Unibroue Édition 2005

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

Sampled September 2005
Pours an opaque dark, deep, brown color with a light brown colored head. The aroma is a mix of spicy notes and dark fruit; I smell notes of figs, burnt raisins, clove, hint of ginger, a bit of cardamom, but it is predominantly that of dark fruit. The taste is dry up front, but quickly picks up a rich fruity sweetness reminiscent of prunes and figs. The aroma finishes with a subtle spice note that has notes of cardamom, a hint of nutmeg, perhaps some wintergreen as well. The finish has sharper spice notes reminiscent of white pepper and perhaps a bit of ginger.

As the beer warms up I expected the fruit notes to become a bit more dominant over the spice notes, but in actuality they remain in about the same balance, if not even the spices taking a bit of an upper hand. The whole thing becomes softer and mellower throughout, except in the finish which becomes spicier with a bit of alcohol in it as well. Actually in the end I like this beer on the cooler side, around 50*F.

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750ml bottle poured a dark mahogany with an amber head. Aromas of plum,vanilla,bananas,and pepper. Palate was light bodied and crisp. Flavors of plums, grapes, spices and cherry with a sweet slightly dry finish.

Bottled. Light spices and vanilla aroma. Orange/red color, greyish/beige head, good lace. Light sweet, light bitter, spices like rootbeer but way less dominant, medium body, well balanced but not complex. Nice beer but not exception. Only exceptional thing is that it doesn’t have the typical unibroue flavor.

Sampled from bottle. This 2005 Edition pours a dark, chocolate brown with an adequate head (tan) for a high ABV beer. Aroma is subtle, but complex with notes of prunes, pepper and bananas. Flavor is slightly sweet up-front, with white grapes, plums, licorice, piney hops and alcohol. Full-bodied, well-carbonated with a dry finish. A must try.

Bottle (750ml). Courtesy of blankboy. Poured deep murky brown with a massive light brown fizzy-foamy head - I mean *fizzy*, I could hear it sizzling for about 30 seconds after the pour! Aroma massive amounts of warm doughy yeast, alcohol, apple, plum, banana, raisin, some scorched straw bitterness - aroma seems to dissipate quickly. Taste is strong alcohol, brown sugar malt, raisins and other fruits, a bit of off-dry white wine and a hint of spices. Mouthfeel a bit creamy and acidic, plenty of alcohol to warm the ear-tips. A bit o a one-noter, could use more complexity, I remember the 2004 being a little more engaging - maybe put a couple of bottles down for the future?

750ml bottle Pours a rich dark brown with ruby hues.
Very minimal head despite active carbonation.
Aroma is malty, fruity with some banana, plum, some chocolate and maybe some citrus.
Flavor is sweet up front, cherries, plum, sour on the back end with some lemony notes.
Maybe needs some more time.

Poured from a 750 mL bottle. Dark brown with almost no head at all. Good lacing. Sour prune aroma with some chocolate, very malty. Cinnamon, fruits, chocolate, lots of malts, yeast in the flavor. Very smooth, not flat at all. Could improve over time.

I must echo the previous post, this brew smells, look and taste of fall. Earthy, wood scents, roasted flavors. This is, IMO, better then 2004 Will go grab a few more to age and sample.