Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Brewed by Unibroue (Sapporo)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Chambly, Canada

Bugger this is sweet. Whoever said it tasted like cheap red wine was spot on, that, and cheap port and coke. I once liked this, but really don't know why, sickly and cloying, severely over-rated in my humble opinion, really flat uninspiring mouthfeel, bloody hell.

This is a wonderful Belgian Strong Ale. It has a fairly high ABV of 9%, but it is hidden well in it complex taste.

Rerate 6/28/2004: Best before 5/23/05 cellared for over a year, pours a dark auburn brown with a puffy light tan head that leaves a sparse lace behind. Aroma of musky aged caramel malts and a touch of tart fruit, with some subtle Belgian yeastiness. Body is still thick and flavorful with nice sweet balance that continues to mask the alcohol very well. This has aged quite nicely and gained some more complexity. 9/16/2002: Very dark and murky, but well carbonated. Hints of fruit and oak in the nose. Smells almost sour, but not noticeable in taste. Coats and warms the throat on its way down. Very little hop presence, but nicely rounded roasted malt mixture making it just sweet enough to mask the high alcohol content. Only gets smoother as it warms. One of the best Belgian Strong ales I have had.

dark ruby-brown colour with a fine slightly brown-tainted head, yeasty and malty, notes of prune and licorice, sweet and full-bodied, lot of carbonation, long and very malty finish with notes of bread and alcohol

on tap @Brass Tap near Tampa-pours a light tan ring for a head with some lacing and dark brown color. Aroma is dark malt, clove, some clove, some dark fruit-raisin. Taste is dark malt-molasses, then plenty of clove, some dark fruit-raisin, yeast-banana. Slight herbal hops.

Dark murky reddish colour with small off white head. Aroma is heavenly, you can sit with your nose in thiss stuff for hours. Strong malts, some sweetness with dark grapes. Flavor is also very good, malty and sweet, lots of fruit.

Very carbonated, nearly black beer; light-cream coloured, fine-bubbled head, slightly irregular. Coriander soup! Ouch. Some dark leaves, but the coriander (OK, I hope it’s in there) overwhelms everything. Slightly sourish, fruity-coriander infested flavour. Thanks to all the malts, the coriander is not alone there. Ends on a molasses note. Very well-bodied, alcoholwarming, slick, nearly viscous. Mais pourquoi toujours cet herbe infecte? I’d rather see cannabis in a beer, than coriander, d*mmit.

Bottle conditioned, 330ml at Take 1, Maastricht. Black brown with cream head. Heavy, full, alcoholic sipper with burnt, caramalised character. The body becomes fruity with touches of raisin and sultanas, but it takes some drinking, its not a quaffer for the pub and I struggled with it. I understand its charms, but it was not totally for me.