Édition 2005 - Unibroue

WesWes

New York

4.6/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a deep, dark, black color with a thin offwhite head that quickly fades to lacing. The aroma is perfect. It has a nice toasted, black malt scent with some yeast fruitiness and loads of crystal malts. The taste is awesome as well. It has a very smooth and rich dark malt flavor that boasts of crystal, patent, and roasted malts along with a fruity yeast finish; very tastey. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn fine beer. It has tremendous aroma and flavor; a kick ass drinker.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2005 22:53:27 | More by WesWes

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

750ml corked and caged bottle I shared with friends. Poured into a tulip, the brew appears brown to mahogany in color with a quick dissolving head. Some ruby coloration when held to the light. A swirl revives some bubbles that collect around the rim and spotty lace is left on the glass.

The aroma is vinous with hints of dark candy sugar. Molasses and brown sugar with a burnt aspect more like toffee and caramel. As it warms up, those burnt sugary notes almost smell like toasted marshmallows with a faint amount of oxidation poking through.

The flavor is dark and fruity with a warming amount of booze impact. A mild oxidative touch is present mildly like paper before blending into a sweet sugary malt flavor. Plenty of vinous notes, brown sugar, molasses and tangy alcohol. More raisin character comes out as it warms up.

This is a medium bodied brew with a light amount of carbonation. For being nearly 8.5 years old at the time of this sampling (bottled Nov 2004) I thought it was holding up very nice. The people I shared it with really enjoyed it. Just a mild amount of oxidation is showing with plenty of alcohol and maltiness to keep it interesting. I enjoyed this bottle significantly more than the more recent batches of their "numbered ales."

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 14:30:48 | More by stakem

beer64nut

Missouri

4/5  rDev 0%

03-15-2013 08:23:45 | More by beer64nut

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

03-04-2013 16:29:32 | More by t0rin0

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

4/5  rDev 0%

12-17-2012 15:19:05 | More by stereosforgeeks

animal69

Louisiana

4/5  rDev 0%

11-29-2012 02:13:42 | More by animal69

RBorsato

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%

11-06-2012 20:51:19 | More by RBorsato

smithj4

New York

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%

10-28-2012 03:53:46 | More by smithj4

beerpadawan

California

4/5  rDev 0%

08-27-2012 06:13:32 | More by beerpadawan

MatthewWilde

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sample: 1 bottle 2004

A: Pours a deep reddish brown with almost no internal carbonation, and incredibly mild lacing, cloudy, not translucent

S: Quite a tart nose, elements of dried fruits and cherries, some caramel as well, moderately fragrant, hint of alcohol

T: Much reminiscent of the nose, definite sour cherry, alcohol, yeast, rounded off by a cocoa/caramel sweetness, decently flavorful, taste a bit peaked, unfortunately

M: Nice tartness, smooth and drinkable, alcohol taste is present but not burn, very mild dired fruit aftertaste, not lingering or drying on the palate

O: Seems to be a bit lacking due to being peaked but not bad overall, smooth and flavorful, age has helped with the alcohol burn, but wish I could have tried it a few years ago

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 01:25:22 | More by MatthewWilde

briandaube

Delaware

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%

06-16-2012 18:42:22 | More by briandaube

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml Bottle - Thanks to Pushkinwow for sharing

Appearance - Hazy dark brown colour with a small size fizzy beige coloured head. There is a below average amount of carbonation and there isn't much lacing. The head was gone in a flash.

Smell - Malts, raisins, grapes, grains

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and most of the taste is made up of malts, grapes/raisins, and grains. There was also some light notes of chocolate and a touch of a smokiness. It ends with a malty sweet aftertaste and a bit of the signature Unibroue spice/yeast flavour.

Overall - Amazed at how well this one has held up. You could tell it might be a little past it's prime, but the flavours have blended very well together and the alcohol was barley detectable.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 18:51:41 | More by spinrsx

jfcaa193

Connecticut

4/5  rDev 0%

02-19-2012 00:56:29 | More by jfcaa193

GrindFatherBob

New York

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

01-18-2012 02:38:23 | More by GrindFatherBob

djrn2

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

01-15-2012 02:25:34 | More by djrn2

rab53

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev 0%

12-09-2011 05:27:11 | More by rab53

PlinytheFarter

Illinois

5/5  rDev +25%

12-05-2011 01:34:17 | More by PlinytheFarter

brandoman63

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%

11-30-2011 19:04:30 | More by brandoman63

amstelcat

Ohio

5/5  rDev +25%

11-21-2011 01:43:23 | More by amstelcat

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4/5  rDev 0%

11-18-2011 22:00:41 | More by JAHMUR

warnerry

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled 11/23/2004

A - Pulling the cork yields a small but definite pop. Poured into a tulip. Pours a somewhat murky deep amber color. Very little head, and what is there doesn't last long.

S - When I first pulled the cork, I though I caught a definite tart aroma, which was troubling. After pouring, there is a very mild tart aroma, but nothing to suggest vinegar. A lot of dark fruit (raisin and fig) with a bit of tart cherry. Also, quite a bit of caramel malt and a bit of brown sugar.

T - Again, a slight tart cherry taste up front, followed by dark fruits, caramel and a faint chocolate presence. Fruits are predominant here. Pretty good, but definitely seems past its prime.

M - Mouthfeel is medium, though a bit thin for the style. Low carbonation.

O - Glad I got to try this, but wish I could have had it earlier. It was pretty good, and is the oldest beer I've had as yet, but I've had better BSDAs.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 03:19:10 | More by warnerry

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had this back in Jan. 2009.

The beer poured out as a medium brown color without much head. There was just a light lacing around the rim of the glass left behind. The smell of the beer was a little sweet mixed with yeast and some light fruity notes. The taste of the beer wasn't too bad, there was a nice subtle fruitiness to it. The mouthfeel was on the light side for a darker brew. Overall, I can't say that I really missed this beer too much. I never thought about having it again so it must have been just an average beer to me.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 00:51:46 | More by Knapp85

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up in a store in Howell, Michigan. I assume this hasn't been brewed for several years, so it was pre-aged by the store. Pours a dark brown with a hint of red. Thick off-white head that dissipates down fairly quickly without too much lacing. Smells of some dark fruit with a hint of brown sugar and Belgian yeast. Flavour is slightly sweet, though more muted than I expected. Smooth carbonation level. This beer did age nicely it seems.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 03:43:22 | More by kwjd

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Well this is quite a well aged bottle of beer.

Upon opening there wasn't much escaping gas, just a little. The beer poured a reddish-brown, slightly hazy, without much head or lacing. Given how long this one has been aging in the bottle, I'm not that surprised. Still, looks weren't much.

Smell was quite good. Multiple dark fruits, cherry, figs, grapes, raisins all shine through. Not too much in the way of obvious malts or hops.

Sweet tasting, lots of cherries and misc. dark fruits. A touch of chocolate milk.

Feel is kinda thinner than I expected, but pleasant. Very nice aftertaste.

Drink we'll leave at average. I liked this retired beer but won't be going out of my way to find it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 01:37:43 | More by AlCaponeJunior

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark murky pond water brown color with no head or carbonation.

Nose has sour tart malts, light cherry, wild raspberries, but also some light porter and roasted malts, and dark syrupy malt aromas.

Taste starts with a light corked flavor of wet cardboard, then aged old malts, light tart fruit, little cherry cough syrup, light dry sweet flavors, a little watery still, a bit of coffee, dark malts, and tobacco.

Mouth is medium bodied with almost no carbonation.

Drink is not great, just a little booze, the wet cardboard corked flavor doesn't help, some iffy flavors overall, and a little syrupy.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 02:47:54 | More by jlindros