Off Color Growl 4Pk

Off Color Growl 4Pk is a 9.5% ABV Belgian-style quadrupel ale from Chicago's Off Color Brewing, sold in a 4-pack format. Scoring an 87 on BeerAdvocate across 71 ratings, Growl stands out as an American-brewed quad built on dark candi syrup and Nugget hops — a bold, warming interpretation of a classic monastic style.

Quick Facts: ABV: 9.5%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Quadrupel (Quad)  |  Brewery: Off Color Brewing

Production & Heritage

Off Color Brewing was founded in Chicago with a mission to resurrect forgotten beer styles — particularly those brewed in Germany before the Reinheitsgebot (Bavarian Purity Law) of the late 15th century effectively eliminated styles that used ingredients beyond barley, water, and hops. Growl is their take on the Belgian quadrupel tradition, brewed with Nugget hops and dark candi syrup, the latter being a hallmark of authentic Belgian abbey ales that contributes deep caramel color and complex sugar character. The result is a high-gravity ale that channels Old World brewing philosophy through a distinctly Chicago lens.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Sweet red apple emerges first, followed by bready malt and warm Belgian spice. Underneath, dark caramel and light cherry notes provide depth, with subtle fusel warmth hinting at the 9.5% ABV.

Taste: The entry is rich with caramel and Belgian sugars, moving quickly into dark fruit — raisins and red cherries dominate the mid-palate. Light banana and restrained spice weave through the sweetness, while the Nugget hops provide just enough backbone to prevent the malt from becoming cloying. The body lands at a comfortable medium weight with fine carbonation.

Finish: Moderately long with exposed alcohol warmth that confirms its quad pedigree. Residual dark fruit and bready sweetness linger alongside a gentle spice fade.

How to Drink Growl

Serve Growl in a tulip glass or chalice at 50–55°F to let the complex sugars and fruit esters open fully. This is a sipping beer best enjoyed slowly, and a slight warming in the glass as you drink will reveal additional layers of caramel and spice. For cocktail-curious drinkers, Growl's dark fruit sweetness works in a Beer Flip (shaken with a whole egg and simple syrup for a rich, dessert-like drink), a Quad Float (poured over vanilla ice cream as a Belgian-style affogato), or a Dark Shandy (cut with tart cherry juice to brighten the fruit notes and temper the ABV).

Best For

• Cold-weather evening sipping as an after-dinner beer
• Gifting to craft beer enthusiasts who appreciate Belgian abbey styles
• Pairing alongside a holiday cheese board or dessert course
• Sharing among friends as a conversation beer — one 4-pack serves a small group generously

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Growl taste like? Off Color Growl delivers rich caramel and dark candi sugar sweetness layered with raisins, red cherries, bready malt, and subtle Belgian spice, finishing with noticeable but not overpowering alcohol warmth at 9.5% ABV.

How does Growl compare to St. Bernardus Abt 12? St. Bernardus Abt 12 is a traditional Belgian-brewed quadrupel at 10% ABV with decades of monastic brewing heritage, while Growl is an American interpretation at 9.5% ABV that uses Nugget hops and dark candi syrup to achieve a similar dark fruit and caramel profile through a modern Chicago craft brewery's perspective.

Is Growl good for sipping neat? Growl is best enjoyed as a slow sipper from a tulip glass or chalice, where its medium body, fine carbonation, and layered dark fruit and spice complexity can be appreciated without rushing.

Where is Growl made? Growl is brewed by Off Color Brewing in Chicago, Illinois. The brewery is known for reviving historical and overlooked beer styles from European brewing traditions.

What foods pair well with Growl? Aged Gouda or Gruyère complement the caramel sweetness; roasted pork or duck match the malty richness; dark chocolate or chocolate cake echo the dark fruit and sugar complexity; bread pudding with caramel sauce mirrors the bready and sweet candi notes; and blue cheese provides a sharp contrast to the residual sweetness.

What sizes does Growl come in? Off Color Growl is available in a 4-pack format, which is the standard retail offering for this expression.

Is Growl worth the price? Growl positions as a premium craft offering within the American-brewed Belgian quad category, and its 9.5% ABV, dark candi syrup recipe, and 87-point BeerAdvocate rating place it as a strong value among domestic interpretations of this traditionally European style.

Why Growl?

Off Color Brewing built its identity on resurrecting beer styles the mainstream market forgot, and Growl is a direct expression of that philosophy applied to the Belgian quadrupel. The use of dark candi syrup — the same ingredient that defines the great Trappist and abbey quads of Belgium — anchors the beer in tradition, while Nugget hops and Off Color's Chicago-rooted approach give it a character distinct from its European counterparts. An 87-point BeerAdvocate score across dozens of ratings confirms that this is a quad taken seriously by the craft community. For drinkers seeking a high-gravity, dark fruit–driven ale with genuine complexity, Growl delivers without pretending to be something it is not.