Unibroue 16

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Bottle consumed on 5/26/07
Let this one sit for a couple months after its release and I’m betting it was for the better. The head wasn’t as huge and domineering as many Unibroues, but still showed fair retention and moderate lacing. You can (almost) always count on Unibroue for extremely well-done bottle conditioning. The head is off-white, the body a dark copper-beige, with plentiful, tiny bubbles.
Sweet in the nose, with light bubble gum and vanilla bracing the light caramel and honey notes. Dry esters are strong, but inviting, thanks to the balance they bring against the sweet malts. The usual peppery phenols are present, though this one has far, far less of the black pepper dryness that 15 had. Light cherry notes emerge, as well as some cinnamon-like phenols. Ends with the house yeast character that is both nutty and lightly vegetal. Alcohol well-concealed, medium-high strength of aroma.
Sweet and chewy, with soft vanilla and an almost herbal/tea-like bitterness that is very subtle. Some slight touches of breadiness and toast give a little jolt of flavor and the beer ends surprisingly dry, quite spicy (phenols) and with a hint of alcohol warmth. Carbonation is not overdone, and seems to settle in to a nice groove very quickly. The tight bubbles help keep the sweetness at bay and it never becomes a problem. There must be a fair amount of some adjunct sugar, because there’s a definite sticky/chewiness to the finish, slightly tacky at times, but the body never seems hugely malty. Good stuff, no real stand-out characters, but a very enjoyable and authentic Belgian ale.

Golden orange with an off white head. Some piney notes in the nose. Typical Unibroue yeast character. Thin with lots of bubbles. Better than most Unibroue offerings.

Bottle. Signature Unibrou yeast aroma with lots of apple, grapefruit, and some other fruit notes. Nice red cloudy beer with a frothy head. Nice spice. Well balanced yeast flavor, sour with lots of fruit. Nice smooth palate.

Well done belgian, but pretty typical. SPiced, yest nose. Frothy head resting upon a bright yellow body. Banana, clove, yeast taste. Spiced finish. Enjoyable.

Aroma seems fairly light to me. Very bready/yeasty with some good malt notes. Slight hints of citrusy hops and alcohol. Appearance is very nice caramel brown. This beer shines for flavor. Somewhat biting carbonation on the tongue, the alcohol is noticeable. Has a good definite Belgium characteristic flavor.

Slightly cloudy deep caramel colored pour. HUGE foamy off-white head. Nice nose – spicy Belgian yeast, a bit a banana, small amount of candy sugar. Smooth silky mouthfeel, very active carbonation. Flavor is very sweet and fruity, dominated by the Belgian yeast character. Nice!

(750ml bottle) Courtesy of Goldorak. Pours a frothy, tan head with a deep ruby brown body. Nose is similar to a weak La Terrible. Very smooth flavour, almost vanilla-like with a mild plum backing. Alcohol bites the back of the throat. Interesting.

Pours mahogany with a small head. Aroma is sweet malt and sour fruit (cherry ?). Flavor is sweet with caramelized fruit in the foreground. There is a fairly strong alcohol presence along with a bitter hop finish. A good strong ale.