Unibroue Éphémère Apple

Brewed by Unibroue (Sapporo)
Style: Fruit Beer
Chambly, Canada

Very beautiful in the glass, lively active tight bubbles climb to a towering fluffy white head. Hazy yellow in the middle approaches clear on the sides of the glass. Strong red delicious apple aroma, cherry blossom, and that smell that follows a spring rainstorm. Medicinal bite, this is where it takes on an artificial side. There’s still some apple flavor in there, some pear too, but it’s more like cheap candy. I needed a glass of water to rinse when I was done.

Pour: 12 oz bottle to pint glass. Hazy opaque peachy straw color. Visibly effervescent, big white head, rather fizzy though. The foam shrivels to nothing quickly with no lacing. Nose: Phenolic and coriander notes are detectable beneath the big sweet apple aroma. Mouth: Green apples, sweet and lightly tart, shroud a fairly typical witbier flavor profile consisting of banana pith, eggnog, and coriander. Carbonation is very very high, which is limiting the drinkability as I struggle to sip without getting the pop-rocks-in-cola feeling. The bubbles are too coarse for a Belgian style beer as well, making it too prickly on the palate. Not bad, just needs some refinement.

This is a unique, refreshing ale that verges on and apple cider. Incredibly refreshing and drinkable, it has a nose of cider and the taste of green apples, but in all other aspects, it is a witbeer: hazy, large head, zesty and orange flavors, and a bready, wheaty backbone.

Dégusté dans le verre d’éphémère. De couleur or ambré au reflet orangé avec léger dépôt de levure et une faible carbonation. Une odeur de pomme verte, de levure avec trait de coriande et de clou de giroffe. Il y va de même pour le goût, rien de trop complexe, tout est réservé à la pomme.

Four-pack bottles purchased at local grocery. The smell of Granny-Smith apples is extremely prominent above all other tones. Pours cloudy with reasonable head. thick carbonation almost like champagne. Tastes like apple mixed into a very sweet witbier. Very drinkable but I wished you could taste the flavor of some other ingredients besides the apples.

From a 750 ml corked and caged bottle this poured a very cloudy golden orange with a very small white head that was gone in seconds. Nose is of sour apples and spices, mostly coriander. Champagne like mouthfeel. Flavor is mostly apple but the spices are clearly present. Dry finish. Quite drinkable.

Pours an extremely hazy golden yellow with thick egg white-white head. Aroma is crisp, very tart green apple with coriander and clove notes. There is a mild similarity to the aroma of cider, but that is as far as it goes in similarity to cider as it is not overpoweringly sweet. Flavor is tart apple but surprisingly light. There is not an overwhelming presence of apple flavor to overwhelm the other flavors. There is definitely the Belgian yeast presence in the flavor that is spiced up with the coriander. Very reminiscent of a more dry champagne with a little sweetness and tartness added. The body is very similar to champagne, although a little thicker body, it has the effervescence of champagne. I also like the low ABV (5.5) so it doesn’t knock you out and can enjoy.

Champagne flute from bottle. Refreshing sweet apples and cherries bubble on the nose. Cloudy tan color with a champagne effervescence. Refreshing flavor with bubbly hints of green apple, bubbly on the tongue. Great summer brew.