Unibroue Quelque Chose

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

From a caged corked 500 ml. magnum shaped brown bottle with a small card attached to neck that offers serving ideas and a blurb on back, and a bottling date on the back of bottle, 08/08/02. Sampled at cellar temperature in a chalice. Made an average appearance, poured a cherry juice red with a fizzy head that quickly settled into a nothing, no lacing, low carbonation. Had a tart cherry fruity nose with light whiffs of spicy alcohol. A slickly tart, smooth, almost watery, uncarbonated water that is, full bodied mouth feel, above average drinkability. Tart cherry juiciness with a little allspice alochol, the alcohol is subtle and nicely warming, and a dryish tartly sweet cherry fruity finish. A decent cherry ale, would make a dessert beer with dark chocolate, something I would only want every great once in awhile.

Served it at room temperature, as advised. Probably a good move. Poured a nice red color and that’s about all for appearance: no head, no lacing, no carbonation. Just dead red, that’s it. The aroma was of cherries and some funky spices. The flavor was rich cherries, somewhat tart and sweet at the same time, syrupy sweet (cough syrup parallels?), and spiced with cinnamon and cloves. After hearing there was ginger in there, I concurred, but didn’t pick it up on my own. The white pepper was hard to detect even after reading of its presence and then heading to the cupboards to find out what in the heck it was. Either way, syrupy and sticky mouthfeel and too flat. An interesting experience, but not worth the price.

Limited Edition bottle 2002. Pours a hazy brown with ruby hues. No head whatsoever, and very small microscopic carbonation bubbles. Hmmm. Now to the aroma, sugary cherries, cinnamon, and malt. Heavy flavor of cherries (little tartness), apple juice, and cinnamon. I doubt there are any hops in this beer. The sweetness is at its limits, anymore and it’s overdone. The finish is sweet and slightly sticky. You can’t feel any carbonation. In general, this tastes like a spiced holiday sweet cider, not a beer. Maybe why that’s the label says you can drink it on ice, heated up, or like a beer. For what it is, I like it alot. But I would have to be in the right mood for this to drink again. Is this really a beer? Heck, I think my mom would drink this.

Oi,oi,oi, what happened! A mad fan from way back of the wonderfully unique Liefman’s Glühkriek and under the impression Riva assisted with the creation of this one, I’m amazed this rates higher. The Liefman’s child has a slight acidity and zing to the palate with a rounded deep and complex fruit aroma and flavour whereas this just seemed content for monotone at room temperature and only just excites warm.<!-- br -->
A 2002 (room temp.); pours an oily looking ’tawny-port’ red that grips a slick, glossy film to the glass as it swished around. Aroma initially has ripe cherries but it quickly dwindles to show it’s true character in a very savoury, aged mix of fruit; quite dry like my grandma’s famous fruit cake mix just prior to adding the dough. There is just a nibble of spice with a late addition of dry oak, almonds and sherry. In the mouth it seems thin and just a little lifeless (not the carbonation, the overall effect). Just a small residual effervescence is present on the tip of the tongue but after that its slightly oily and dull. Flavour is medicinal, vinous, and the fruit flavours seem reminiscent more of over-ripe apples with just a touch of refermented cherry juice. Spices like nutmeg and cinnamon tickle the mid-palate before it slips off oily and shows a light depth of that same ’old’ fruit for some length. Holds the alcohol amazingly well with it slowly creeping up on me like a fine ’burnt wine’ (brandy). Not exciting like I hoped. <!-- br -->
2002 (70ºC); pours the same but with winter unseasonably upon us steam rose atop the oily port body. Aroma is piercing now, pungent yet controlled but still wavering around those fallen cherry tones with a touch of baked apple and cinnamon. In the mouth it seems an elixir I might use for ridding myself a cold. Tangy, with more warmth present from the alcohol or is that just the heat. Flavour is very similar as at room temperature with apples ruling where cherries should be and the spice is just lost in the alcohol tingle. Even warm it is quite simple and lacks what the Glühkriek should be famed for. Just needs more complexity, or is it artisanal aide!?! <!-- br -->
Overall, not bad, but I expected more. (both 50cL corked, 08/08/02, Int’l Beer Shop, W. Leederville)

Aroma: cherries, apples, cinnamon, vitamins/health food store <!-- br --> Appearance: golden, uncarbonated <!-- br --> Flavor: tart cherries, sourness, apples, cinnamon, and vitamins/health food store <!-- br --> Palate: slightly sour, tart cherry and vitamin aftertaste <!-- br --> Overall: it grows on me

Looks a bit like apple juice, fairly small head. Smelled pretty good, full of apples, cinnamon, maple and sweet honey. Texture was quite light, a bit thin, but the taste of dark cherries and slightly sweet honey is pretty good.

I first tried a glass of this as recommended hot. I did not like. I preferred it cold. Very rich in cherry flavour, a little too fruity for a beer in my opinion, much more like a cider. Otherwise a fine drink.

Tastes a bit like cherry cider. Tart and sour. Good bit of apple flavor on top of the cherry. Somewhat musty. Pretty good amount of spices, including nutmeg and cinnamon. Not sure why they chose to bottle it still. Hardly resembles a beer, but is still a tasty beverage.