Unibroue Édition 2005

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

Blackberry burgundy. Half finger of dense grayish froth. Richly fruity, jammy nose with light notes of port, anise, blackcurrant, minty alcohol, and yeast. Somewhat roasty. Dense, yet fluffy, carbonation. Opens with a slick, juicy explosion of passion fruit infused with peppery alcohol. Alcohol is clean, but a tad overstated, early on. Tight anise lends a cleansing dryness and harmonizes with the firm, clearly defined earthy malt underlay. Richly complex silky malt layers soon absorb much of the alcohol warmth, as does the doughy yeast cushion. Deeply caramelized malts intensify the softer malt textures while slicing through the densely moist pockets of raisin and passion fruit, which act as an everlasting anchor to the body. Finishes slick and wet with blackcurrants and anise spiced tobacco along with a tainting touch of rubbery alcohol astringency. Although there’s a bit much alcoholic heat and the nose is on the yeasty side, it’s succulently juicy and bright, from start to finish. This has morphed into real humdinger.

Dark brown and orange with a big off-white rocky head. Cherries and apples in the aroma with strong yeast presence. Taste of cherries with some spice and honey with a strong malt presence. Gets a tad hot as it warms. Ends rather sweet and long.

Bottle. Pours a clear sparkling reddish-brown with a large lasting foamy off-white head. Big yeasty aroma along with fruit (mainly apples), honey and spices -- smells quite nice. Flavour is fruity and spicy with some sweet malt and a slightly sour and alcoholic finish. Medium bodied. Not one of Unibroue’s best but still pretty good.

Bottle. Very dark brown to black with a very thin to non existent off white head. Sweet and fruity aroma with some caramel. Taste is dominated by cherries and malt. A little bit of sourness in the finish with some vodka like alcohol. Carbonation is hardly noticable, gets a little hot with the alcohol as it warms.

Very dark with a rich foamy head. Well-balanced carbonation. First sip: fruity and sweet. Cherries. Hmm. A little sour, the good kind of sour, as the brew unfolds itself upon my palate. Hardly notice the alcohol. How do they do that? But why should I care?

Mahogany red color with a big pillowy head. Aroma is sweet and yeasty with earthy fruits and decayed flowers. Flavor is sweet, lively in the mouth. Alcohol is easily noticable. Very warming but somewhat sticky in the finish. Will probably be better in a year or so.... I hope.

Pours a thick reddish brown color. Smells of currant and purple fruit. Very yeasty and carbonated taste. Goes down easy. Reminded me most of a double style brew.

Bottled. Pours a deep dark ruby color. Moderate dirty head. Strong and spicy yeast aroma. Some dark fruit and maybe some grape as well. Slightly sweet right up front. Followed by some yeast. A hint of roasted malt. Slightly fruity with some noticable alcohol in the finish.