Unibroue 15
Unibroue

Aroma is a complex mix of dark fruit/raisins and fruit. The flavor is dark fruit, mild raisins, yeast, malts and a mix of mild funk and warming alcohol in the finish. From my college days, wish this wasn't a one-off special, it was awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pouring a cellar temp into a snifter. Figured it was time to go after this one after many years maturing in the basement. The beer pours a clear but sediment laden copper hue with a fizzy eggshell white head of 1 cm that fades to a sturdy edge layer rapidly after the pour.
The aroma is evident immediately with citrusy fruit and spice notes leading the way, I get some cloves and pear with a little musty funk buried in for good measure. I also get bready yeast notes that mix with the fruitiness to remind me of scones or muffins.
First sip reveals an average body with fine tingly carbonation and a little bit of a stickiness on my lips after the sip. The carbonation leaves a lingering feel on my tongue. I also get many burps from one sip, didnt think the carbonation was very high, but rethinking that now.
Flavor is sweet and spicy with toffee, pear, white grape, and then moves to cloves and some black pepper. the carbonation lingers on my palate after each sip, amazing.
Flavor is also some grain and bread with a little musty blanket on the finish. As the beer is warming now, I also get some anise, which i personally dont like as a flavor, but I suspect many would approve of in this beer.
I dont get any warming alcohol or other hints of the booze and this 10%er goes down a little too easy IMO.
Glad I sat on this, would be happy to have another downstairs, but I do not. Unibroue and the anniversary beers are usually good for many years and this one continues that trend. Bon Biere de la Quebec!

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a hazy dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and a half finger off-white head that quickly settles into a thin, lasting ring. Spotty lacing left behind.

Slightly funky, earthy aroma with a decent balance of zesty spice, bready yeast, grassy hops and estery light fruit notes. Some pepper and clove followed by hints of bread, banana and bubblegum. Subtle earthy straw/hay character along with more banana, pear and apple. Seems to have held up well and still smells pretty nice.

On the fuller end of medium bodied with tight carbonation and a slight creamy texture. Heavily spiced up front with some pepper, clove and coriander lingering over the musty funk, bready yeast, light fruit and earthy hop notes into a dry, slightly tart finish. Strong bread/yeast presence with sourdough flavor followed by sweet banana, apple and pear flavors. Some earthy, grassy hops toward the end of the palate balance things out and prevents it from becoming too sweet. There's also some subtle alcohol sweetness in the finish but the high ABV is very well masked.

I didn't know what to expect going in but this beer has held up surprisingly well. Complex, flavorful and well balanced. Very slight oxidization but is still drinking very smoothly and the high alcohol content is toned down, giving off little to no heat. I'm having no problem going through this 750ml rather quickly.

 

 

 

750ml Bottle - Thanks to Pushkinwow for sharing

Appearance - Hazy copper colour with a small size fizzy off white coloured head. There is a below average amount of carbonation and there isn't much lacing. The head was gone in a few minutes.

Smell - Malts, raisins/grapes, yeast, apples

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, grapes/raisins, and apples. There is also a fair amount of yeast and spice and a bit of a honey sweetness. It ends with a fruity and spicy aftertaste.

Overall - I really enjoyed this one and even though it is an older bottle the flavours were still very vibrant and full. The booze was well hidden and the beer is extremely drinkable. I'd like to have a few bottles of this in my cellar for special occasions.

 

750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottle date of 1/6/2006. Pours a very hazy and cloudy golden orange color with a fairly dense 1-2 finger off white head with decent retention that reduces to a thin cap of lace that lingers. Some slight bits of lace on the glass. Aromas of big banana, orange, honey, grape, caramel, molasses, candi sugar, clove, and yeast spices. Some nice and well balanced aromas with good complexity. Taste of big banana, orange peel, grape, honey, pepper, toffee, butterscotch, clove, molasses, apple, candi sugar, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of caramel, citrus, toffee, butterscotch, clove, molasses, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel. Very smooth to drink for 10%, but is still a bit of a sipper. Alcohol is extremely well hidden, with hardly any warming noticed at all after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent Belgian strong pale. Tons of great balanced flavors with good complexity; and very smooth to drink for the gravity. Definitely highly enjoyed this one. This has held up very nicely over 6 years.

 

 

 

 

I forgot about this one in a dark corner of the basement, and was a bit nervous about how well it aged. Popping the cork yielded a whiff of alcohol and berry. Pouring yielded light copper body with a very sparse layer of foam. Mouthfeel is prickly with a good bit of carbonation that is unexpected based on the weak head. A bit of alcohol is evident, fruity with a touch of tart and just enough bitter to balance things out. Glad I hung onto this one, it held up very well.