Trois Pistoles - Unibroue

Gipsy_Danger

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a glass chalice.

A: Dark appearance. Nothing out of the ordinary.

S: Very strong grape or raisin flavor through the nose, with hints of plum. Not a huge fan of that particular fruit note.

T: Very, very smooth with a strong grape/wine/raisin aftertaste. Very fruity with tinges of alcohol.

M: Smooth mouthfeel. Perfect blend of carbonation and silkiness.

O: Good beer, but not to my particular liking. 4.25/5.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 01:37:28 | More by Gipsy_Danger

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.04/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a super deep red, pretty much brown, with a huge frothy khaki colored head. The foam fades slowly, leaving a ton of lacing on the glass and a rocky layer across the top of the beer.

S: The nose is a mix of malt, spice, grass, and stone fruits. I get a touch of cherries and raisins in there. The alcohol is hidden well for a 9% brew.

T: It starts off sweet like raisins and malt, but the spice notes make themselves present in the middle of the beer. It's a bit bready and the alcohol shines through in the back end. Good mix of flavors for this beer. It's kinda all over the place.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's sweet and coating to start, not too sticky, and finishes a bit dry as the alcohol kicks in.

O: Good beer. I've never been a huge Belgian Strong Dark Ale fan, but this beer is nice. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 18:24:05 | More by trxxpaxxs

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Appearance: A member of the catchall style that is “Belgian strong dark ale”, Trois Pistoles pours a dark brown with a ruby red tint. As seems to be the norm for Unibroue beers, the head requires a gentle touch in the pour to keep within the glass. Treating the bottle like a small child yields a gorgeous tan head three fingers in height. It is stubborn, sticking around for ages and leaving amazing lacing all over. The beer is also extremely effervescent, which is perhaps a factor in the staying power of the head. There are no alcohol legs, surprising for its 9% ABV.

Aroma: As expected, dark fruits abound. Figs, grapes, plums, cherries (slightly tart) are the dominant aromas, but there are also sweet caramel malts, honey, spiciness like black pepper, clove, and a touch of coriander. There is also a bready, yeasty smell, that seems characteristic of Unibroue beers. Alcohol is present in a slight tingle. Like La Fin du Monde, this one has a lot of nice things going on in the aroma (and smells true to style) but simply is too weak overall to really impress.

Taste: Praise be, it is much more flavorful than the nose would let on; in fact, it nearly follows the nose perfectly, but exponentially stronger tasting than it was smelling. The dark fruits are prominent, tasting mostly like plums and cherries, but with a fig sweetness. Then comes a great molasses/brown sugar component from the malts that really reigns in any sourness that the dark fruits may have given it. Cola is a prominent flavor as well, and there are even some lighter fruits like pears present toward the back of the taste. The very end of each sip brings the spicy yeast character that ties everything up in a nice, dry bow. This beer finishes very clean with only lingering earthiness. A really fantastic example of the style, if not quite on par with its Trappist colleagues.

Mouthfeel: Trois Pistoles is creamy, nice carbonation, medium-bodied, and exceedingly drinkable, especially for the style. Beers like this usually feel much heavier, but this one goes down smooth and is surprisingly refreshing. The alcohol is there, but sits at a comfortable warmth that builds as the beer goes down. The finish is reminiscent of red wine in its dryness. It is a bit odd for the style, but a little deviation here improves the drinkability (something that may be dangerous given the relatively high ABV).

Overall: This is a fantastic example of the Belgian strong dark ale style. For the most part, it is very classic, but the shift toward drinkability greatly benefits the beer overall. Based on this and La Fin du Monde alone, Unibroue is most deserving of its sterling reputation. This beer is up there, though not better than, the great examples of the style, and it is certainly cheaper. If you, like me, have been waiting to pull the trigger on this or other Unibroue beers, wait no longer: you are missing out. 17.5/20

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 02:26:51 | More by THANAT0PSIS

YieldToNothing

New York

4.71/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

12 ounce bottle into a tulip
dark broam with a creamy with head of about 1/4 inch.
smell is of figs and other dried fruits. smells like a good belgian strong dark/quad should.
taste is wow, as good as almost any belgian strong dark i've tasted. unibroue is legit!
maybe not the best example of the style, but a DAMN good one and one i will return to again and again.
considering the price, this beer is in its own class.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 03:38:48 | More by YieldToNothing

spoony

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a 355 ml bottle (best by November 14, 2014) into a globe.

A-This beer is quite murky and dark, nearly black, with a nice ruby red highlight. A normal pour produces about two fingers of dense, creamy, tan head that drops pretty quickly into a thick cap.

S-The smell is quite sweet and malt dominant. I smell lots of dark, candied fruit like plums and raisins. The alcohol is sweet and solvent-like, but it fits pretty well into the beer. Its a nice mixture, if not as complex as some.

T-The taste, although still sweet, is not quite a tooth-tingling as the smell would lead you to believe. I detect dark, sweet fruits, and some raisin and prune like the smell, but the taste has more spices like pepper, clove, and cinnamon. There is also some cocoa powder in there.

M-The feel is a real highlight. It is soft, lightly creamy, and medium to full bodied.

O-Along with La Fin du Monde, Trois Pistoles was one of my early craft beer experiences, so it is nice to get around to reviewing it. This is a big strong beer with lots of flavor and great mouthfeel. However, with lots of other big strong beers to compete against now, it may lack the complexity that the best examples of this style possess. That being said, I would happily drink this as dessert six days out of seven because the sweetness really is delicious and the 355 ml bottle is easier to justify on a work night.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 02:49:03 | More by spoony

jeranbrews

New York

4.69/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

A - deep cherry mahogany hue. Some higher clairity than expected. Little to no head or lacing. A bit confused.

S - crisp yet smooth aroma crazy amounts of stone fruits. Malty sugars and caramel confections. Sour and sweet balanced perfectly.

T - copy the above paragraph. Lovely. Heavenly complex flavors of fruit and malts. Strawberry and cotton candy mixed with banana peel and white wine. The aftertaste is crisp and citric. Only possible complaint, too sweet maybe.

M - a slight noticeable abv burn but just right for this style. Crisp despite little to no head.

D -So many north American "Belgian style ales" are cheap jokes of imitations that couldn't find Belgium on a map but this one could easily pass a blind taste test.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 22:53:10 | More by jeranbrews

jvillefan

California

3.89/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours with a dark brown almost black body with a huge (and somewhat annoying) head despite my best efforts to keep it under 2 fingers.

S: Huge belgian character with dark fruit aromas. There is a subtle licorice/anise aroma as well. In the back of the aroma there is a smoke/roasty smell that ties this up nicely.

T: Way less flavorful then I was expecting. There are numerous flavors present but it does not have very strong flavors. There is the dark fruit flavor in the beginning. Next comes the spices, it has a coriander/lavender flavor in it. The belgian spiciness comes up next and the flavor is finished off by a roasted grain flavor. All flavors could be elevated significantly to make this better.

M: Nice thick body with a bit too much carbonation.

O: A great belgian beer but the flavors are a little muted.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 03:45:42 | More by jvillefan

Tone

Missouri

4.14/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black color. 5/4 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, pale malt, yeast, slight hop, spices, and an earthy grass aroma. Fits the style of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with a low carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, slight alcohol, slight pale malt, slight hop, slight yeast, hint of wheat, spices, and a hint of dark citrus. Overall, good appearance, aroma, body, and blend.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 13:02:10 | More by Tone

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.84/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle opened on 3.28.13
Best before 02.27.15

A - Pours a medium cola brown with a fizzy tan head that is gone quickly.

S - Sweet fruit, spices, and cola.

T - Spices, fruit cake, cola again.

D - Good carbonation with a light to medium body.

O - Belgian-ish cola and spices. Pretty boring actually.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 03:17:49 | More by HuskyinPDX

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly murky mahogany in color with some minimal amounts of visible carbonation and some dark amber highlights. The beer has a finger tall fizzy dark beige head that quickly reduces to a small patch of extremely thin film and a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of cherries and dark fruits lending a touch of sweetness along with the distinctive Belgian yeast.

T: Upfront there are light flavors of malts with some toffee sweetness followed by the moderate fruit flavors - cherries, dark fruits (figs and dates), and apple. There are lights flavors of spices and Belgian yeast. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation.

O: Overall while this is a big beer with rich complex smell and flavors, the beer is relatively easy to drink since the alcohol is well hidden. I think of this one as more of a sipping beer but definitely one I enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 22:31:49 | More by dbrauneis

barczar

Kentucky

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Best before 2012.

Pours an almost opaque cola with garnet highlights and a foamy half inch khaki head that lingers.

Molasses, raisins, plums, dark cherries, and belgian yeast form the initial aroma. There's a buttery note and a bit of bready malt. There's slight vinous and musty character that emerges.

Belgian yeast is huge initially, along with dark fruit. Yeast esters of green apple and a vinous character dominate, eventually allowing prunes, dates, and raisins to surface. There's a bit of toasted caramel malt character and molasses sweetness. But esters really are prevalent. There's slight peppery notes at the finish. Becomes breadier and more buttery as it warms.

Body is slightly full and syrupy, with low carbonation and slight alcohol warmth.

Far more estery than I recall. Could be the age. Would prefer more dark fruit prudence and more malt character.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 00:03:21 | More by barczar

TheDoctor

Quebec (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A:
Pours a rich, murky red-amber with some gold when it's in the light. Has a thick head and mellows out to a nice consistent head with lots of lacing.

S:
Immediate pungent hoppy aromas along with cloves and pine, has some malty sweetness too. Smells 'warm.'

T:
Nice, round flavor. Tastes kind of earthy but defintiely has some vauge spicy-sweetness to it. The bottle says it stays in your mouth afterwards like port. It really does. It's quite enjoyable

M:
Gentle warmness, with strong carbonation and a long-lingering afterburn.

O:
Genuinely delicious beer. I am kind of at a loss of words for how to describe it. It is not super bitter, nor is it super sweet. It is warming and refreshing at once. Super good. I tried a couple of their beers before and wasn't really convinced about how good a lot of folks think they are. I am definitely starting to come around.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 21:10:20 | More by TheDoctor

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This pours a medium brown color with a foamy, beige head. The aroma is slightly yeasty and malty with some dried fruit. The taste is very rich and bold with lots of complex flavors. There is mostly dried fruit and spices that finishes with a lingering yeast after taste. Gives off a good little alcohol warmth as well. Very well made!

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 04:56:24 | More by Lemke10

dar482

New York

4.69/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This beer comes in a dark brown with a bit of red and a small head.

The aroma is of juicy raisin, dark cherry, prune, plum, and a bright hop smell.

The taste is similar. The carbonation hits you at first and then the flavor gets to you. It has bready malts and dark fruits of plum, dates, and prune. It reminds of a carbonated tripel/quad because the carbonation is so prevalent in this.

This is a complex wonderful beer. The mouthfeel and carbonation stand out for me. If you don't like Belgian dark ales or quads, I recommend this. It really has a "light" (although being a very dark flavor beer) presence with the hops and carbonation that lifts things up.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 06:54:59 | More by dar482

Braber

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: A beautiful ruby red / mahogany that is just transparent enough to see through. Fairly tight white head that dissipates rather quickly.

S: Large dose of the Belgian yeast character right away. Transitions to fruit characters that are backed up by a little bread-like quality.

T: Sweetness of the malt blends really well with the high alcohol of this one. Dark fruit character that transitions to a bit of apricot and nectar quality.

M: The beer is thin due to the high ABV but holds quite a bit of mouthfeel, all things considered. For 9% this is about all the body one could ask for.

O: Great beer that gets me excited about Belgian dark's all over again. A beer of great quality that allows me to keep faith in traditional styles.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 23:48:27 | More by Braber

BaltimoreBeerLover

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a wine glass.

Appearance: Dark red-brown that is opaque. Big fluffy white head that disappears fairly quickly. Some lacing.

Smell: Smells like a typical belgian dark ale with a very nice ripe fruit aroma.

Taste: No alcohol taste whatsoever is surprising for a 9% beer. Typical belgian dark ale taste plus a little spiciness like nutmeg and the ripe fruit aroma is present in the taste as well although not as pronounced. Tastes like La Fin Du Monde but not as flavorful.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation with a flavor that really coats the entire mouth and lingers for a while.

Overall: Great beer overall. I love the strong fruit aroma because it does not smell fake. 3.9/5.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 17:28:59 | More by BaltimoreBeerLover

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a dark purple-red-brown with about a three-inch collar. Some light passes through. Nice retention.

Medicinal yeast blasts me upfront. Notes of plum, tobacco, dark bready malts, pear, phenols, pinot, and a dry cidery apple. Interestingly, not picking up much alcohol.

Super phenolic. Typical Unibroue yeast dryness and delicate nuttiness along with other dry notes of dark fruits. Plum, grape, and pear. Mild tobacco and some booze. Lots of hospital tray medicinal notes. Finishes long and musty.

Medium in body, maybe a little more. Piquant carbonation inhibits the swallow a tad. Headier now, works well as a sipper. Perhaps, as an aperitif, with that dryness and medium bitterness making me hungry.

Not my preference for this style, but it's strangely charming. Execution is primo. Has a unique signature.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 04:28:36 | More by thecheapies

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Poeworks snifter.

A- pours a dark garnet with a 2" tan head. Nice trails and clumps of lacing remain on the glass.

S- big yeasty notes, bread, some metallic notes, dark fuits.

T- dark fruits, bread, yeast notes,

M- medium body and carbonation. Fairly dry drinking beer.

O- nice beer. Not overly comple, but nice dark fruit notes with bready yeast notes as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 03:35:46 | More by kawilliams81

DilisioYCBC

Colorado

4.06/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Aroma: cherries are the most upfront with a little malt sweetness.raisens and alcohol

Appreance. Dark copper, close to a burnt copper. brilliantly clear.

Flavor: starts sweet, but the alcohol balances this off to bring in some nice fruity esters of dark fruits plum, dates. With the sweetness and dark fruit it is almost, almost port like.Very low bitterness.

Mouthfeel:creamy. Moderately low carbonation. Warms as it goes down.

Impression: a tad on the sweet side for me, but very drinkable for the strength. A tasty drink, but I would have appreciated a little more carbonation to carry the amount of flavor and alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 03:35:39 | More by DilisioYCBC

DougT

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured bottle dated 11-14-14 into Rochefort chalice.

A: Clear very dark brown to nearly black. 1 finger tan head that quickly dissipated to nothing. No lace at all, and that's in an etched beer glass.

S: Yeast, spice and grains, a little fruit. Like a good bread but not as strong. Subtle scent of dates and flowers.

T: Smooth, not sweet but definitely not bitter. A little dark fruit, but subtle. A little bitter in the finish. Peppery. Not hoppy. I can detect a little alcohol. Not very complex, but a very nice dark ale flavor. Not as sweet as a Belgian, but the flavors remind me of some of the Trappist ales, just more subtle.

M: Very drinkable. Very smooth with a light-medium body. Not as heavy as the color would imply. Mostly involves the top of the tongue. Mellow and subtle. Plenty of fizz tingle even with no lace on top.

O: I find this a very versatile ale. I could drink this for refreshment on a hot day or sip a chalice sitting next to a warm fire on a cool winters eve.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:38:59 | More by DougT

lancecenter

Texas

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown, with solid head retention and nice lacing.

S - Dominated by dark fruits and a little bit of pepper and alcohol.

T/M - Super dry with a taste that follows the nose. A little bit more medicinal. Did I mention super dry?

O - It's a Belgian dark ale, what's not to like? Not as good as La Terrible, but not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 23:22:18 | More by lancecenter

tviz33

New York

4.23/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 750 mL bottle in to my Notorious BIG pint glass.

A- Pours a translucent but dark body with some red and gold hues, topped by an inch or so of off-white frothy head. The head settles to a thin cap and leaves behind some nice lacing.

S- There's a sense of Belgian spiciness to it, but the dark fruit really takes command here, but still not overbearing.

T- The taste is just delightful. Cherries and raisins blend wonderfully with innumerable other flavors that come out as the beer warms. The slight sweetness pulls everything together.

M- Nothing much wrong here. Creamy and well-carbonated.

O- Another solid offering from Unibroue. Just go get one.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 00:41:50 | More by tviz33

Danno48

West Virginia

4.34/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Looks very dark... Like watered down chocolate milk. Nice white head that goes down pretty quickly and not a whole bunch of lacing.

Sweet smell of grapes and maybe a sort of balsamic note. Smells a bit woodsy and perhaps a hint of fruitcake.

As far as Belgian dark ales go... this one has the most pronounced dark fruit flavor ever. Prunes, figs, ripe cherries and a very slight hint of some spice. Mild alcohol burn throughout.

Very fizzy and velvety on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 02:57:06 | More by Danno48

alex_hart

Massachusetts

4.59/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

now this beer was dark as night. a bit intimidating on the pour, but in an utterly glorious way

its smell was earthy and sweet. dark cherries and candy.

the taste was more than i could have asked for. belgian yeasts, dark fruit, and delicious bready spices. caramel pieces follow to give it a tantalizing sweetness.

the feel of this brew was amazing..light, smooth, and the carbonation makes you want to keep going back for another sip.

overall this beer is yet another must-get from unibroue

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 21:16:24 | More by alex_hart

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Pours a dark copper with a two finger off-white head that quickly disappates. Leaves no lacing.

S - Hay and bubblegum, Followed by some crisp apple and chocolate covered cherries. Brown and candied sugar come through as well.

T - Beef and chocolate covered cherries hit right away, Shortly followed by dated and brown sugar. The cirsp apples and candied sugar come through in the finish.

M - Medium bodied with almost no carbonation.

O - Overall, It was a solid Belgian style ale that is quite sessionable, although it has a bit of an off-sweetness. I'd have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 05:41:05 | More by SometimesIfart