Unibroue Quelque Chose

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

This sample that I have before me says best before 4/98, so it may not be all that indicative of the fresh product. I am taking Oakes’ recommendation, however, and trying it in my wide-mouthed glass over ice. It has a very tart/sour character, with some alcohol vaguely evident, and virtually no carbonation whatsoever. Intense wine-red color and fruity nose. Quite different. I may let the rest of the bottle sit out and get to room temp. before I finish it off.

60°F: Beautiful deep ruby red color. No head whatsoever after a fairly rough pour. Wow... I can smell the brett from about three feet away. Strong sweet cherry aroma. Quite yeasty. Smells like an estery Belgian yeast was used before the brett. Maybe a touch of malt in the background. Slight alcohol aroma. Slightly tart flavor. Some alcohol apparent on the swallow. I don’t get nearly as much brett in the flavor as I do in the aroma. A fair amount of residual sweetness. Reminds me a bit of cough syrup. Tastes young. A bit thin. I would prefer a lot more carbonation. Tasty nonetheless. I imagine this beer would be great after a year or two in the cellar and with a little less sweetness. Give me a New Glarus Belgian Red over this anyday, but still it’s a respectable offering.

Simply stunning!! Any which way you serve this beer it is sure to be a delight. Dried cherry dominates the flavour profile when it is mulled and a refreshing cherry sweetness pokes through while it is on ice. Amazing.

2002 Vintage: Saved for the big snowstorm. Tried it warmed first. Aroma of cherries. Flavor of cherries. Like drinking a fresh warm cherry pie. A little sour in the finish. Cold: Clear amber color. Cherry aroma and flavor is weaker and seems to be more sour.

I’’m doing this from memory since it was a couple of weeks ago. First off $8.50 a bottle? I’’ve tried XMAS specialty beers, but that price intrigued me enough to at least try it once. First off, it said that some people prefer to have this hot. Since I had a cold at the time, I had thought about having a hot mulled cider. Instead I had a hot mulled Quelque Chose!! Pour the bottle into a ceramic mug and microwave for about 3 minutes. Make sure to slightly stir when you take it out and see if it was hot enough. Wonderful flavor of cherries. Acid-like flavor of a lambic. No head to speak of, even before microwaving. Its too bad that this cost so much because I could easily get adicted to it. :-) But is definately a specialty beer, not to be taken likely!!

For this rating I sampled cool, room temp and warm versions of both 2002 and 2006. I’ll start with 2002. Pours dark orange / bronze with no head at all. At room temp the aroma has lush ripe Montmorency cherries that are tart and smooth with light spice. The aroma is similar cold, but much more faint and warm it comes off much richer and smoother. Medium body with no carbonation at all temperature - more crisp cold and smoother warm. At room temp the taste starts with lush cherries with some tartness and sharpness with a bite. The finish has even more of a nice bite to it. Cold it didn’t have the lushness to it and came off with more spice and came off slightly medicinal. Warm there is a pleasant spice that is prevalent over the cherries, but doesn’t completely cover them up. Warm it is not very tart. The finish has some pleasing alcohol warmth not noticed at the other temperatures. Amazing considering the age on this. 2006 differences: The pour was more of a reddish brown with a small light pink head. The aroma had more of a cherry pie filling characteristic on all temps. At room temperature it has light carbonation not present on the 2002 version. Taste was a bit more peppery and drier. Cold was remarkably similar. Warm the 2006 version had more rich cherries and a creaminess not on the 2002 version. Overall they are impressively similar even with four years of age between them. I preferred the 2002 best at room temperature and the 2006 warm - each only by a slight bit though, cold is last on both accounts. Very nice interesting beer that I look forward to sitting down and enjoying without taking pages of notes next time.

Almost instantly reminded me of a kriek lambic. Drank hot. Wine like characteristics. Obvious cherry flavors are dominant. Perfect alcohol balance. Cherry alcohol aroma. Crimson, brownish-red appearance. Delicious. Must try this one. I’m certain I’ll like this one even better at room temperature as well as col.

Easter 2003 - Served for dessert with a rich chocolate cake. (We tried it ice cold this time) Deliciously sweet and full of spices - maybe cinnamon and ginger. A little bit of oak at the finish. Not quite as sour/tart as some, but this is really terrific stuff.