Unibroue Quelque Chose

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

Saturday AM its 30 f and the wind is blowing and this ratebeerian is trying to homebrew a Baltic porter in his garage. I would rinse my kettles in my drive and ice crystals would form instantly. I finally got the mash started and the process was starting to smooth out it was noon and I wanted a beer. I was freezing and I was going for the hot 2002 Quelque Chose. Per instructions I got out the double boiler and poured the bottle in the pan, it is a dark brown brew with no head, the cork was really shrunk up (a sign of age), I heated it up and poured into a coffee cup. It was virtually flat but as it was heated what little CO2 was in the beer expanded to form a creamy head. The aroma was gigantic the heat really brought it out, Cherry, Tobacco and faint allspice The cork had obviously added to the nose on this bottle. I loved it, my wife and daughters Thought the odor was a little musty and did not care for it. The taste was of tart cherries in a leather pouch along with cinnamon and cloves soaked in a nice Belgian brune, medium to light mouthfeel. The alcohol in the beer as you sipped gave almost a Vicks vapor rub kind of effect it really is for sipping on the ski slopes. I would like to try some fresh!

2002: Served piping hot. Like tart cherry pie in a glass. Warm, slightly sweet and slightly tart. Aroma is very lambic with yeast roughness, a spicy element and a twist of cherry. Pours fizzy. Smooth on the tongue and easy on the palate. Tastes a bit watered down. Quite pleasing and well worth the try. Actually better as it cools (can’t say that about very many beers).

This one was tough. It had a great cherry nose and a nice headless red colour. Until i read Wawoods review, I thought I was going nuts detecting some apple in this, but it looks like I’m not the only one. I thought this was best hot, reminded me of apple cider. however, I did notice that the flavours were much less when it was served hot. I think this beer best shows its chacater when at room temp, but it has a strong sour bite to it that only heatign would take away. I would not recommend this beer served cold. It’d be a nice one to have after snowmobiling or some other winter activity.

Cherries in the nose. Smells like New Glarus Belgian Red, which I had earlier in the evening. No head. Amber in color. Very complex flavors. I detect some apple as well. I this room temperature and then hot, back to back. Very different hot. Has an oily mouthfeel, almost syrupy. I prefered the room temp one, which I enjoyed quite a bit and would like to try it cold as well.

Enjoyed at Wawood’s winter brew tasting. All present seemed to agree that this beer was better the warmer it was served. Sweet, spicy, and tastes like mulled white wine (a little off) when cold, but loosens when warm to reveal quiet cloves and some port. My tasting notes also contain a word that looks like "valks" or "raks." So, "raks." I would share a bottle of this, warm, with friends on a cold day. I would not ever drink it cold on a warm day.

2002 Vintage: Saved for the big snowstorm. Tried it warmed first. Aroma of cherries. Flavor of cherries. Like drinking a fresh warm cherry pie. A little sour in the finish. Cold: Clear amber color. Cherry aroma and flavor is weaker and seems to be more sour.

2002 bottling, snow on the ground, figured it was a good time to sample this one! Sampled across all temperature ranges. Clear medium reddish color, no head, although trace carbonation was forced out by the heating process. Aroma of dark cherries, hint of chocolate at all temperatures. When warm, a note of sour cherry and alcohol arose from the steam. Flavors were a dead on match to the aromas. Enjoyable, but not as complex in my opinion as others found it to be.

Sampled at From The Vine beer tasting Jan 14th, 2005: Served a little cooler than room temperature, and I would definitely like to try it hot. Pours cherry red with a medium thick off-white head with big, pregnant bubbles. Nothing but cherries in the nose. Strong cherry flavor with a flatter texture than one would find in a Lambic or similar beer. The finish is tart cherry and lingers for quite some time both on the palate and in the glass. Interesting beer.