Unibroue Quelque Chose

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

My first bottle I drank cold in July ’04, and enjoyed. I remember a weak head, but took no notes. Tried my second bottle (now retired) in Dec. ’07, heated. Served at Volo Cafe, apparently heated by placing the open bottle in a boiling pot of water until steaming hot. The cherry aroma was fairly strong. I tasted dark cherry leading to cinnamon. So strange to sip a steaming hot beer like warm cider! It was perfect on an icy day in Toronto, wiping slush from my boots, and one of the most unique beer experiences I’ve had. If only they’d start brewing this one again.

Pours reddish brown with no head. Aroma is strong of cherries, grapes, with a bit of sweet malt and caramel. Flavor is quite sweet of cherries, caramel and a slightly tart finish. Quite fruity- all the flavors work well here in combination. Palate is smooth and lacking carbonation. Amazingly balanced and flavorful.

Presentation: It was poured from a corked and caged 750ml bottle into a pint glass. It has a hazy, reddish brown colored body with almost no head at all. There were just a few small, light tan bubbles around the sides of the glass. The aroma is light with a modest tea like herbal hops and chopped up fresh cherries in the nose. The flavor has a mix of sweet, sour and tangy fruits and spices that reminds me off mincemeat pie filling with a warming brandy flavor note. Hop flavor is mild and herbal. All these flavors mix and mingle nicely on the tongue within a smooth and slightly sticky full body. This beer has a very deep interesting flavor and a wonderful full body that made for a nice slow sipping after dinner treat.

Unibroue Quelque Chose is a candy apple red ale; dense, very clear, not sparkling and no head. It looks viscous and not at all like beer. At cellar temperature, the aroma is complex: sour cherries, honey, old barrels, caramel, chocolate, earth and alcohol. The is no carbonation that I can detect. It has a full mouth feel, thick and syrupy. The finish actually seems crisp and acidic. It tastes sweet and sour: cherries, honey, chocolate and vanilla. The aftertaste is of clove, black pepper, cinnamon and alcohol. What a unique beverage! I can see how it could get cloying after a while. I had to split this one with my wife.

Bottle at Silver Gulch, minimal pink head, rich ruby hue, light cherry aroma. Nice cherry beverage with just enough tartness to keep it drinkable. Highly recomended.

Yummy!! Partnered this with backed cheesecake and berry compote, completely irrelevant but totally added to the experience! Served heated, poured nice pink/cherry colour with thin fizzy collar of foam, that persists despite size. Aromas are dominated by morello cherries and fruit spice. Palate is malty sweet, with candied cherries in abundance, however sweetness never cloys, seems to be balanced by appley tartness. Back palate brings with it warming alcohol and truck loads of fruit spice.

Nice red color, pinkish head. Looks just like it tastes. Candy sweet, which is just fine if you’re in a mood for that sort of thing.

2002 Bottle. Sweet light cherry aroma with a slight acidic note. Brownish red color with no head. Sweet cherry flavors with a light hint of grape fruit. It has a very light spicy note and a fruity and cherry filled palate. Not bad.