Unibroue La Gaillarde

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

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard

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Roughly 5-year old 750 ml bottle shared by and with the scintillating, sensational ClarkVV in his humble abode. Glossy, glowing tawny gold body, surprisingly hefty topping with good retention...dried grapes and a bit of lemon in the oxidized, lightly yeasty-cobwebby nose...rather dry body with a lagerish, pils-malt sort of character, remarkably well preserved with just a bit of softening of the herbal qualities...late in the tasting, leafy greens peak out from the somewhat watery finish. Still very good though probably not for much longer.

750mL bottle, unsure of the date, but at least five years old. Shared with Muzzlehatch on 5/20/2005. Soft toned, golden-yellow, perhaps maize appearance. Well-retained white head, quite hazy with still some bubbles rising. Aroma is immediately noticeable as being oxidized. Light paperiness, not full, chunky wet cardboard, though. White grapes, pervasive yeastiness, bit of orange. Light cookie dough. Flavor begins with a honeyish, pils malt-like sweetness. Flaked oats, vanilla and lemon on the end. Cerealish, but in a creamy, mushy barley sort of way (not that that makes much sense). Finishes with more lemons, honey and a moderate amount of cotton candy. Lots of yeast still. Awesome mouthfeel, low but still evident carbonation. Medium to medium full body. I thought this has aged spectacularly and I am saddened that I might never drink this again. Thanks a million SkepticMAP!!!

One of the lesser brews in an outstanding range, so I can’t say I’ll miss this. Poured a cloudy gold with an untypically short-lived head. Sweet aroma had honey notes and some crisp apple fruitiness. However, the flavour didn’t really follow through. Some spiciness but it felt insubstantial compared to the brewer’s usual work. Quenching palate. (Bottle)

UPDATED: JUN 23, 2006 I am a huge fan of Unibroue and have been for about 6 years now. I managed to get my hands on a bottle of this one about a year ago. It has rested in my fridge since then, but I finally broke down and opened it. Sampled from a 750ml brown bottle this beer poured a very cloudy orange-brown color with a small tan head. The aroma is strong, tangy, sweet and has lots of citrus and honey. The flavor is strong honey with light spice, fruit and nut undertones. The mouthfeel is chewy. This really tastes more like mead than beer. Glad I got a chance to try it, and I would no doubt drink it again if it was still being made.

Bottle. Yellow color with a quickly dimminishing head. Taste is light dough with some citrus. Had a weird dustiness and a slight vinegar taste. No big loss that this is no longer available.

Aroma of biscuity malt, honey, and slight clove. There is also a medicinal phenolic character that I’ve noted in Belgian ales that use honey before. Slightly hazy yellow gold color, not much head. Flavor matches the aroma, on the sweet side, kind of watery. Medium light body, medium carbonation. Overall, a not very interesting Belgian ale with a phenolic off-flavor.

Bready with a slight charcter of Brettanomyces that leaves very quicky. Earthy yeast and herbs with a honeyed creme base.

Hazy yellow-orange body, thin off-white ring of carbonation. Appley ester aroma with biscuity notes and a hint of plastic. Funky flavor at first (reminding me of rubber toy figures) that settled to a biscuity, crackery malt base with a touch of apple. Still, I can’t get over that rubbery, plasticy character that permeates the body. Not good. Despite that, thanks JCW for the bottle.

Small white head, fizzy with fair retention and little lace. Hazy gold color. Fruity, yeasty nose, faint mustiness. Med/light body, spritzy on the tongue. Earthy, yeasty notes, good maltiness, wheaty, with notes of citrusand maybe some bananna notes to boot, nice fruityness. Finish is dry, fruity. Thanks to JCW for the trade!

Bottle ala hopsrus. Lightly hazy straw colored liquid with a small layer of white bubbles on top. The brew gets more muddy looking with each addition to the glass. Smells just like clover honey, not the purified stuff, the honeycomb type with a touch of rosemary. Very pleasant. Light feel. Mild biscuit flavors covered with a small amount of butter and honey. Light dry herbs seem to mix in mid swallow. Dry malty finish. Not a long linger, but a touch of the waxy honey seems to come back. An interesting brew. Thanks again JCW for letting me have one of these.