Unibrue’s Maudite

Brewed in the style of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Beers of this type are often a little higher in alcohol a more balanced feel to them. Often with a lot of complexity that can sneak by those with a a delicate taste. Often present are hop, malt and fruit notes, with some spicy feel to them. Hops are present, but not all that prevalent usually and the alcohol will often sneak up on you.

This one comes to us from The Unibroue brewery in Quebec, Canada. Not much on these guys either on their website. The profess to use only natural ingredients and boast state-of-the-art brewing equipment: “The brewing methods used by Unibroue have been inspired by the great European brewing traditions and, in this respect, are one of a kind in North America. The methods used stand out, in particular, from the brewing methods of the mass-producing breweries and even from the other North American craft brewers because the beer is refermented in bottles and partly-clarified only. Through these methods, specialty beers with an evolutive taste and a long shelf life are produced. The manufacturing of the beer at Unibroue is done in five phases: brewing, fermentation, clarification, bottling and kegging and, finally, refermentation in bottles in the holding room.”

Poured slowly into a tulip glass, you can just see the plethora of bubbles trickle to the top producing a wonderful two finger head. After a few minutes it settles into a very sustainable one finger head that leaves a thick snowy blanket of lacing on the glass.  Displaying a a very dark amber color that alsmost looks copper at the same time, you cant help but want to dive right in.

Aroma is that of a sweet caramelized malt, with a moderate alcohol note. Fruits and spice are also present but somewhat overpowered my the malt. I had to have a second whiff.

The sweet malt sensed earlier comes out immediately and is very nice. The citrus notes I smelled earlier are a nice compliment to the alcohol presence that lingers on the back end and a little spice just to keep it interesting. Oh and as I take another sip, I know some hops were there.

Mouthfeel was was not that crisp, just as it shouldn’t be. Medium in body, it was appropriate for this style.

Overall, I was impressed. With the likes of Molson coming from Canada, this was a refreshing brew to have. I was not too sure what to expect from the French province, this is one I will definitely have again. It weighs in at around 8%, respectable, but not too much.