve ever tried an aged IPA, you know the hop bite falls away as time goes on, allowing other flavors to shine. It’s why a fresh-hop beer is best enjoyed as soon as possible, and why Barrel-Aged Torpedo’s leading flavors aren’t driven by the hops.
With this drop, we’re shining a spotlight on time, and putting the clock in your hands. That’s why Friends of the Family Belgian Quad is made for aging but isn’t aged at all.
“This is fresh beer,” says Isaiah. “We want you to see for yourself how time transforms the liquid. You can drink it fresh, or you can cellar it for a one-year experience, a three-year experience, a five-year experience. Time is truly in your hands.”
An ode to Trappist tradition, Friends of the Family Belgian Quad is layered with traditional Quad flavors of dark fruit: raisin, fig, and date. But its Belgian yeast reveals a slight bite of dry cocoa and spice. Over time, that yeast continues to ferment, allowing the flavors to sweeten, deepen, and grow more complex.
“We chose a Belgian Quad because it’s yeast expressive, but also well-known for being close to wine,” says Isaiah. “There are vintages you hold onto because they age so well. The Quad has these spice and ester flavors from the yeast. Over time, they become just delicious. I’m excited to try it a year or two from now.”
Those flavors were also a contributing factor in the decision not to barrel-age the beer. “We didn’t want the wood to influence the flavor,” Isaiah explains. Instead, the Belgian Quad speaks for itself. “As it ages, you’ll get flavors of figgy pudding and raisin. Less sharp and spicy phenolic notes and more sweet, confectionary flavors.”
If you’re hoping for a barrel-aged offering, don’t worry: there’s a Trip in the Woods beer in this drop, too, and a time-themed release begs for a Bière de Garde. Meaning “beer for keeping,” Trip in the Woods Barrel-Aged Bière de Garde is traditionally brewed during the cooler months and aged for considerable time.
“The Bière de Garde was designed from inception as an aging beer,” says Isaiah. “It was built with balance, structure, and compositional depth to support extended maturation and barrel influence.”
With a toasty malt bill, restrained hops, and a saison-hybrid yeast, the Bière de Garde yields subtle fruitiness and complexity, while maintaining a clean profile. Next, a rest on both red wine and port barrels contributes gentle tannins and flavors of dark and dried fruit.
Still, the barrel-aging and blending process was approached with restraint.
“The blending process emphasizes harmony over intensity,” explains Isaiah. “This allows the malt-driven Bière de Garde base to remain central while the barrels add layered complexity and age-derived elegance.
Even the label art reflects this balance of heat and restraint. Part of our artful Trip in the Woods series, Bière de Garde features a peaceful forest scene and a beast hidden within. Grab a bottle for yourself and see if you can spot it.
And the finished beer? Expect toasted bread aromas and malt richness alongside flavors of dried fruit, subtle oak, and understated vinous character.
Now the only question is how long to age your beers. Drink fresh? Age one year? More? Good thing there’s three bottles of each.
Cheers, Friends.
