Unibroue 17

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

2011 Vintage. Pours a murky rust hue topped with a prominent and lasting light tan head; nice spots of lacing here and there. Aroma is woody and a touch spicy with notes of booze and dark fruits coming through. In the mouth, typical Belgian yeastiness and sharp spices segue into distinct wooden/bark flavors contrasted by a warming booziness in the finish. Smooth on the palate, alcohol is nicely masked. Good stuff, and a nice use of French Oak to lend some further interest.

750ml corked bottle pours a dirty amber color with a 2 finger off-white head that settles slowly leaving some nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is dark fruits and light roasted malts and some yeast. Taste is dark fruits with a light roasty malt bitterness and caramel malty sweetness with a light hop bitterness and slight alcohol burn in the finish. This is a testament to this style of ale and highly recommended to try before it’s all gone.

Pours dark red with frothy head. Strong aroma and taste that’s initially sweet followed up by a malty alcohol. Very good reproduction of a fine Belgian ale.

aroma is amazing with lots of rum, molasses, dark dry fruit and alcohol. flavor is a nice balance of sweet molasses and sharp alcohol. smooth and creamy, with low carbonation, long sweet roasty finish.

750ml from my dear Canadian brother: Pours a reddish brown color with a large beige creamy head. Aroma is tons of fruits, a wee bit of booze, plums amongst other things, and Belgian yeast. Taste is much the same. Sweetness starts out at the front and stays through to the aftertaste. Spices and hops balance off against the fruity sweetness and provide a nice dialectical complexity. Alcohol is faintly noticeable and it is in a very warming way. This is an excellent Belgian strong.

750 ml bottle from LCBO (2011 Vintage). Pours a cloudy dark amber/brown with moderate-sized light tan head. Aroma is both light and dark fruits, light spicing and a little a little smoke. Flavour is quite fruity - pears, apples, plums, even berries - with a little smokiness/wood that keeps it from being too sweet plus some spice and alcohol. Medium-full body. Nice.

750 ml bottle. Pours deep dark red, with bubbly head. Aroma is fruity malts, raisins and plums, berries, yeast. Definitely a Unibroue. Taste is sweet, almost no bitter here at all. Also a little vanilla in the taste. For the first couple of sips it was too sweet, but by halfway done my glass I was really enjoying this. Trés bien!

750mL bottle from LCBO. Pours dark brown with an enormous continuousl-growing head. Aroma is not too strong, but is quite nice; typical Belgian smell. Taste is.... just perfect! Amazing! I’m glad I have 3 more bottles of this waiting for me in my cellar.