1837 - Unibroue

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A recent edition from Unibroue to the Alberta market, always happy to see us getting a broader selection from them. 1837, named to commemorate the French side of the Lower Canada Rebellion of that year (and the one following) if memory serves correct.

Came in a 750 ml brown caged and corked bottle. Pours out resembling a wit beer, a light wheat hued cloudy body, massive fluffy white head on the pour with serious retention. Large netted sticky lacing.

Mild wheat, yeast and spice on the nose. As it warms it acquires a stronger bread character, accompanied by green apples, clover honey, ginger, coriander, some dry orange peel and a touch of grass. Every once in a while I even get a good dose of peach/apricot.

The flavour is also quite mild from any other Unibroue offering I've yet to sample, but that does not detract from it overall. Spicy bread up front with black pepper, cloves and coriander--even a hint of ginger--, it becomes more fruity in the middle with peach skin and orange sorbet, mellowing out with a light lemony citrus finish. A bit of wheat grain and citrus to carry on through the aftertaste.

The mouthfull is full yet not heavy, a soft creamy texture with a small carbonated kick on the finish.

To be honest this 1837 isn't really that remarkable in any way, not as bold as a lot of its more well known brethern. Yet it's a decent Belgian ale in its own subtle, wallflower sort of way. There aren't many ales from Unibroue that I would ever fathom considering a session beer, perhaps aside from Raftman, but this would pretty much fill that category for me. It's mild, easy-drinking, and a well-crafted Belgian that isn't trying to go over the top. Happy to have the chance to pick up a few more of these to help ease the current hot weather in style.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2005 02:05:01 | More by IronDjinn

Whatup14

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%

04-17-2013 15:06:53 | More by Whatup14

Magery

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%

04-02-2012 01:49:57 | More by Magery

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up in Montreal, always loved Unibroues house yeast and their beers in general. Great Belgian interpretations.

A- Poured into a tulip with a yeast-hazed golden yellow body. One-finger white head forms with a silky texture. Retention is nice but there is a general lack of lace.

S- Belgian yeast, appropriate for the style. I get notes of raisin, clove, coriander, light fruit and spice.

T- A nice clean Belgian yeast profile with a crisp overall feel. A great balance of light fruit (apple, white grape), raisin, clove, banana, coriander, bread, floral hints and straw. Small amount of sweet and light caramel malt.

MF- Foamy and silky body with high carbonation. Finishes with a clean, moderate bitterness. Slight alcohol warmth.

This just has a very nice Belgian yeast presence. It brings all of the nice flavors but none of them are over the top or ruin the balance.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 02:50:48 | More by cbutova

Wetpaperbag

Washington

4/5  rDev +5.3%

02-08-2012 03:51:02 | More by Wetpaperbag

LGF

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%

01-17-2012 03:36:45 | More by LGF

ThaCreep

Belgium

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark yellow. Well-shaped nose of hops and citrus. Presence of citric palate with citrus, especially lemon, which stays in your mouth without it being too acidic. No finish but really striking continuity in the fruit. That said, we must admit that hop is still a little behind. Quite refreshing but slightly different flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 18:42:39 | More by ThaCreep

Yoonisaykul

Quebec (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Bold yellowish gold. Very hazy. White foam of a head.

S- Spicy. Dried apricot. A bit of bubblegum and clove. Cream.

T- Kind of sour. Pretty yeasty. Everything else which I found in the smell is still here. seemed to get a little more watery as it warmed up.
The first time I tried this I found the alcohol taste a bit too present. Not tasting it as much today. Maybe because it's my first beer of the day.

M- Great. Little tingle at the front to create interest and then it just rolls up into a nice creamy ball. Semi-dry finish.

O- A good beer. Might be a bit close to Quatre-Centième... not sure though.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 00:03:42 | More by Yoonisaykul

eat

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Fin du Monde tulip. Opaque with yeast and a dull straw yellow with a good cover of white head. Good retention and lacing.

Unibroue yeast, slightly-salty minerals, astringent, coriander, hint of banana, lemon, herbal hops. Smells like a Unibroue brew for sure.

In the mouth: light wheaty malt, lemon, minerals, bits of banana, coriander and clove. Almost like a strong Belgian wit. Alcohol is a bit too present for 7%ABV. A fairly drying finish is left by the earthy, herbal hops.

Typical Unibroue feel: medium body and arguably over-carbonated (though I don't mind it, personally).

Reminds me quite a bit of Don de Dieu, though it's definitely the lesser of the two. I guess I can see why they don't brew it regularly anymore, it would be a bit redundant. Decent stuff but not a highlight of Unibroue's line up.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 00:23:07 | More by eat

Swedes21

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - light straw colour, cloudy, some good carbonation, nice 2 finger white head. some minimal lacing.

Smell - classic belgian, bananas, zest (lemon based) some good spices and some minor earthy tones.

Taste - very smooth, lots less banana taster and more earthy than i would have hoped for. smooth from start till finish, nothing exciting just a decent taste.

Mouthfeel - added carbonation brings the banana and lemon fwd, hides the earthy a bit more and creates a bitterness near the end.

Overall - all around an OK beer, nothing that will blow your mind, could drink 12 of these no issues and would be very happy.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 00:39:35 | More by Swedes21

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle

Appearance - Hazy gold/amber colour with a huge size frothy and fizzy white coloured head. I can't make out much carbonation due to the haziness and there is some really good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes.

Smell – Breads/grains, bananas, cloves/coriander, lemons

Taste & Mouth - The beer has a fairly sweet full bodied taste and there is a lot of carbonation. I can taste lots of lemon mixed with breads/grains and some cloves/coriander. There is also a fair amount of banana taste. It finishes with a fruity and spicy aftertaste.

Overall – It's along the same lines as a few of Unibroue's other beers, but it's still very good. It was well balanced and was very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 18:03:01 | More by spinrsx

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this last nice with my supper: pasta with seafood sauce (including clams, calamari, shrimp, halibut, salmon and octopus).

Poured from a 341ml. bottle, bottled Dec. 6, 2007.

Appearance: Semi-hazy honey-colored body with a nice 2-3 finger that unfortunately leaves too fast.

Smell: Lemon, banana, yeast and a reminiscence of white wine.

Taste: Very bready in flavor with some citrus and light spices. Gets peppery as it warms as well as stronger banana notes.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is spot-on meaning not overdone. Smooth and nice but somehow doesn't move me.

Drinkability: ABV not really felt which is good but i'm a bit on the fence on this one.

Overall: Middle of the road. It gets better as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 12:37:08 | More by papat444

cfrancis

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another great brew by Unibroue. Colour is a cloudy straw wheat yellow. Aroma is of alcohol, yeast and spices. Taste is a fantastic play on your mouth with yeast, spice, fruity and spices to tickle your palate. This is a fantastic belgian that I will no doubt have again at some point.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 01:18:51 | More by cfrancis

colts9016

Idaho

3.4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Got this bottle from Phyl21ca, thank you for this bottle.

Pour this beer into a pint glass at 51 degrees. I also let this beer decant for a little bit.

Appearance: A medium yellow color with light hues of orange. There was a 1 finger head, but the last, about two seconds. There is a lot of effervescence in the beer. The clarity of the beer is hazy but some light is let through. There is so much effervescence in the beer that it is bubbling a head in the middle of the beer.

Nose: A light fragrant floral aroma. There is a nice fruity esters with a light spiciness.

Taste: A medium floral aroma with some orange fruity ester and a light spiciness on the end of the beer. There is a descent malt flavor that is lightly sweet and grassy.

Overall: The mouth feel is slightly carbonated and dry. The body of the beer is light and delicate. The finish is practically nil. The being nonexistent it disappointed me. There is a little flavor and if Unibroue intended this beer to be delicate they done a fine job. I am just not digging it. The other Belgium Pale Ales that I tried had more flavor, body, and spice.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 22:11:00 | More by colts9016

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A big pile of dry, coarse bale hay with a glowing skin of apricot. To say 'glowing' is actually an understatement; to the light this beer just burst in a phosphorescent radiance. In thanks to a clean, clear complexion the appearance is striking and pretty. A good sized foamy patch ensued from the pour but it dispersed to the perimeter rather quickly. A constant stream of bubbles provides an alternative visual of assured carbonation.

The smell is a very good, but also very monotone, example of a Belgian pale ale. It is dominated mostly by cereal grains and wheat straw with an eccentric yeast imparting notes of bruised, over-ripened orchard fruits. It smells just as it should. All I mean to say, I suppose, is that as much as I like the BPA style I'm not always a huge fan of its scent.

Flavour? Mostly just the same grains and fruits but to assume the inclusion of spices, although wrong, is reasonable. The yeast is active and effervescent and so mistaking it for any number of spices is probably quite likely. I would have guessed coriander and white pepper myself (even maybe sage). That's a big part of where Belgian yeasts get both their charm and esteemed reputation: their ability to suggest a never ending array of flavours.

And with the flavours comes a little texture too. Along with the spices it also lends a good deal of spiciness. It is zesty and in combining with the extra bit of alcohol, becomes quite warming on the palate (and later, just maybe, a bit fuzzing to the brain). This particular bottle not long ago celebrated its third birthday so there is no telling just how spicy and effervescent it was young. (Any hoppiness would also have faded by now).

I've have had this beer fresh as well as slightly less aged than this sample and I've enjoyed it relatively similar each time. I would advise, however, not to let it sit any longer than I have this bottle. It is still an enormously pleasant ale (that would have paired wonderfully alongside a number of cheeses and simple dishes, doh!) but has no doubt seen better days.

Oddly enough, my scores of all three are the same. Unibroue's Belgian style ales all grade very well with me, and always have. Despite being a little monotonous (OK, very monotonous) because of the same yeasty character, Unibroue makes exceptionally well crafted ales, some of which are the best examples of their style from outside of Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2009 23:57:38 | More by biegaman

bloberglawp

Quebec (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a "La fin du monde" tulip glass at more or less 10 celcius.

Pour a murky off blond yellow, big bubbles, rocky head that dissipates down to a film. Hazy, cool haze perhalps? Aroma of banana, wet grass, lemonzest, white pepper, orange pith and unibroue yeast, a bit underwhelming but appropriate and enjoyable none the less.

Flavor of citrus, round malty sweetness, a presence of chalky mellow-acrid yeast and a refreshing belgian wheat malt finish.

After a few minutes as the beer warms up it screams Unibroue (yeast and malt profile) and I'm loving it very much. This beer seems unadultered by the various new owners of Unibroue over the years. I'll have to try "trois pistoles" again to see if I feel its still as good as it was before the takeovers.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2009 01:26:06 | More by bloberglawp

MasterSki

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml shared over Christmas gifts. Thanks to Linoleum87 for this one.

A - It's a murky apricot/mango yellow with one finger of creamy white head that dissipates to a complex lace. A small amount of carbonation present, a well as some sediment in there.

S - Smells like a wheat beer - cloves, bananas, wheat, as well as the characteristic Unibroue yeast smell, which thankfully isn't overwhelming. There are also some fruits and spices in the background.

T - Unusually sweet - there's some biscuit and honey, along with pineapple and banana. There's also a little zesty spice at the back of the palate. Yeasty aftertaste. I really like this - perhaps more than most Unibroue offerings.

M - Thin and tingly from the carbonation. Not all that interesting, but not offensive either.

D - At 7% I could probably do a bottle on my own, but beyond that I don't think I could stomach the carbonation.

This is actually one of my favorite Unibroue beers - wish it made it outside Quebec.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2008 21:27:18 | More by MasterSki

brendan13

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Hazy golden colour with a centimetre of white head that falls away rather quickly.
S - Spicey yeast phenols, some fruit notes & a touch of bready malt.
T - The bready malt and spice is pretty dominant in the taste.
M - Medium to full bodied, medium carbonation.
D - A decent beer - worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2008 10:15:31 | More by brendan13

Pegasus

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Clear pale golden color, with just a touch of haze, a small white head, and a mild tropical fruit note.

Aroma: Mildly spicy notes, coriander and others play off against a wave of light tropical fruits, including pineapple. Beneath the prominent fruit notes, the malt yields up a light bread note.

Taste: Moderate caramel notes at the open, as well as slight honey notes, and a wave of tropical fruits. As the taste progresses, there is a brief spike of herbal hop notes. The finish is clean, with a lingering, mild herbal hop note, and slight bread flavors.

Mouth feel: Smooth and full, with zesty carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: Pleasant and quite drinkable.

Thanks to HardTarget for sharing this rare beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2007 03:00:15 | More by Pegasus

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to dickinsonbeer for opening this...
Appears a hazy, light yellow with a small white head of foam that fades into a small, batter-like cap. Spotty streaks of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of yeast, hay, corn syrup, caramel, and fruity esters.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with highlights of citrus, bananas, peach, and yeasty spice.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, yeasty, and full of esters that remind me of nectarines.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2007 14:38:28 | More by weeare138

thierrynantes

France

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer in bottle (33 cl), tasted in 2000.
Appearance : Beer style white, yellow honey, a foam trouble generous
Smell : Nose of citrus and yeast
Taste and mouthfeel : Honeyed taste
Drinkability : Good strong white beer from the brewery Unibroue in Quebec

Review added 10-29-2007. updated in english 1-2-2008

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2007 18:14:58 | More by thierrynantes

HardTarget

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle inspection: brown bottle, twisty, with 7% abv. and a best by date of 09.06.08 lasered on the neck (sampled 10.07.07).

Aroma: Coriander and orange peel are very firm. The orange has a juice quality.

Appearance: Hazy dark gold glass holds a thin head that leaves little lace.

Flavor: Coriander, Juicy Fruit ®, orange, pineapple, and hints of the Unibroue house yeast. Lightly toasted malt stays in the background.

Mouthfeel: Prickly carbonation is on the edge of being too high.

Overall Impression: Fruity, light, refreshing. Hides the 7% alcohol very well. Hope this makes it to Texas one day!
Hand carried back from Montreal.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2007 06:47:28 | More by HardTarget

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Clear golden hue, becomes cloudy as the yeast is stirred. White head, very little retention or lace.

S: Tropical fruit & spice.

T: Tropical fruityness with a yeastie spicyness (hints of phenols). Mild bitterness, alcohol is well-hidden.

M: Well-attenuated, moderate body, smooth, finishes dry. Carbonation higher than average.

D: Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2007 02:23:40 | More by Derek

belgbeerdrinker

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: gold hazy color, bits of carbonation with thin head
s: sweet, citrus fruits and spices
t: coriander, malts, crisp aftertaste, and sublte alcohol on the finish
m: carbonation from start to finish -- almost too much but they pull it off, very crisp
d: as with most unibroue beers, a high-quality strong ale. haven't been as impressed with some of the other lighter abv unibroues, but this one was very enjoyable & good for hot summer days

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2007 05:39:43 | More by belgbeerdrinker

nlmartin

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to Grub for sending this beer as part of BC-2. The beer was served in a wide mouthed goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours a combination of peach and blonde coloration. The head is a persistant one finger white foam. Nice rings of lacing remain on the glass. Tight bubbling carbonation continuely rises to the top of the glass. This was nearing on being overly carbonated.

Smell: The beer has a nice sweet spiced maltyness. The spices seem to be of the peppery, yeasty and citrus zest variety.

Taste: The beer delivers some green apple notes. This combines well with a bit of sweet peppery citrus, citrus zest, ginger and unibroue signature yeastyness.

Mouthfeel/ Drinkability: This beer has a light body bordering watery. The carbonation is aggressive and stinging at times. This is a solid offering. I think I would enjoy this a bit more with less carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2007 12:26:10 | More by nlmartin