Most North Americans know a thing or two about wine before they start down the road toward serious beer appreciation. Unfortunately, it's more difficult to quickly categorize beer based on its appearance. Sometimes blond beers are light, refreshing, and low in alcohol, but in other cases—like the Gulden Draak 9000—they can be complex, high-octane bruisers more suited to contemplative sipping or long aging.

The Gulden Draak 9000 is a Quadruple, which is the most recently developed of the abbey-related styles. The short version of the style guide is that singles were brewed as an everyday table beer for monks; dubbels were higher in strength and made for special guests and occasions; while tripels are stronger still and were developed as a style in the 1930s to capitalise on the popularity of light-coloured beers in the pilsner style.

Poured into a snifter, this quad shows as a cloudy, bright orange-gold that is not nearly as dark as many other examples of the style. The considerable and fluffy head leaves an attractive lacing behind as it slowly subsides.

The aroma is textbook (if a bit pedestrian) for a Belgian quad, with orange peel, raisin, and a hint of cloves. The flavour is lightly sweet and has more orange and clove, some banana, and a fairly hot alcohol finish. With a few sips and some contemplation, it becomes a more interesting drink that I enjoyed lingering over.

Fruit and spice flavours from the beer make a lovely pairing for the grassy and buttery notes in a creamy Brie. The significant carbonation in the beer will also help clear the fat in the cheese from your palate.

Unlike many other quads—La Trappe's for instance—the 9000 comes in a 330 ml bottle. That means both that the price for a try-one-out-bottle is under five dollars, and that you won't (necessarily) have to split it with a friend.

Gulden Draak 9000 Quadruple, $3.25 for a 330 ml bottle, LCBO #343947

In addition to covering beer, new restaurants and food trucks for Post City, David Ort writes about food and drink for several Toronto publications including his own site, Food With Legs. He is the author of the Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook; now in stores and available for ordering online. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter or get in touch at info@foodwithlegs.com.