Unibroue Édition 2005

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

Opened on 6/16/2009. Pours a slightly brown-cherry color, very thin head, not much carbonation when the cork was popped. Aroma is has a very heavy plum/prune presence, a lot of sweet cherry notes, light brown sugar, sweet caramel malt at the end. Flavor is a strong dark fruit note up front, light caramel malty middle and ends with a very sugary and alcoholic ending. Density is just a bit thin and without the high carbonation usually seen in a Belgian Strong, the flavors seem to be a bit flat and the darkness of the fruit flavor makes it seem similar to a merlot wine than a beer. No oxidation but the flavors were slightly muted. Overall I could see this being better with a bit higher carbonation but the dark fruits reign in this aged brew.

750ml consumed 2009. Approx 4 years old. Pours a deep dark plum color. Thin head is just swirls of white cream. Aroma is rich sweet malts and some sharp alcohol. Flavors are rich dark fruit soaked in alcohol. This was prolly at is best about a year or two ago.

Thank you beercronic (aka the human meat wallet) for cellaring this in your beerium for 3 long years, we’ll be sure to drink mine in a few more years that is if your feet don’t explode on the NBT next month. Beer appears to be the color of coke minus the t reddish hue, a thin short lived film floated briefly on top but could be replace with a few gentle swirls producing a spiral graph of bubbles. My first initial sniffs I was picking up an high quantity of “candied cinnamon” but this seems to trail of into a grape candy aroma. Wood was appearing along with mild alcohol the warmer the brew got. On my very first sip I swore this was apple juice. Brew is almost to sweet, cherries and liquorish are noticeable along with mild wood and alcohol. Getting a very mild skunkiness in the after taste but its barely noticeable. This is very tasty but not as good as remember it being when it was fresh its seems to have gotten sweeter and thinner.

750 mL bottle. Pours a lovely red-tinged mahogany with beige head. The aroma is malty with figs, chocolate, light licorice, and cherry, with some woody and vinous notes. The flavor is fig, port, subtle tannins, and bitter chocolate. It finishes very nicely-- a little on the dry side, which I like, with lots of vinous notes, a hint of yeast, sour cherry, peach pit, and a distant hint of Scotch. Very good stuff. I wish it was slightly more carbonated, but it’s quite tasty as is.

Shared by HogTownHarry with me before the ballgame - thanks a million Harry! Appearance: Ruby red / burgundy with a small white head. Aroma: Malt, rose wine, yeast (that familiar Unibroue aroma!) and pepper, nice. Flavour: Yeast, orange, alcohol, apples, alcohol again, coriander and pepper, a wonderful combination.

Dark brown color with wispy white head. Sweet caramel with a very berry like character and a note of pine. Dark pitted fruits and caramel dominate the sweet body. A little chocolate and cherry in the finish. A bit of a bite from the yeast on the tale.

Brown with a white head. Aroma is sweet caramel and some hops. Also dark berries is present. Taste is sweet caramel, blackberries, cherry and notes of cocoa.

4oz sample into snifter glass. Given the light color of Edition 2004, I was surprised when this beer came out of the bottle deep brown! Aroma, as with Edition 2004, is absolutely powerful; strong dark fruit, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg. Flavor has similar sweet, dark fruit primary components, leaning towards ripe plum, raisins, and dark cherries. There is also an interesting earthy/moss flavor thread running through the mid-palate. Palate is overall very smooth, and carbonation is noticeably more subdued than Unibroue’s typical offerings.