Thursday, January 21, 2010

Unibroue, beer from Chambly, Quebec










I have been a fan of Unibroue products for years. These craft beers from Chambly, Quebec are truly artisan, hand crafted ales from a time gone by. They use an age old process of in-bottle fermentation which is than only partially filtered rather than completely, as commercial beer is.
This means that yeast is left in the bottle which continues to change the flavors of the beer. This process is called "Ale on Lees", which means protein and yeast left in the bottle to further mature the ale. these bottles have an exceptional shelf life, and most benefit from cellar aging.

The products contain no chemical additives or preservatives and provide a rich flavor profile without an hint of bitter aftertaste.

This tradition in brewing ale is right along the lines of the artisan charcuterie movement, the artisan cheese movement, and craft baking that I am involved with and promote daily. take some pride in what you eat and drink, and seek out the best in what you consume.

The Beers

Don de Dieu-A triple wheat beer at 9%ABV- This one has a Belgian abby style ale feel and taste to it. Light in body, and rich in flavor.

La Fin du Monde-A strong triple ale at 9% ABV- This is not unlike the Don de Dieu, but more full bodied in nature with a great structure. Great food beer.

Blanche de Chambly-A white ale at 5% ABV-A nooner! Start the afternoon out with this bracing, herbal flavored ale. Great as a first course beer, or served with cheese, bread, and fruit.

Chambly Noire-Dark ale at 6.2% ABV-This is another great beer to pair with a cheese course. It is dark and malty, but not heavy bodied. This beer rocks with dark chocolate!

Trois Pistoles-Strong Dark Ale at 9% ABV- This one is dark, rich, amazingly structured, and fantastic! I like this beer with spicy food.

Ephemere-White ale with green apple at 5.5% ABV-This is truly a remarkable ale, light white, and sharp apple notes to it. pair this with washed rind cheeses that are rip and gooey. Great hot weather refresher.

Terrible-Dark strong ale at 10.5% ABV-To me this is a darker, more sinister version of the Trois Pistoles. A forceful beer indeed. Dark malty flavor, with almost brown foam. Reminds me a little of a strong stout.

Maudite "The Damned"-Strong amber-red ale at 8% ABV-This is hands down my favorite (imagine that) It is really complex and deep mahogany in it's flavor profile. It finishes with a slightly sweet nutty essence. This one always blows me away!


So, please put down that crappy commercial beer, refuse the fake craft beers, and grab an ale with character and tradition!

1 comment:

  1. Dean, liking the blog. Just want to give you a beer recommendation, if you haven't found it yet, check out Dave's BrewFarm over in Wilson. Dave Anderson is making some fantastic beer with sustainable practices. You can check out his blog at davesbrewfarm.blogspot.com.

    Cheers, Hope you are doing well.
    Doug Kruschke

    ReplyDelete