La Gaillarde - Unibroue

brother_rat

New York

3.78/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I scored this bottle of La Gaillarde in a Unibroue mix pack when visiting L'île & Tremblant in early fall. I just noticed that I still had one in my cooler, and so here we go.

A: Not my favorite head: it was thick, and held together well, but it was a puffy, wooly white, with uniform tiny bubbles--no drama. Tons of lacing, which is what I expect from Unibroue. The beer was unfiltered and golden, and continued to bubble up the whole time I drank it. Nice all around. 3.5/5

S: Opens with a sour burst, a cross between a Belgian ale and a dry white wine. That melts into strong floral notes, white grapes, spice, with an acidic or astringent pungency. Pronounced grains and a strong wheatiness. Most of the strong notes fade as consumed, leaving a wet wheaty smell. 3.5/5

T: Tons of flavor: spicy and alcoholic up front, yeast, fruity (grapes, citrus, apple, lemon peel), super grainy, a touch of grass, but the hops are well-blended and play a background role to the other flavors. The aggressive carbonation really contributed to the bitter citrusy/fruity/sour flavors at the front. A bright sourness melts into a sweet wheat finish. 4/5

M: Tons of carbonation that hung around, and the crispness and super-wheatiness made for a bright yet thick chew. This really--almost surprisingly--made my mouth water. 4/5

O: A very solid situational beer, and something I found very drinkable and pleasant. Perfectly refreshing and complex, and although far from my favorite of the Unibroue line I still would reach for this on a sparkling warm summer day. On the whole, I found it too sour, carbonated, and white wine-y for me to be an anytime beer. 3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 22:39:28 | More by brother_rat

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%

02-15-2013 02:25:31 | More by DaPan

shagal

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%

11-30-2012 20:57:25 | More by shagal

KalanM

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +18.3%

11-29-2012 01:48:21 | More by KalanM

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%

11-28-2012 08:38:52 | More by schopenhauerale

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

341ml bottle, available in the Unibroue mixed packs here in Alberta.

This beer pours a cloudy pale straw hue, with two fingers of finely foamy off-white head, which leaves a low shoreline of ebbing lace around the glass as it duly recedes.

It smells of grainy pale malt, some astringent wheatiness, musty sweet citrus, somewhat spicy herbal yeast, and a sweet floral hoppiness. The taste is sweet wheaty, grainy malt, mildly bitter citrus flesh, a bit of clove/coriander spice, some prominent, yet understated, Belgian by way of Chambly yeast, and soft floral, earthy hops.

The carbonation is moderate to low, depending on the fizzy countenance of the current gulp, the body a sturdy, unassuming medium weight, and more or less smooth, nothing really interfering there. It finishes off-dry, the sweetness of the wheat and barley countered by the lingering yeast and dry fruity notes.

A decent enough pale ale of the Belgian stripe - I'm not really up on the nuances of medieval brewing recipes, so I can only point out the competency of the blend of spice, fruit, yeast, and malt in this modern rendition of the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 03:58:42 | More by biboergosum

sennin

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +40.5%

08-09-2012 07:41:51 | More by sennin

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +18.3%

08-03-2012 01:44:38 | More by NightINgale

MattPS

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%

08-01-2012 02:15:21 | More by MattPS

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +33.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

341ml bottle poured into a 13.5oz tulip.

A - Pours a super hazy golden-yellow, with ample carbonation. Snow-white head that retains as a thick frothy cap that clings relentlessly to the glass walls as it sinks. Excellent lacing.

S - Signature Unibroue. Spicy and floral yeast with bready malt and wheat, and subtle notes of fruit. Crisp apples, pear, and a touch of white grapes. Very sweet. A little citrus and clove help round out the aroma. Reminds me of Blonde de Chambly, which I love.

T - Follows the nose a lot. Tons of Unibroue's house yeast that I can't get enough of; spicy and floral. Very flavorful. Apple and pear again, but more white grape than the aroma. Finishes bready, yeasty, and with a gentle hop presence. This still really reminds me of Blonde de Chambly, which happens to be one of my favorite beers.

M - Looking at this beer, it appeared quite over-carbonated, but the feel is anything but. Smooth as hell, with a body on the lighter side. Carbonation is very prominent, but very fine and compliments the flavor perfectly.

D - Yet another lower rated Unibroue beer, much like Blonde de Chambly, that I absolutely loved. Given the ratings on this one, I certainly didn't expect this coming in, but this is just another exceptional beer from the best brewery in Canada. Goes down insanely easy, with a nice mild summery flavor. I definitely plan to do a side-by-side comparison between this and Blonde de Chambly now.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 21:36:41 | More by Converge

wizo

Quebec (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -3.8%

07-25-2012 00:56:39 | More by wizo

JOaikido

Quebec (Canada)

2.93/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

341 ml bottle.

A- Cloudy yellow. Almost a greenish beige. Not particularly appealing.

S- Hint of citrus. Touch of musty yeast. Weak overall.

T- Unibroue yeast, but light. Touch of acid sourness.

MF- Light. Fairly crisp and refreshing. Drying.

O- Acceptable hot weather beer, but there are much better, including in the Unibroue mixed pack I got this in.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 01:27:56 | More by JOaikido

joefinnigan15

3.98/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: golden yellow, 2 finger head that lingered, pilsner glass from bottle

Smell: unibroue all have this distinct spicy smell. Again, smells like fin du monde. Smell starts to fade once half a glass or so has been consumed. 

Taste/Feel: tingly on the tongue, pretty smooth, basically a more drinkable and lighter fin du monde, with less fruit flavour than Blanche the chambly. Spice starts to fade after a few sips, 

Overall: great flavour, although less bold than fin du monde or Blanche de chambly. Definitely a keeper. Wow still very smooth and clean as I finish drinking it. Top notch

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 01:20:39 | More by joefinnigan15

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev -11.2%

06-25-2012 17:55:57 | More by oldp0rt

MAUEX_MFA

Rhode Island

2.75/5  rDev -18.6%

06-20-2012 20:27:25 | More by MAUEX_MFA

djcreepshow

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%

06-06-2012 04:10:06 | More by djcreepshow

akorsak

Pennsylvania

2.23/5  rDev -34%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Fresh, old, makes no difference here.

A: The ale is a golden brown color, opaque with sediment suspended mid-brew. 1/2 a finger of head arose on pour, pretty good for a five year old ale.

S: The nose is butterscotch sweet, syrupy with a tough-to-define sweetness. Age has taken a toll (although based on previous 'fresh' reviews, maybe it hasn't).

T: The ale is sweet, driven by a combination of honey, sweet malts and cider. Oxidation has taken a bit of a toll, leaving flavors that are too sweet to be natural. For the amount of sweetness, the ale has a very dry finish that incorporates vegetal flavors.

M: The ale is very sweet, too sweet in fact. The ale hasn't held up well, although to be fair a 5% Belgian pale ale shouldn't last this long.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 00:53:36 | More by akorsak

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle from Marche Omni QC as part of the Tasters 12 pack for 14.99

Appearance – Hazy amber/yellow colour with an above average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for around 3-4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains/wheat, lemons, coriander/cloves, yeast

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an above average amount of carbonation. I can taste grains/bread mixed with lemon and some faint yeast. There is also some coriander and clove mixed with some peppery spiciness. It ends with a light citrus and spice aftertaste with some bitterness that hits right at the end.

Overall – I wasn't expecting much based on past reviews, but this is actually pretty decent stuff. It might not be as good as some of Unibroue's other offerings, but it's still head and shoulders above the macros. Not something I'd search out again, but happy to have tried a few from the mixed taster pack. A great beer for summer.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 00:00:57 | More by spinrsx

szmnnl99

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%

03-27-2012 22:12:16 | More by szmnnl99

clvand0

Kentucky

2.95/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I love Unibroue, so I was excited when my friend kmpitz2 picked this up and shared with me. Pours a golden color, just like a blonde, with a small head that doesn't stick around. Very sweet aroma, slight hints of acidity. The flavor was completely empty. I tasted nothing at all. There was a tiny bit of tart in it, but absolutely no flavor. Very odd. Never met a beer like this before. I'm glad I tried it, but I probably wouldn't have it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2004 02:59:06 | More by clvand0

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3.25/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours a very pale golden yellow color with a finger of head that falls fast. The nose is very much like a sweet white wine, with a very sweet grape nose. The flavore is just weird. Its almost like there is no flavor at all. If there was an equivalent to white noise for a flavor, this beer woudl be it. The aftertaste is somewhat sour, but thats all I get. It is very intriguing to have the nose be so strong, yet the flavor be so anti-flavor. As it warms up, there is more of the sour flavor on this one. The mouthfeel is actually a little watery and thin. With the strangeness in the flavor and the lack of thickness. I'm glad I had this one, but I don't think I would get it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2004 02:00:48 | More by kmpitz2

3Vandoo

Quebec (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This "Gallairde" used to be one of my favorite Unibroue beers during the summer. The beer is blonde, with strike of red, sediments contained in the beer bring a cloudy effects. Fruity beer, the taste of fruits can be tasted quite easilly, but also a strong sense of spices is very present. It was quite drinkable, well down very well. I do miss that beer!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2004 20:26:22 | More by 3Vandoo

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

99 version. Mostly clear despite sediments floating around, no head. Weird disparate carbonation. Very cerealic, yeasty and grainy aroma. Spicy and fruity undertones of pears and sage. Mild weizen-like tartness on the tongue with suggestions of pinneaple, vague saltiness, big spices (cloaves, various herbs) grassy. Thin bodied with restrained carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2004 18:45:12 | More by Rastacouere

cbl2

New York

2.85/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance:

A slightly hazy yellow with a thin white head that leaves a bit of lace on the glass.

Smell:

Sharp and biting. Extremely acidic, almost like a tart apple cider.

Taste/Mouthfeel:

Rather bland with an off-sweet apple characteristic that dries the mouth towards the end. This beer is discontinued, and I've read that many people can see why. This is not an exceptional beer, and that is the only unusual thing about it, since it is from Unibroue, I expected a lot more than what I got. This is not an exceptional beer, but by no means an awful one either.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2004 20:19:37 | More by cbl2

SheepNutz

Kentucky

3.03/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750mL bottle poured into a tulip-style glass. It pours a slightly hazy pale yellow color with two fingers of large bubbles that die away quickly. There is minimal lacing left on the glass. The smell has hints of lemon, fairly acidic. Just a touch of malt on the nose. The taste has a little bit of citrus and maltiness up front. Some tartness on the finish. Not as strong in flavor as expected. The mouthfeel is a little light and watery. The drinkability is just average. Probably the bottom of the Unibroue totem pole.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2004 04:34:53 | More by SheepNutz