Maudite - Unibroue

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one hell of yummy offering by the awesome Unibroue guys in Quebec. 750ml corked bottle, pop this sucker and immediately smell the mingling of sweet spices and warming alcohol. Oh yeah...it smells absolutly amazing, I just loved the sweet spicyness, lets see, theres some fruity sweets of orange peels, some nutmeg, ginger, clove, belgian-like yeast, and heck through in some roasted peppers. Then the taste is super rich and creamy smooth with lots of spicy action and tingly sweetness with a great roasty caramel malt backing thats very bold and smooth. The spice is peppery and fruity. Its got alot of things happening in the taste and feel, its just great to sip and ponder what the hecks all in this thing. The feel is medium heavy bodied, solid, silky smooth and a little bit creamy, that starts sweet, citrusy and malty then goes into the spice level and fades nicely into a fresh and drying bitter hop. Nothing here is overwhelming or overpowering, its all balanced in so softly its hard to phathom. This is one super awesome beer, highly recommend getting some.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2003 10:42:52 | More by tavernjef

JohnnyDuvel

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Probably my favorite of the Belgian browns (reds? Dubbels?), compared with Chimay Red, Corsendonk brown, Oerbier, Val Dieu Brown, etc. I like pales best, and the darker (Chimay Blue, Trios Pistoles) next, as the browns seem to be a little sweeter to my taste. Maudite pours with a huge, foamy - somewhat carbonated head. Nice, malty taste and smell. Somewhat biscuity, but just a little on the sweet side. Quite a warmer, don't play around with this beer, as it will boot you in the ars!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2003 19:50:59 | More by JohnnyDuvel

sinistersteve

Oregon

2.95/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Well, I figured a beer with it's label donning a flying canoe and a serpent couldn't be all that bad. Turns out I was wrong. This one really didn't taste as well as I had hoped. The color was nice but the head seemed a bit fizzy. Much like other non-American beers, this one didn't do me any favors.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2003 22:27:17 | More by sinistersteve

SamuraiJack

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've yet to have a beer from Unibroue I didn't like. As a result, I was prepared to enjoy the Maudite. As it turned out, it would be more accurate to say that I THOUGHT I was prepared. I wasn't. It's truly an awesome beer. Lovely.
Upon pulling the cage and popping the cork you're treated to a very light gas release from the bottle.
Initial pour shows a dark russet/brown beer that is initially quite frothy and carbonated resulting in a quick and thick head that fades into a pretty sticky thin lace. While the beer has a slight haze it's not the usual yeasty cloud. Smells are of fruit esters, spicy yeast and a slight astringent warmth from the alcohol.
The first taste of this beer is astonishing - really nearly overwhelming. So much flavour... malt and caramel and fruit followed by a rush of spice and a little citric-fruit bite and even a little pepper tickling the palette. There is some hop structure balancing the malt and fruit - but the beer is not by any means bitter. Tastes fade into a beautiful soft aftertaste of malt and fruit with the hops tightening the palette and making one wish for more - dying for the next sip, never cloying.
I truly love this beer. It's good in the small bottles but oh so much better in the 750ml size. As insane as it might sound, I think I might order a case to cellar.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2003 21:04:28 | More by SamuraiJack

shirfan

New York

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer could probably make a killing (haha) at goth bars on packaging alone... happily, it also delivers on taste for the discerning beer geek.

Pours a cloudy brimstone-red with a fairly good head that boils down to a film of lace after a few minutes.

Smells strongly of nutmeg and clove cigarettes, backed up by complex yeasty belgian aromas.

Taste is a smooth mix of sweet raisins, more cloves, and discreet alcohol for the ABV. Notes of pears, nutmeg, and even pepper. Smooth, almost smoky notes mingle with yeast, fruity esters, good carbonation, and a nice zesty, sweet and spicy finish.

The Damned? Quebecois only earn that title when we're playing the Habs...but for producing beers like this, certainly not.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2003 21:34:53 | More by shirfan

WaltTrombone

New York

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I found this at my local beer distributor (Beverage World, Peekskill, NY) in a 4 pack of 12 oz. bottles.

It poured orange-Brown, with an off-white head that disappeared straight away.

The aroma made me think of cream soda and ginger. The taste was complex, with a lemony tang predominant, and strong hints of nutmeg, ginger, apple, caramel, honey, and white pepper making their presnce known. Mouthfeel was creamy, maybe even a teeny bit oily, with a fizzy carbonation keeping things crisp. The finish was a mellow, dry, hoppy tang, fading to malty sweetness. The 8% ABV adds a nice warming effect.

Wow, what a beer! I can see why it's in the Top 50. I'm normally a stout fan, but this brew will help keep an open mind to other styles. Bravo, Unibroue!

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2003 11:40:53 | More by WaltTrombone

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark amber copper tone with an off white tan toned head, each sip is leaving a strong collar of lace down the glass. The aroma is full of an slightly alcoholic scent with fruit and malt sweetness surrounding the fragrance, quite magnificant very good dinner beer. The flavor is a bitter sweet dominance with hints of apple and other fruit thrown in, making this one quite a delight. This one has medium to light body very drinkable brew with a highly carbonated mouthfeel that makes this one tickle the back of the throat. A fine brew that I could drink with me dinner any time!

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2003 08:19:13 | More by WVbeergeek

bierman2000

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another fine product from Unibroue. Copper brown, dangerous and very drinkable the alcohol is detected in the finish only slightly. As it warms it takes on more nuances the hops come out a bite more and the complexity is one of a malty over bitter balance that is a perfect blend. Seek this one out and if you can get the mixed case of Unibroue, to savor the evry different flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2003 14:12:43 | More by bierman2000

kbub6f

New York

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought locally (Grapevine refrigerated shelves), a couple of weeks in my fridge, reviewed 45F-55F.

A big, coarse, cream-colored noisy head collapses quickly. The beer is copper with some sediment.

The smell is spicy, slightly malty. The inhale is a little dusty. The front is spicy and buttery! The middle is apple fruity and the finish is bitter with a nice sourness with some alcohol. The aftertaste is butter and apples. This is a very tasty beer. I'm revisiting all the Unibroue after a few years living away from Québec. This isn't my favorite Unibroue, but it's close.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2003 20:11:58 | More by kbub6f

GreenCard

Oregon

3.7/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a ruddy brown, semi-cloudy, and VERY bubbly. Tan, loose-bubbled head. Low head retention due to alcohol content.

Aroma of dried apricots and prunes, some banana ester, malty underbelly, and a slight alcohol twinge. Little to no hop aroma.

Tastes initially of a semi-sweet baked pear (well-done), then the alcohol kicks in all warm and the ester bouqet lights up your entire palette, especially the olfactory bulb. The taste of this beer is very much seated in your sense of smell. A mild hop bitterness fades in mid-way through. Finishes semi-dry with a slight bitterness lingering in the aftertaste.

Medium-bodied despite the abv (typical with these Belgian ales). The carbonation is very aggressive and plays a substantial role in the flavor-break, in lieu of hop flavor/bitterness. LOTS of alcohol warmth.

Another great one from Unibroue. They put out some great brews, all of which I hold in high regard.

UPDATE:

[The following is a review of a bottle that has aged about 5 years, a little more. The best-by date is 07-31-05]

Appearance: pale orange, slight haze, thin layer of suds that quickly dissipate to almost nothing

Aroma: sherry, rum, hint of sourness, subdued spice, multivitamin

Flavor: mellow malt profile with a brown-sugary edge; hints of cork, mold, honey, pepper and raisins in the background; little to no bitterness; finishes semisweet with a clovery aftertaste

Mouthfeel: medium-full body, spritzy carbonation, alcohol warmth

Other comments: A fresh bottle of Maudite is a wonderful beer. But one aged way past its best-by date... not so much. Flaccid and uninteresting.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2003 15:38:29 | More by GreenCard

brakspear

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very hazy copper/orange with explosive carbonation that gushed out of the bottle upon opening. Nice creamy head forms but reduces quickly even with the excessive carbonation.

The aroma is mild but filled with cloves and slight banana notes.

The taste is complex, sweet caramels blend with cloves and bready flavors. Finishing with a slight acidic tang.

Overall a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2003 17:54:13 | More by brakspear

PhantomVodoo

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy amber color that makes me think of caramel. Huge tan head that leaves lace.
Aroma sings of yeast. Banana and clove are noted. Sweet caramel malt scent as well.

Taste is complex. Sweetness that is caramel and toffee in nature. Yeast plays big with notes of banana. Hops provide a nice balance. Beer is just slightly sweet overall. Enjoyable flavor.

Bottle fermented so lots of carbonation in the mouthfeel.
Good drinkability.
The yeast plays a huge role in this beer. Quite good overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2003 19:49:16 | More by PhantomVodoo

Winter

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Maudite poured a cloudy amber with an off-white creamy head. Malt, fruit and yeast combine for a rather pleasing sweet aroma. Mouthfeel is smooth, yet crisp, with a creamy from the carbonation. Malty middle. The 8% abv is first noticed as it warms the back of the tongue. Finish retains the alcohol and fruity flavor to it. Another fine offering from Unibroue.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2003 11:09:23 | More by Winter

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew pours to a copper color with an off-white head; leaves a bit of lacing while sipped down. The aroma is sweet, medicinal with a clove-like aroma. The flavors that stand out are a sweet maltiness with a herbal/medicinal impact. Like within the aroma, again I detect bits of clove in the flavor. It is a medium-bodied and smooth brew that finishes semi-sweet; it is sure to sneak up on you with its strength. Another great Unibroue offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2003 06:25:42 | More by BeerBuilder

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The color is the loveliest, most perfect red you can imagine, the color of Satan's pajamas, and the head is bubbly, prickly, fantastically white.

Aroma is largely spicy, utterly delightful, with additional notes of dark fruits, berries, currant, citrus, and a hint of flowers, plus a good helping of lemon.

Good carbonation, and a massive deployment of hops upon the palate. The alcoholic component does not seem obvious at all, nay, it sneaks up upon you, as you innocently enjoy this delicious ale. Very smoth and tasty as anything on earth, heaven, or hell. Medium body, sufficient malt, but the hops are fully in charge here, and deliver the drinker into fully refreshing enjoyment.

One of the best beers in the whole damned world!

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2003 20:48:05 | More by feloniousmonk

purplehops

Maine

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Maudite pours a slightly hazy burnt orange with plenty of off-white head that laces nicely down the sides of the glass. The aroma is passion fruit, oranges, cake mix, and grains of paradise with hints of alcohol. The taste starts with creamy malt flavors and slight carbonation tickle on the tongue. It then moves to a rush of fruit flavors like orange and lemon blending with caramel malt flavors. The finish is yeasty and spicy with coriander and orange peel flavors making an appearance. Aftertaste is a balance of everything above coming together to give you a warm happy glow. The mouthfeel is full and rich with some smoothness and plenty of effervescence to tickle your tongue.
Overall a great ale. Another ale from Unibroue that proves the worlds best doesn't have to come from Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2003 14:09:37 | More by purplehops

Admiraldinty

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Amber with lots of yeasty particulate matter. Pours a foamy head that quickly dissipates into a ring. Very spicy-alcohol smelling, lots of fruit. Tastes just like it smells, yeasty, spicy, and loads of fruit. Wasn't quite as flavorful as I expected, however. Mouthfeel is very crisp. This is a beer I can only have once in a while, as it completely screws up my tastebuds for the rest of the night.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2003 11:48:35 | More by Admiraldinty

MJR

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours an amber/copper color with reddish highlights. The light tan head starts absolutely huge, then shrinks down to a respectable cap. Reasonably good lacing down the side of the glass. The body's cloudy from being bottle-conditioned.

Smell: Has a complex and warming nose of bready malt, yeast, and candied fruit. Suggestions of clove and orange peel are obvious. A good bit of spiciness is also in the mix.

Taste: This one's quite complex and flavorful with lots of clove, dark fruit, and an organic, bready and malty flavor. The spiciness is consistent from the first sip to the aftertaste, which complements the juicy fruit flavors and candy sugar sweetness. The strong alcohol barely even makes itself known. There's the slightest touch of sourness on the tail end...

Mouthfeel: On the thinner side of medium-bodied with a dry, crisp finish. Finishes quite clean on the palate. Ideally, I'd like this just a bit thicker, as it's a bit watery.

Drinkability: Great, considering it's strength. I couldn't drink these all night, as I wouldn't want to face the next morning, but a few would be more than welcome.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2003 20:35:25 | More by MJR

Realale

Missouri

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tasted from a 750ml corked bottle with a best before date of 3/5/05

Hazy gold, with a significant red/orange blush to it. Huge tight head settles very slowly to a thin cap of fine bubbles. Each additional pour results in a resurgence of the massive head.

Nose is incredibly complex. A ton of sweet malt with a significant clove/phenol underpinning. As it warms a touch, a parade of rich dark dried fruits appear - prune, red grape/raisin, date. Then some citrus notes are there - orange zest or candied orange peel. Wow.

Very complex and bready in the mouth, but a step down from that amazing nose. The fruitiness is not as intense, and the clove is more pronounced. The rich malt is really the star player here. The length is very good, and there is slight sourness which adds to both the complexity and length - but its only apparent on the finish.

Great mouthfeel from the fine bottle-conditioned carbonation, but as the 750ml draws to a close, its becoming a bit ponderous, and I could really use a bit more prickle to get me across the finish line. Perhaps I'll just have to share the next bottle of Maudite . . . Naaaaah. Very drinkable for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2003 07:29:11 | More by Realale

Mitchster

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Unibroue review preface: I spent 2 weeks up in Montreal and drank Unibroue beers the whole time. No wonder they call it UniBrew. Their beers all taste similar. They are all very subtle variations on a theme, that theme being excellence in brewing. That said:

"Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale". Belge?...peut-être. Noir?....um, Je ne panse pas. Fort?....oui. Lightly cloudy medium-amber with a touch of sedimentation and potent carbonation forms a voluminous light meringue white head. Hangs around for the entire beer. Excellent retention and nice lacing. Aroma is, at a distance, green apples, but with yer nose in the glass, it's phenolic bavarian wheat, with cloves and bananas of course. There are very subtle notes of brown sugar, but with Unibroue, it's all about the yeast and exceptionally clean ferment. I have to say, I just drank a La Fin Du Monde and it smells exactly like it...it's just darker in appearance. Taste is typical bavarian dunkel weizen mit heife, but with a more substantial malt character/alcohol content and the typical explosive, spritzy mouthfeel. Has a touch of amber malt peeking through and a smidge of bourbon character. No sourness or basement character noted. Finish, besides the slightly smoky sugars, has a very pleasant clean alcohol blast and warms the gullet. (Tirade: I wish more brewers could get this right. Too often, the alcohol kick is fusel and isopropyl, and just dang nasty. Clean is the word, folks and everyone should take lessons from the brewers at Unibroue!). After the Samuel Smith Imperial Stout, I'm feeling a pleasant buzz. Think Edelweiss DunkelDoppleWeizen.

Another world-class brew in the Unibroue lineup. This is also a benchmark for beers in the style. Dangerously drinkable at 8% ABV, this one is an absolute beauty. I love it! Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2003 16:02:20 | More by Mitchster

Dantes

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Package: 750ml corked bottle, labeled 8% ABV, Best Before 04-22-05. Another beautiful label with real appeal.

Cost: $5.99

Presentation: tulip glass at 50º, tasted the night after a bottle of La Fin du Monde.

Appearance: Nice mahogany brown, with burgundy highlights. Streamers of fine bubbles cutting through a cloudy body. Head is extremely dense, although lighter and less subtantial than La Fin du Monde. Settles to a self-replenishing ½ to ¾ of an inch.

Smell: Banana, clove, apple, pear, and raisins. Also a faint hint of rum!

Taste: A panoply of complex fruitiness: raisins, banana, and a bit of crisp, green apple. A richer, softer flavor profile than the crisper LFdM. The middle and finish weren’t quite as substantial as I had hoped, which I have experienced lately in some of the Unibroue beers. These were younger examples, tasted off-the-shelf for comparison purposes.

Mouthfeel: A softer, less assertive mouthfeel than the LFdM. Not as substantive as some other strong dark ales.

Drinkability: A very nice beer that is not as challenging as some of the other Unibroue offerings. Smooth and likable.

Another good offering from Unibroue. My one quibble is that I think they split hairs in offering so many expressions on a similar theme. An excellent beer to pour with cheeses (fondue!), smoked fish, olives, and especially a plate of poutine!

Backwash: I think that I prefer the Trois Pistoles from Unibroue, as well as the Chimay Grande Reserve, Westvleteren 12 (perhaps an unfair comparison), and the Abbaye des Rocs. Definitely a very good beer, but not the best of its type. Je me serai condamner!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2003 14:56:10 | More by Dantes

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A Brown 750ml bottle, which has a lovely deep red, orange and black oval label on the obverse depicting what appears to be a levitated rowing boat full of people. The horned and winged demon at the bottom hints that you should not mess with this beer. Nice presentation and a warm looking label.

The cage was removed from this 750ml monster and as the cork, marked (dated?) 2-2 was forcibly extracted, it kindly reminded me with a “thupp” and a lovely ghostly wisp of light white-grey gun smoke that disappeared almost instantly.

The head raced up the glass releasing huge aromas as it formed into a cream colored mass of bubbles. Wow. I have a feeling I am going to enjoy this beer. Eventually the head settles to a 1” depth that is comprised of above average sized bubbles that continue to burst as their surface tension lose the battle against natures other forces, namely my mouth. The beer is an ever-so-slightly hazed copper color with hints of orange-amber. This has a fantastic look to it when in a handled 20 fl.oz. Glass.

Aromas are awesome, I worked in a Bakery when I was Student and this beer took me right back to my spotty youth. Smells were released very early on; they positively raced and leapt out the glass in a scene reminiscent of the opening of the Ark of the Covenant in the Indiana Jones Film. Unlike the German Afrika Korp Soldiers, my face did not melt though, by my eyes did light up however. Fantastic, much better than Vicks Vapo-Rub for opening your nasal passages.

Tastes are also of fresh bread again, malt, caramel and a feint alcohol lick. A complex fruity but ever changing beer that is rediscovered during every mouthful. A very solid beer and a seasoned performer for sure. Extremely well balanced. This is one seriously drinkable 8% ABV Beer. This beer definitely should be labeled – “Highly Dangerous - One Bottle is NEVER enough”. Even after 22 ozs I want more.

I hear they speak French in Quebec. Well this is a bloody good ale that could easily fool a crazy uni-lingual Englishmen into believing that I can do the same after just one bottle.

Merde, C’est Bon !!!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2003 19:45:10 | More by TheLongBeachBum

AudioGilz

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This beer poured super frothy, the head was about 3 fingers...maybe I poured it too roughly.
Appearance is a very cloudy brown, slightly dark brown.
The smell gave me fruity, citrusy ideas in my head.
The taste is very strongly fruit, and some tartiness. I almost had to shiver from the flavor until I got used to it. The taste, so complex, I swirl it around for a while and find myself doing that longer and longer, savoring it. But then it goes down and I'm left with a not so enjoyable aftertaste. Kinda of a bitter, alcohol, spoiled fruit taste. Maudite and beers like this one might just be an acquired taste. This is my first try at Belgian Dark Strong Ales, so who knows, they might grow on me.
I bought a set of 3 Unibroue products in a small wooden crate: Maudite, La Fin Du Monde, and Trois Pistoles. So I have two supposedly great beers ahead of me to try out.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2003 17:41:36 | More by AudioGilz

proc

Michigan

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out to a cloudy, amber in the glass. Aroma is that of bread, yeast and light fruit. Taste is slightly spicy, yet with a subtle sweetness. The swallow finishes with a spicy tang. There is a nice alcohol warming effect tht isn't overwhelming. It got better as it warmed up.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2003 07:11:16 | More by proc

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12 oz amber bottle with screw cap. Best Before 09-23-02 (about 4 months past date). Poured into a goblet.

Appearance: Cloudy, light brown with light tan foam.

Smell: Citrus, musty grapes, apples, oak, with faint malt and yeast, and a hint of alcohol.

Taste: Champagne-like, lightly fruity (grapes), lightly malty. Very pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Fizzy, slightly tart, mellow, with a warming feeling.

Drinkability: Very good. Smooth. Easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2003 18:33:34 | More by UncleJimbo