Unibroue Quelque Chose

Brewed by Unibroue (Sapporo)
Style: Fruit Beer
Chambly, Canada

Pours a deep rusty red with thin off-white head. Aroma is immensely cherry with notes of cinnamon and vanilla. Taste is again, upfront and in your face cherry with light notes of cinnamon and clove. The palate is a bit cloying for me, even warmed up. Lightly carbonated with the alcohol well hidden, this would make a nice appertif amongst 4 people. Splitting a bottle with my brother is too much.

Drunk warm. Pours a clean reddish brown with no head. Aroma is cherries, honey, cinnamon, ginger, and various other spices. Taste is tingly up front right away, cherry, cinnamon and various other spices. It’s all right.....I wish the cinnamon and spices were more subdued but it makes a good holiday brew.

Pours a reddish brown with little to no head. Aroma of cherries and some various spices. Cherry is very up front along with a malty sweetness. I had this slightly chilled...have another bottle which I will probably tried warmed at some point. Interesting cherry based beverage.

(Bottle) Orangey red colour with brief, bubbly head. Almost no carbonation. Fruity nose with distinct notes of cherries and traces of spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, caraway). Fruity, very sweet taste with loads of cherries and tart hints of red berries (raspberries) and spices (ginger, caraway, clove). Medium body, alcohol well hidden, definitely a bit sweet. Warm (heated to ca 70 C): turns clearer with a firm, pinkish head. More balanced taste with less sweetness and more emphasis on the spices. This is not far from swedish glögg (warm, spiced, rather sweet wine) usually enjoyed during Christmas (nice timing). Seriously interesting beer, I think I prefer it warm, but it would be perfect cold with dessert.

Chilled: Murky red/brown pour with no head. Aroma is moderate sour with cherries. Flavor is less aggressive than I was expecting. Some sourness with cherries. Honey sweetness. Spiciness. Thin mouthfeel. Appearance: 2/5; Aroma 6/10. .....Mulled: The heat really improves the appearance. Clear copper with nice head and lacing. Aroma took the hit though. All the sourness and cherries are gone to be replaced by alcohol. The flavor makes up for it. Intense spicy cherries with tartness. Honey still present. Finishes with a slight astringency that vanishes completely. Both chilled and hot are good. I think I prefer the hot. The score reflects the beer hot.

I wasn’t expecting much from this as I do not typically like fruit beers. I was blissfully mistaken. I did not drink this beer hot--or even warm--as it was served chilled. Next time I’ll try it warm, but I have a hard time imagining that it will be improved. It poured deep reddish caramel with a nonexistent head. The nose was smokey cherries, and the palate is a wonderfully balanced spiced cherry blend, that teases the edge of both sweetness and tartness without going too far in either direction. This is a truly good dessert beer.

’02 bottle shared by Indra at his tasting 12/7; served hot. Pours a clear, ruby red with no head whatsoever. The aroma is smells of cherries and faint cranberry along with mulled spices. Medium-bodied and slick with a lightly dry finish. The flavor is a forward and round cherry blended nicely with mulling spices that make one think of holiday cheer and warm cherry pie. Served hot, this is an excellent candidate for the upcoming holiday gatherings you with your non-beer-drinking friends.

2002 version 500 ml. bottle shared by Indra at his 12/7 tasting. Served warm - mulled by Eric and probably around 100 degrees. Pour is ruby red, no head, and completely still. Aroma of mulling spices, cinnamon, coriander and just overall festive holiday spiciness. Taste of big cherry, and a much more subtle version of all of the spices listed in the aroma. Really fun to drink, and I far preferred the warmed version to the room temperature. May need to work this one into a Christmas tradition!