How do I explain this site to people?

"It is one man's journey to figure out what the best Belgian beer in the world is
(whether it comes from Belgium or not.)"
At one point in my life I had not tasted the sweet elixir which is a Belgian Style beer. My very first description of my first glass was - in a nasally voice-cracking nerdy tone -
"It tastes like bananas; but I like it."
No I was not prepubescent at the time but I certainly was green. It was in my youthful days of college, in Sonoma County, where I first tasted "Belgian Style Ale." At a small (although apparently world acclaimed) brewery called Russian River.
The beer: Damnation.
I did not realize what I had at that pub, great pizza, magnificent beer. It also opened me up to a new world of Belgian beer. Soon I was drinking Chimays and Unibroues and Ommegangs and Duvels. Enjoying each along the way. And now I continue that journey with a purpose:
To find the best Belgian beer in the world!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale by Unibroue

Before I begin, I apologize for not posting photos of the Chimay, I've got them, but my camera is all the way across the room, and I can't bring myself to upload them now. Sorry. I'll post them just before the pictures for the TJ's beer pics.

Unibroue is a great brewery in Quebec, Canada, they make some delicious Belgian style ales. And every holiday season, at least for the last few years, they have made a special beer for Trader Joe's. A plus for that, is TJ's sells these great beers for only $4.99, so I've started stocking up on them because Unibroues usually run between 7 and 10 dollars a bottle.
This Pint & 9 advertises itself as a Dark Ale on Lees at 9% alc./vol - great! (The on Lees refers to that fact that there is remaining yeast in the bottle.)
This is a dark beer. Looks almost like a Guiness in the glass and had a tremendous head when poured it. This beer is unusual. On the nose it smells almost exactly like the Damnation, a much lighter beer if you recall. You get the sweetness and the bananas, which are much more pronounced then they were in the Chimay. There is not strong caramel or coffee scents like you would expect from a stout. I feel like the color is caused by a black hole, because it doesn't seem to be perceptible to my olfactory. So let me taste it and see if I get sucked inside. I may end up in an alternate universe or even in the future or past... Worm Hole humor.
mmm... Huh. Baffling. Seriously, it tastes like a blonde trippel. But wait, there is some coffee on the aftertaste. Let me take a few more sips and I'll get back to you.
This beer is so good.
It's pretty much everything I loved about the Damnation with an added complexity in the flavor. It's as if Unibroue took the damnation recipe, dyed it black and toasted it for a little while. Oh and of course I'm afraid it may be too sweet to finish a 750, which officially I will stop saying that so just expect it to be a rule (unless there is an exception I will not bring it up again.)

Lead change alert!
1. Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale by Unibroue
2. Russian River's Damnation
3. Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue)

ps I don't really want to say what's up next because then I have to drink that. Come what may.
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1 comment:

  1. Gibson-USApril 20, 2010 at 8:02 AM

    Glad I picked up a couple bottles. Hard to pass up on quality brew at TJ prices!

    ReplyDelete

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