Unibroue Édition 2005

Formerly brewed at Unibroue (Sapporo)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Chambly, Canada

The Unibroue Rep was in Brian’s Beer Outlet the other day and told me to try this bottle in my collection.Popped like it was Champagne!! Deep,Deep Brown, almost black in color. Strawberry, Raspberry and Sweet Prunes on the nose. Sweet Dark Ripe fruit flavor starts to a slightly dry finish that goes on for about 5 minutes. Goes down sooo smooth!! This ale is aging very well.

In the bomber bottle. Pours a dark dark purple brown color with a thick beige head. Deep fruity aroma, flavors of dark fruits and raisins. This is remarkably similar to the Trader Joe’s vintage ales. Red cherries and raspberries. Phenomenal. This is good drinking right now.

Bottle. Pours a hazy brune body with a tan head. Sweet with fruit esters, etoh latent esters at that. Some plum, raisin, and banana notes. A strong warming, and similar to many of their others.

Rating number 2005 - I have been holding on to this one for this number. Sampled from a 750 ml brown bottle this beer poured a murky black-brown with a small khaki head. The aroma was yeasty, woody and sweet with a strong cherry presence. The flavor was sweet, tart and tangy with notes of apple, raisin, cherry, port wine, sugar, rum and tobacco. The typical Unibroue house character permeates the nose and flavor but I am very fond of that element. The beer is wonderfully complex and full. The finish is long with cherry lasting the most. Thick and full bodied. Wonderful.

Buster’s in Memphis said a distributor had been holding onto this until it reached 5 years, and it is something special. Never been a big Unibroue fan, but the stone fruit flavor and spiciness without cloying sweetness make this an outstanding candidate for aging. I’m heading back to get more of this while it lasts.

Bottle. Sampled at International Beer Garten (Lutz, FL). Pours a rich amber color with a tan head. The high alcohol is noticeable in the aroma with an interesting brandy-like characteristic. The flavor again has high alcohol notes to it, but also has a strong butterscotch flavor. An interesting variation on a strong ale.

Bottle. Just turned 5 years old this week. Muddy brown pour with a thin white head that leaves a good ring. Aroma is pretty rich, strong smell of sour cherries, some shy grapes and plums the mix gives a sort of cognac aroma that is very inviting. Taste is more cherries very tart gueuze taste with some surprising leftover alcohol presence. Mouthfeel is very full, due to the alcohol and the acidity, it has kept good carbonation despite its age. Pretty prime beer.

Pours a very dark chestnut brown almost black color with very faint burgundy edges when held to a light source and a massive frothy, pillowy beige head that lasts forever leaving large chunks of soapy lacing all over the glass. Chocolate malty aroma with hints of dark fruit, candi sugar, haelnut, hops and alcohol. Lots of dark fruit notes, plum, raisin, date, fig, dark cherry and grapes. Extremely smooth and well balanced with the perfect amount of choclate maltiness balancing out the dark fruit notes. The ABV is very well masked by the dark fuit notes. Dark cherry, raisin, plum, date, fig, candi sugar and subtle hops all make an appearance with a very slight dry hop finish. Excellent!