Unibroue Quelque Chose

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

2002 500mL bottle. Served at 55. Wicked mulled wine and fresh squeezed cherry juice. A load of dried Monmortency cherries. Definitely some allspice, orange rind and christmas potpourri over a vestibule of vinous alcohols and warming cherry vapors. Slightly artificial. Absolutely still. Not well sealed cap. Lightly hazed pomegrante color. No head. On the tongue, more mulled wine and a wisp of flowers. Flavor is a middle of the road, cran-rasp-apple-grape muddled juice flavor, with some oxidized cork, wispy coriander and rounding belgian yeast notes. Certainly would benefit from some carbonation and the fruit characters seem original, with classic fall apple cider and juicy cherry notes, but it’s not beer enough, nor rough around the edges, unique enough. Typically Unibroue. Tastes too much like juice. Alcohol does hide well, I suppose. Trying it warm and Ice cold as well.

Bottle: Deep red clear colour, with a flat head. Aroma of cheeries, and therefor a sweet sour nose,sparkling, and of course a fruity ending. Flavor is ,Viny, flowers,werry sweet, fruity and of course cheeries.Light to medium body, short-to medium finish. reminds me more than a cider than a beer.

2002 Bottling. For the record consumed cold. Fairly uninspiring upon popping cork - not pressure and no head upon pouring whatsoever. Colour is a drity blood / cherry red. Nose is of good quality; sweet cherry fruits with a sour edge. Good definition. Cherry flavours are clearly more sweet than sour to taste, and these become a fraction bitter in the back palate. ABV is not obvious, rendering the drink quite ’un-beer’ like. Extremely low fizz doesn’t hep the cause, leaving the beer feeling flat and a little flabby. Going ok as a 5 year old but I’d be drinking the 2002s this year.

Not my favorite. First impression dark dark red, almost opaque. Nose of alcohol and cherries forshadows the taste accurately. Maybe I had this too cold but my impressions were of sweet cherries and alcohol, sort of like cough syrup. Not much complexity. Flat and velvet in the mouth, but very little carbonation. I don’t need this again.

I liked the old recipe more and I had amazing 9 year old bottle cold some years ago. Page 471 of Michael Jackson’s Great Beer Guide and 222 of his Classic 500 Brews to go.

Soooooo warming. Appealing appearance - dark ruby color, almost no carbonation at all. Aroma more reminiscent of wine than beer. Flavor is velvety, spicy, very very very cherry, alcohol can be sensed. Absolutely delicious, and perfect for winter enjoyment.

Deep, cloudy ruby colour, no head. Strong but never overwhelming natural cherry aroma, with hints of spices and vanilla. Medium bodied with no or very lttle carbonation. Very good balance between sweet- and sourness. Did not really improve by beeing warmed up i.m.o. (but developed a very nice foam with a tinge of pink).

I had no idea what to expect from this, but I wanted to to try it because I really like Unibroue. The lack of carbonation is noticeable right away, as is the deep red, almost opaque color. The aroma is that of cherries, cider, spices, and port wine. The taste is sweet and sour, a bit like natural, unsweetened cherry juice with a strange winey finish. For me, it’s a little too glühwein-ish (and I love glühwein), but I like the taste. I haven’t tried it hot, not yet, but I will before I finish the bottle. It isn’t great, and it does remind me of a flat almost alcohol-free (the taste, anyway) lambic. Yes I know it was 8 percent but I don’t sense any alcohol at all, even on the finish. Maybe I’ve had too much 11 percent stuff lately. I like it, I’m glad I tried it, but I doubt I would buy it again. If I want this taste, I will stick to Kriek.