Having supported the losing side in a presidential race in the previous two elections, I was accustomed to the “I’m moving to Canada” threats. Don’t get me wrong, I would have done it, but Canada is two things, cold and far. In the end, a certain amount of laziness kept me here in the United States. I am an American, after all. Had I actually gone through with the threat and move to the Great White North, what would be in store for me? Well, here are a few brews from our brothers to the north.
The selections I have is from Unibroue, a brewery I’ve reviewed before, but wanted to get to know better. I gathered 3 beers for my tasting, their Blanche de Chambly, Maudite, and their contract brew, Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale 2008.
The Blanche de Chambly is a twist on the Belgian Wit. This is a little more wine like than a typical Wit. The aroma is strong with apple and pear. The flavor is light and refreshing, similar to a chilled white wine with a subtle Belgian funk. The finish has hints of alcohol and fruit and dries quickly. When chilled, this is a fairly bland beer, with not a lot going on. As the beer gets closer to room temperature, more flavors emerge, specifically lemon and a very subtle, light berry.
Next on the list was Maudite. I really love this beer in the glass. There’s something very still about this beer in the glass and it reminds me of a polished piece of amber, almost jewel like. Beautiful. There is a really mineral-like aroma to this beer with big bubbles of carbonation forming a dissipating head. For a beer with such deep color, the flavors are light; apples, fruit and alcohol to go with a yeasty bite. The alcohol and yeast linger into the finish. This reminds me of a subdued version of Russian River’s Perdition, a very nice, flavorful Belgian styled session ale.
Finally I went with a beer I had in the past, but maybe wasn’t ready for. The majority of my experience with Belgian beers has come through this blog, and when my daughter was born, I was still getting my feet wet. In celebration of this event, I popped a bottle of the 2006 Vintage Ale I set aside. The beer stuck me as a raisiny beer, and I didn’t enjoy it too much. Having sat out the 2007 Vintage, I was actually looking forward to the 2008, thinking maybe I had missed something.
The 2008 Vintage pours a deep amber with a nice, lacey, off-white head. The flavor is of deep dark fruits, including raisin, but has a nice yeasty funk and a big alcohol kick. This one I split with a friend who has recently started drinking craft beer, but a Belgian styled beer was new to him. Mulu was very impressed by the beer, and I made a note to introduce him to a bottle of Chimay. As usual with a big beer, this one is complex and only gets better as the chill leaves the glass. I was definitely wrong with my 2006 impressions, as I will be grabbing another bottle or two of this to toss in my closet.
As with my previous experiences with Unibroue, I was impressed with the quality of the brews I tasted. Unibroue was a unique take on Belgian beers and seems to take on many wine like qualities. Could this be from the Québécois influence? I’m not sure, but it excites me try beers from a brewery with their own take on styles.
I realize that Unibroue isn’t indicative of Canadian beers, but I wasn’t about to do a flight of Moosehead and Labatt’s. Regardless, If I had fled the states for a self-imposed political exile, I am sure my love of craft beer would not have suffered.
