La Fin Du Monde - Unibroue

AnchorsAndAxes

Oregon

4.06/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a large tulip
A: hazy, golden, pale with a nice head, also most a micro foam
S: grape, bread, citrus, pepper
T: herbs, grapes, bread, bright citrus, pepper
M: good carbonation, effervescent, creamy and smooth
O: great balance of dry and juicy flavors and textures. tasty and refreshing. another great beer for belgian beginners

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 03:26:10 | More by AnchorsAndAxes

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.14/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- A pale, cloudy peach colored body with a thin layer of white bubbles. Light shines through the body, but the cloudiness makes it not transparent.

S- Very fruity. White grapes, pear, apple, apricot, citrus and lemongrass, some herbal notes as well. Definitely a lot going on.

T- Tons of fruit flavors come through over yeasty, bready flavors. Apricot, pear, dried berries, white grapes, definitely some herbal notes too, with a somewhat medicinal finish.

M- Very crisp carbonation bite. High carbonation, medium bodied, creamy and yeasty mouthfeel.

O- Overall a very unique tripel. Lot of different fruit flavors than other tripels. Tastes close to flavors of a sparkling cider.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 01:16:07 | More by stephenjmoore

GossageBrewery

Missouri

4.63/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured this Tripel from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a hazy yellow color, produced a thick creamy white head, excellent retention and lacing. The aroma consisted of pale malt, peach juice and yeast. Medium bodied,a base of sweet malted grain, spicy white pepper, apple and pear juice followed by floral hops, and alcohol. Smooth mouthfeel and dry finish makes this the most outstanding Belgian beers I have sampled. Everything from Unibroue Brewery has been outstanding-

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 22:53:58 | More by GossageBrewery

magicman

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Still to this day my absolute favorite beer.In the past week I have had a St Bern. Abt 12 and a Founders Breakfast Stoudt. Two fantastic brews but this is my No.1. I would drink this more often but I have a job.It is absolutely addicting.Easy to get and even easier to drink
It is an extremely dangerous beer at 9% abv .This is the second time I have reviewed it and it just does not have any peers amoungst the tripel style. Best thing about it , crack open a bottle around wine drinkers,some actually think it is champagne and anyone who has had it has either liked it or loved it and changed their mind about beer. The smell the taste and especially the mouthful -unbelievable

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 08:11:45 | More by magicman

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.8/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Really thick lovely white head. Smells like a pretty average tripel, heavy on the yeast but normal range of spices and cloves and light malt. Flavor is similar, again very yeasty, very good but not spectacular. Mouthfeel is awesome, milky smooth and super well carbonated, extremely drinkable. Overall a really nice triple, the mouthfeel makes this beer or it would be no more than an above average example of the style.

7.7/10

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 05:12:17 | More by AlexFields

Weli

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Hazy golden blonde color with a 1" thick white head, subsiding to a nice white lacing

S-Quite bready and toasty with hints of apples, slightly grassy and floral

T-Very crisp and dry, smooth slightly sweet malt pilsner malt flavor with a slight citrusy spice or hop character

M-Very effervescent, smooth, crisp and dry

O- A nice tripel, not as malty or flavorful as others I've had. Very dry, crisp and refreshing, hides its 9% abv very well

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 16:40:39 | More by Weli

Joshpu

California

4.59/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Poured from the bottle into a duvel glass.

A: Hazy golden orange color with a fair amount of carbonation. Two finger bubbly white head. Soapy sortof lacing.

S: I smell the yeast, malty biscuit, banana, some citrus fruit, a little pepper in the smell.

T: Very complex tasting, banana, apple, yeast, malty. Almost like a cider taste. Little peppery tasting as well.

M: Medium bodied. A little sweeter. Definitely has the carbonation feel to it.

Overall a great beer. This isn't even really my style beer but it has a great, unique taste. Very complex.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 09:08:34 | More by Joshpu

Bdonschill

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

I'm writing this review after the fact, so I'm trying to remember the initial experience.

I honestly don't have a lot of experience with Dubbels and Tripels, so I didn't know exactly what to expect with this beer when I first had it.

It poured a bright golden color: very effervescent and lively with a very soda-like white foam head.

What struck me was how aromatic the beer was. I could smell some honey and fruit/berry scents: possibly apple and strawberry--very sweet.

The taste was much of the same. Very light on the mouthfeel and the 9% alcohol was masked nicely.

Overall, this was a great way to break into Belgians. I'm afraid with such a renowned offering, I may have set myself up for disappointment in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 01:09:01 | More by Bdonschill

acelin

Kansas

4.55/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip glass from the fancy bottle. Foiled cap? Slightly annoying honestly.

Pours bright yellow, fizzy, with a large white, bubbly, rocky head. Awesome! Good lacing down the side of the glass.

Smell is of light sweetness, honey, some pale malt, and a little banana.

The mouth follows, with some additional apple and pear, some super sweet sugar, some spice ( think christmas spice). All of this is improved with a super amazing, fizzy mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 21:04:33 | More by acelin

jaws1477

Florida

4.66/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Best 9.00% beer I've ever had. I prefer it when poured correctly, which most bars that I frequent don't do. For best flavor, use a Duvel-like chalice and pour at an angle slowly until about one inch of head is achieved. Then pour rest of beer into glass after about a minute or so. It has a very distinct bitter-sweet taste, although once you have acquired a taste for La Fin, it goes down very smoothly. One of my favorites, although a 4-pack where I live goes for around $11, and the bars usually charge $8-10.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 20:23:07 | More by jaws1477

zachloveshisbeer

4.48/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feeeel fine," wrote one particular band of New Foundland origin. I can totally agree with that statement and if the world's ending, grab a bottle of this bigtime Belgian. These Unibroue folks are giving Belgians a run for their money and they have absolutely perfected all styles. I cannot find fault in this beer, but it's not for the faint-of-heart. It pours big and frothy, with the hint of sweetness you would expect from the Belgian yeast. I poured it into a snifter, like you should, and I let it relax and warm for a few minutes before inhaling. It warmed me right up and gave me the feeling like that if the world did end there and then, this beer was taking me into a world of its own! I would say that this is a beer for someone who's open-minded. Someone who likes to sit and sip a beer or two while those around him/her down pint after pint. A beer for old souls who know that if the world ends, they lived a pretty damn good life and they let out a big, cheerful "Salut!" in jest.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 19:02:21 | More by zachloveshisbeer

nasty15108

New York

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a goblet.
Best before 1/24/15

Poured a cloudy golden champagne with a thick head of lacy white foam.
Smells earthy and slightly sour.
Slightly bitter with a sourish finish. mouthfeel is carbonated and reminiscent of champagne.
A nice example of this style.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 00:55:07 | More by nasty15108

Labeorphile

Texas

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice cloudy Belgian appearance with thin white head that hangs around with little lacing.

Lots of sweetness in the nose that carried over into the taste. Citrusy and almost champagne in the taste and mouth feel.

Overall a great beer, but overly sweet for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:12:36 | More by Labeorphile

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy Golden straw, solid head head and lacing. Thick foam.

S: lots of candi sugar, white bread, bubblegum, and belgian yeast. enticing.

t; sweet candy, some cloves, bananas, pears, raisins, maybe some cognac as the booze cuts in. Lots of yeasty esters and spiceness.

M: ABV very subdued, syrupy but not heavy, high carbonation per style.

O: Like most tripels its a little sweet for my preferences but its quite good. Lot of yeast flavors in this one. A legit belgian inspired tripel. Definitely worth trying atleast once.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 03:38:52 | More by BigCheese

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from a 750ml bottle into a Pilsner glass.

A: Hazy and rich looking. Sediment is in the beer adding to the cloudiness and taking away from the clarity. Nice yellow/gold color. Thick white head about 2 fingers.

S: Very nice. Smells of coriander, slight citrus, very fruity and appetizing.

T: Tastes how it smells. Very good. Fruity and citrusy with good yeast/bread flavor. Lots of nice esters from the yeast. Not to hoppy with little bitterness.

M: Smooth. The alcohol content is hidden very well. Goes down like a 6-7 when its pretty potent. Deceptively smooth and clean. The head has a good feel to it too.

Overall: Amazing beer. The first beer I had that was not a macro-lager. Really my introduction to good beers and learning to taste and analyze flavors in beer. Life changing beer. :)

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 23:49:55 | More by Haydn-Juby

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

4.46/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Unibroue's 'La Fin Du Monde' @ 9.0% , a Tripel served from a corked 750 ml bottle purchased for $6.50 , my first taste was on Dec21/12 , and I seem to survived 'The End of the World'
A-ok , pour is a hazy straw/gold , good size off white head leaving some thick lace along the goblet's edge
S-wow , the triple fermentation with special yeast really brings out a grapeferuit/citrus right away , strong
T-not as much of a wow , sweet citrus possibly pear , lots of yeast , malty
MF-double wow , after a couple of sips , so smooth on the palate , medium carbonation and body , ABV is well hidden , a true sipping beer
Ov-incredible beer , so complex , so well crafted , a must if you are a beer geek ,

brost LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 22:21:45 | More by LampertLand

babaracas

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Objective review time. Best by 1/15 you say? Pours a hazy gold color with fast fading white head, thin ring with no lace on the glass. Smell: candy sweetness, clove, pear note. Taste: clove infused pale malt, mildly spicy and alcoholic, pear, golden raisin. Light+ bodied, then the carbonation goes a little over the top, finishes drying with clove and a little lingering sweetness. I haven't had one of these for 4 or 5 years. It's totally decent and enjoyable, but, wow, is it massively overrated on review sites.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 07:26:06 | More by babaracas

MrCee

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lemony taste. Nice and frothy. Goes really well with bready cheesey food. Does not overpower what you are eating and washes it down nicely. Nice light in color. Finish is pleasant. We get so many bad beers from Canada, it is nice to get a truly exceptional beer from north of the border

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 03:49:41 | More by MrCee

joeseppy

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice cloudy golden hue pour. Fizzy head.

Smells yeasty. Prominent clove, coriander, and pepper.

Flavour pushes through of clove, coriander and pepper in the end. A mild bitterness. Bread and yeast more pronounced as beer comes up to room temperature.

Smooth, dry and crisp-medium carbonation. Flavours last.

Nothing to pick apart here. A really solid beer that can be enjoyed at anytime of year.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 21:46:34 | More by joeseppy

BWED

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted and reviewed on 12/21/12, in honor of the end of the world.

25.4 oz. bottle poured into wine glass

A- Turbid golden yellow-orange (yeah, lots of color) with a white one finger head that's quite fizzy. Dissipates down to little patches, yet a slight swirl enhances the head instantly. A little bit of lacing remains around the glass

S- Fruity up front, maybe peachy, and some light freshly baked bread in the background. Booze is fairly strong, but smells delicious.

T- Very sweet, and fruity. Bread comes up more so than in the smell, but all that yeast screams at you in the taste.

M- Quite thick but very smooth, velvety. The carbonation dances on the tongue and it makes me giddy! Perfect feel.

O- Delicious, complex (and baffling.) You know it's good when it brings a smile to your face every time you take a sip. A wonderful beer, and if I did know the world was ending, it might just be the beer I go out on.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 19:57:39 | More by BWED

jerryusc

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Golden and cloudy. Soapy head, about 1"

S- Citrusy lemon with hints of pepper. Almost a lemon pepper

T- Strong tripel taste with buttery start. Citrus in the middle. After tast, pepper at back of tongue.

MF- Medium to heavy carbonation. Like a light fizzy champagne

O- Great tripel. So easy to drink. But, be careful!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 17:27:32 | More by jerryusc

CBrotherton

Kansas

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 12-ish oz. pour from a 750 ml bottle to chilled glass. Not a tulip glass as suggested by the bottler.

Appearance: Slightly cloudy with many bubbles that slowly rise to the head. The head itself was about 2" in height and is now approx. 1/8" in height after resting for a couple minutes.

Smell: Had to close my eyes and get very close to find a smell (so close I got the tip of my nose in the beer). The best description I have at the moment is a subtle, bright yeasty smell. I've never smelled any beer quite like it to date.

Taste: I can taste the yeast more so than I can smell it. Bright. Distinctive acidic, citrus, almost lemon taste to it without the sourness of a lemon. Part of me wants to say lemongrass but I'm not 100% sure that applies. Overall, a memorable first taste that is vaguely reminiscent of Boulevard Wheat that quickly changes to something else entirely (still figuring that out). Bubbly at first and with a quick springy, flowery finish. Was looking for a longer finish or stronger opening with this beer.

Mouthfeel: It hits the sides of my tongue towards the back of my mouth. Drinking this makes my mouth want to leap a bit after each sip.

Overall: A great sipping beer. High ABV that hides a bit behind the yeast and bubbles upon pouring. It's still easy to notice its high ABV however. Not out of the park on taste; i was hoping for a more bold flavor that would be worthy of the label "The End of the World". It would be ideal for serving at a small gathering where conversation is intelligent, or (as many have done so far) toasting beer at End of the World celebrations.

This is my first review of a beer. I am supremely overjoyed that, having survived the new year, I can go on to review other beers.

Purchased 4-750 mL bottles at $6.99 about a week before Christmas 2012.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 22:13:13 | More by CBrotherton

Tusked_pinniped

3.9/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from large bottle to regular glass (yes I ignored the tulip recommendtion but only becuase i don't have one!).

A: Cloudy and golden with bubbles rising happily to the surface. Lovely head slightly thinner than my finger shrinking but lingering for quite awhile.

S: Not quite sure how to describe this, its somewhat unique. Slightly yeasty I guess? All I know is that is seems to be come with all of the Unibroue products I have tried. Strange but I've come to appriciate it.

T: Sweet but not heavily like a porter or stout. Most of the flavors I notice come after I swallow. Kinda smooth and nutty fading into a lingering grape juice like sweetness that I really enjoy. You will also get the distinct Unbroue taste that comes withall their stuff. If impatient enough to sip while the head is still there you may find it very smooth and creamy.

M: Nothing too special about it. Its thin and bubble. Nothing wrong with it either though. If it was summer I might be more excited about it.

O: A nicely sweet and fruity brew with a decent drinkabilty. My only problem is that the taste of the 9% alc. does slip through now and again but the after taste makes up for it in my opinion.

Random notes on this beer: This is my second time having it. This is the brew that introduced me to the glorious world of Unibroue. Its not my favortie from them but more than worth having. I'm having it now because when I started drink it it was 12/21/12 and I made a pleadge to have it at midnight as the name itself apparentlly means The end of the world. Ultimately I used that as an excuse to have this agian.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 07:19:16 | More by Tusked_pinniped

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750 mL bottle from the LCBO; bottled May 22 2012. I picked this up a few months ago with the express purpose of reviewing it December 21st, which was probably a good call because I haven't seen it in stock recently. It's now after midnight, and we all know the Mayan stuff was bollocks - but in a happy coincidence, the first truly snowy, windy, wintery weather of this season has finally fallen upon Southern Ontario tonight. That's perfect big Belgian beer weather, making this as good a time as any to review one of the world's best-regarded tripels. This one was first poured well-chilled, but most of the bottle was consumed after warming.

Pours a cloudy golden-amber colour, topped at first with one finger of dense, creamy white head that withers away to a thin film and collar fairly rapidly over the next few minutes. Not the most impressive thing I've ever seen, but the aroma is positively heavenly, with a wide variety of intensely fruity, yeasty, floral, and especially spicy aromas - toasted wheat, tangerine, pears, apples and coriander comprising the bulk. The concentrated whiff of aroma released when you uncork this stuff is worth sniffing for... that's how good this stuff smells.

And the taste is equally worth savouring - with a rich, yeasty, fruity flavour profile as well-crafted as any authentic Belgian-made tripel. At first I can make out lemon and orange citrus zest, sweet Belgian sugar and wheat malt, pepper and coriander, with bubble gum and orchard fruit (mostly apples and pears) coming through as well. The finish is yeasty and spicy, with a good brush of heat from the ethanol. Leaves a sticky feel behind on the palate - probably the main contributor to the long-lasted aftertaste. Medium-bodied, with high levels of spritzy carbonation that helps counter the yeasty chew and spicy aftertaste a little. Drinkability isn't all that great - this is the sort of thing I'd prefer to drink before bed, or at least after a big meal, rather than on its own.

A great sipper for a cold night, and even though the serving size is a bit much for one person, I'll take the risk and polish off the bottle - a conclusion I'm sure any true man would arrive at naturally. After all, if that end of the world prophecy was actually made in Pacific standard time, I could still die horribly before morning arrives, and I'd prefer to be drunk should that happen. Consuming this beer has got to be one of the finest routes to the achievement of that noble goal.

Final Grade: 4.60, a virtually flawless A+. La Fin du Monde is one of Canada's finest beers, though I'm not entirely sure it would be my first "last" beer choice if I believed we were all completely doomed. It remains an unbelievably great value purchase for any tripel fan, both in terms of price point, quality, and wide accessibility/distribution. For these reasons, it is well worth a purchase for anyone interested in the style. I've had this before, and I'll probably have it again, and would recommend everyone else follow suit.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 05:39:03 | More by thehyperduck

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Served in my La Fin Du Monde Tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a very hazy, extremely pale color with a four finger head that disappears quickly. As long as the beer is in your glass, there is an onslaught of carbonation streaming to the top.

Smell: White fleshed fruits, pear and apple, a little bit tropical, spicy yeast and some funky, cheesy notes as well. Very pungent and ripe all around.

Taste/Mouthfeel: The taste is similar to the nose, lots of the pungent fruit and lots of zesty yeast spice, and some underlying funk. The front is a nice carbonation kick that moves into a hit of bitterness and an onslaught of flavor and a smooth, sweet finish The fruit flavors linger more than the peppery notes, likely due to the sweetness. Not as dry as most tripels. Unbelievably complex, this beer has alot going on.

Overall, this beer is unique in the style and has an unbelievable amount of flavor, very hard to tame if you are not familiar with belgian ales, it is very complex. From start to finish this beer is incredible, make sure it is not served to cold.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 04:07:33 | More by Siriusfisherman