Unibroue Édition 2004

Formerly brewed at Unibroue (Sapporo)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Chambly, Canada

Sure hard to find in 2009. 14.99 at Paradis des Bieres but 9.99 at... No way I will talk even under torture... An exceptionnal brew even if I had a few bottles that had flatened out. I heard it was a regular problem. If you are lucky, you will get a divine warming beer with complex flavors ranging for sugary to spicy to fruity, like orange, banana, ginger bread (a great fruit); hard to fully describe but it’s an amazing brew. Since I only know it from recently, I don’t know what aging has changed to it. But it is now excellent. But it is a risky buy because one out of three bottles is flat. But they changed the cork for the 2005 edition and problem solve. But I like bubble but.

750mL bottle split with JRedmond in NYC. I must of had this beer confused with another special release because I could of sworn I had this before. The pour was a deep hazy orange and debris. Nose was lemony and malty. Mouth was light and balanced, some citrus. This is a great representation of Unibroue.. Amazing bubbly carbonation, low indication of alcohol, amazing complex flavor and highly sessionable.

750mL bottle split with Pwn3d. The beer pours a hazy orange body with some sediment in the bottom...decent head. The aroma is some fruit, malt, and a touch of alcohol. The taste is surprisingly smooth - really good beer. The 10.5% (more like 12% now at the end of 08) is hidden extremely well. I could drink this all night. Great beer.

750 ml split in generic tulip just purchased last week for 6.99 at Decicco in Ardsley. Orange, completely flat. Aroma of apples vanilla and paint. Flavors of honey orange tobacco, with nice alcohol warmth without alcohol flavor. Cloying. Probably was good once. I am not sure how to rate a beer that should have been drank years ago. I imagine retired beers get rated lower and lower as time goes by and it is probably not fair to their legacy. Should I just rate it at its average so as not to bring it down because its old. Or should I rate it low to warn people that it is no longer any good. I guess the latter makes more sense. Down the drain. Waste of seven bucks. Stupid me.

750 mL bottle, with March 2004 written on the bottle. Poured a murky amber color with a thin, quickly disappearing off white head. Aroma was spicy. I picked up a heavy red apple taste, along with yeast and nutmeg. It almost tasted like liquid apple pie. I can imagine that if fresh, this beer would have been great.

750ml bottle. Bought in 2004 and closet-aged until 11-2008. The aroma has little some pepper and vinegar in it. Pretty unfortunate aging, not improved. Lemony and tart, this is really a whole new creature. Still has the big malt and yeast richness, but the overall character has become pungent and warped. The harsh aroma really makes it hard to enjoy. Another Kulminator edition. I tend to agree with Blaakbird below me. Rating only reflects the aged version...the original was top notch.

Bottle from Archer Liquors, Nov. 2007. Pours a very reflective golden with almost no head or fizz. Smells of barely solid fruit, seeds, cork, alcohol. Smooth but very golden in flavor with a vodka-like finish. I can only imagine that time has mellowed it, but damn: would have been a daredevil to have this fresh.

The 2004 from Unibroue is nothing short of the best beer I tasted in my life. IMO, this beer was at his peak after 2 years.