Dry floral-spiced piney hop tingle and carbolic grapefruit-orange peel tartness bestow modest bronze-hazed India Pale Ale with less bite than more bitter rivals. Cordial biscuit-y wheat base sweetened by tangerine-peach-pineapple tang plus mild cherry and baked apple tartness. Narrow resin-charred flank and oxidized lemon rind finish recede rapidly.
All posts by John Fortunato
UPLAND CHOCOLATE STOUT
Chunky chocolate and creamy caramel provide milky creaminess to surging coffee-burnt hazelnut mantra for deep mocha penetration.
UPLAND BAVARIAN-STYLE MAIBOCK
Rich spring bock maintains buttery toffee warmth and settling red fruited nature. But unassuming malt profile knocks it back a smidgen.
UNION PREMIUM BEER
Pee-yellow billowy-headed lightweight Slovenian smells like pizza and garnishes a slight metallic spiciness at the back of the tongue. Bleary corn-sugared malt sweetness lingers ’til softly hopped dirty grain finish gets watery.
(UNICORN) ROBINSON’S OLD TOM BARLEYWINE STYLE ALE
Prominent black cherry frontage shelters bittersweet black chocolate surge of delectable full-bodied barleywine. Dry port midst recedes to acetous burgundy finish. Delicate mineral water current never impedes robustness.
(UNICORN) ROBINSON’S DOUBLE HOP PREMIUM ALE
Dry-hopped cask conditioned ale with traditional British distinction. Somewhat reminiscent of Boddington Ale (minus the floating carbonation ball), this hop-fueled, Scotch malt-sweetened premium retains overall smoothness and butterscotch finish, but needs to be heartier.
(UNICORN) FREDERIC ROBINSON NORTHERN GLORY PREMIUM ALE
Aromatic malts beget cracked wheat, honeyed biscuit, and sweet Scotch insinuations leveraged by sour yeast undercoating.
UNICER SUPER BOCK
Won’t set the world on fire and definitely not the strongest bock available, but pale complexion, watery resonation, dainty malt texture, and lemony maize dryness may intrigue light pilsner fans. I guess Portugal’s forte is still port wine.
UNIBROUE U2
Less charismatic than Unibroue’s better ales, coppery Euro-styled Vienna lager conveys dry whiskey malt slither to toasted honey wheat astringency. Sedate orange zest gets lost amongst vigorous carbonation.
UNIBROUE TROIS PISTOLES ALE
Mellow billowy-headed sienna-hued strong ale with uniformly fading circular bubbles retains bittersweet raisin-plum-fig tenacity, dried apricot-cherry penchant, and tannic red-purple grape tartness. Dry grape-skinned Muscat-wined burgundy-port illusions pop up above capacious apple-spiced wheat spine. Ginger and orange peel make veiled cameos augmenting plumed yeast intricacy. With its puissant 9.9% alcohol content, why take Nyquil?
UNIBROUE TERRIBLE DARK ALE
Noticeably darker than most Uni’s, this cocoa-headed, cascade-beaded, ruby-highlighted, brown-clouded dry body spreads lavender-rosemary fragrance above dried orange regalia, desolate prune-fig-pomegranate souring and latent coffee-roasted bite. Apple-grape-cherry-pear spree galvanizes diluted sherry-rum finish as metallic alcohol whir sullenly looms through bomber-bottled Belgian-styled strong ale.
UNIBROUE 10
Special 10th anniversary ‘grand cuvee’ typifies Unibroue’s more uniquely styled brews which are truly in a league of their own. Compares favorably to Belgian white ales with its wheat wine essence, zesty orange wisp, and carbolic hop-spiced clove seasoning. Unexpected cinnamon-nutmeg backdrop adds pleasant holiday spirit. Still, more fluffy than creamy, hurting its persistence.