Metallic straw-hued white-foamed pale lager stuck in cardboard-y quagmire eradicates dirge-y whiskey spell and meager clover-honeyed corn syrup finish as boredom ensues.
UNIBROUE 15
Deservedly celebrating fifteenth anniversary, pearly meringue-headed golden-hazed Belgian-styled strong pale ale works in stages. Initial banana-ripened butterscotch-toffee conflux brakes for dry lemony hop simmer, bringing green apple and curacao orange tartness along for the ride. Mint-tinged white pepper spicing then reinforces clove-coriander sweetness ’til creamy candi-sugared vanilla finish encapsulates airy citric indulgence.
(UNIBROUE) EPHEMERE ALE – CRANBERRY
Serene maize-hazed wheat ale with tart cranberry juicing finds bittersweet blueberry sanctuary to catapult lemony seltzer-like fizz and spiced apple-peach-tangerine tang. Soft melon essence informs easy flowing finish where slight acidity beckons.
(UNIBROUE) EPHEMERE ALE – CASSIS
Beautifully mellow pinkish white-headed golden dry body nicely constricts black currant bitterness succinctly soaked up by cranberry apple tartness, unripe peach serenity, and citric rosebud tinge. Honey wheat backdrop flawlessly underscores oncoming bittersweet blueberry finish further soured by ester-y champagne tingle.
(UNIBROUE) EPHEMERE ALE – APPLE
Paramount puffy cumulous-headed sunny yellow-orange citron delight. Tangy green apple-spiced fruit ale quickly imbibes garish coriander spurt. Then, tart quince essence envelops buttery caramel backend to silky soft-watered banana-clove finish, sweetening like red apple cider as it warms.
UNIBROUE EDITION 2004 ALE
Complex coppery annual ale counters lively fruited hop frontage with herbal white-peppered ginger-clove-eucalyptus respite and leathery grape tannin dryness. Swirled peach-orange-grapefruit-berry medley stimulates piney menthol freshness.
UNIBROUE 11 PALE ALE
Tawny turbidity and sunny hue mark effervescent Belgian-styled knockoff. Initial fruity ester tingle and soured lemon-orange tang supplant herbal rosebud-pepper spicing, redeeming yeast-enhanced banana-clove-coriander outline nicely.
UNIBROUE DON DE DIEU ALE
Quite possibly Canada’s greatest, most distinguished brewer, Unibroue’s complex bottle fermented ales showcase high alcohol content and lusty malt presence. For foremost Don De Dieu, well-balanced adjuncts create buttery burgundy tone, soft fruity current, and floral-spiced white ale souring. Veteran drinkers could be fooled into believing this was an adventurous Belgian ale. That’s how great it is.
(UNIBROUE) CHAMBLY NOIRE
Mellow ruby-hued Belgian-styled dark ale tucks wintry clove-coriander-nutmeg spicing beneath dried fig-date dankness and tangy mango-grapefruit sliver. Dry peppery-herbal hop coarseness churns distant black cherry, white peach, green apple, and blanched watermelon illusions to soapy currant finish. Surprisingly thin.
(UNIBROUE) BLANCHE DE L’ILE WHEAT BEER
Dank malted grain essence would lead drinker to believe this wheat beer has thick texture, but that’s not the case. Moderate-bodied with traces of sweet curdled yeast, it’s a bit flat and soapy for its class. Wheat base held in check and lack of heady froth further disappoints.
(UNIBROUE) BLANCHE DE CHAMBLY WITBIER
Made from a Middle Ages White Beer recipe, Blanche has great character; resembling a Bavarian wheat with its tart lemony banana-orange essence, bubbly champagne flow, coriander-clove-ginger dollop, and re-fermented albino yeast base. Arguably tastier, and certainly easier to consume, than fine German weissbier, yet not as effervescent.
UITZET KRIEKBIER
Raspy copper penny-hued, pinkish-headed ‘kriek’ opens dry, tart, and bitter, compromising mellow stone-fruited splendor with phenol coarseness until tannic cherry souring and vinous white grape esters show appreciation. Fizzy champagne tingle seeps into woody oaken astringency of slow sipping cherry-pied aperitif.