La Fin Du Monde - Unibroue

nomad

Kansas

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a hazy yellow-gold color, with lots of streaming little champange carbonation, a pillowy soft head.

Had a big bright nose smelling of a mix of cloves, honey, lemon, and wheat. All were well blended and soft yet spritely in character. To me, smelled like a ginger ale from god. The hops came through with time, though they were greatly tempered by the malt and the yeast.

Taste was sweet yet creamy, with a solid wheat taste that lended a tart edge toward the finish. Mainly tasted of a light but satisfying pale malt. In general, a bit simple tasting but not bad. Had a cotton-soft drying finish that becomes yeasty in length.

A soft mouthfeel but a little fizzy feeling. Very easy to drink; best to sip but enjoyable in a gulp, too. Very tasty just not as complex as some Belgians. Even still, the best triple in the Americas.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2003 09:20:01 | More by nomad

dwarbi

New York

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

Pours a thick, creamy white head. Looks golden yellow, and is cloudy enough that you can't see through it. Smells and tastes of wheat and spices. you can hardly detect the alcohol. Thick, creamy mouthfeel, but somehow it's also very clean and refreshing.
*This beer got me into craft brews. Still love it!

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2003 17:26:52 | More by dwarbi

Jarod

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Triple fermented
Dated best by 06/06/2005

This beer poured a pale lemony color that was opaque but clear enough that I could make out that it was well carbonated. The head that was produced was thick, creamy and dense – white in color and stood till the last sip where there was a small skim left on top and a ring around the edges. It left behind a creamy sticky lace that was like a sheet being draped on the insides of the glass at the top then broke off into a delicate pattern at the end. The aromas that came from the glass, were of sweet malts and caramel, fruits (pears, apples) flowers, some hops, yeast, spice and a bit of alcohol (but well hidden). The flavors were of sweet and dark malts, caramel, fruits (more pears and dark apples), wood, citrus tones, light hops, spice yeast and alcohol. There was no aftertaste present anywhere on the tongue. The alcohol is big in this beer but you would never notice it unless you read the label, it is well blended all through the nose and pallet. This beer is smooth, creamy and complex, very drinkable, very, very drinkable. Just be careful because with the high alcohol content and its ability to hid amidst the other flavors you will not notice it’s “bigness” until you get up.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2003 07:07:19 | More by Jarod

GreenCard

Oregon

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

Sampled a 750 ml bottle, about six months old...

Appearance: a luminescent pale straw color, fair amount of haze (not nice and clear like the original strong golden, Duvel), satiny white and billowous head w/ great retention, lots of bubbles, some lacing

Aroma: pungently floral, slight citrus notes, wisps of alcohol, pear-like esters

Flavor: pear-like sweetness envelopes the pallate initially (and fades slowly), mellow hop flavor and bitterness evens it out as it heads for a semi-dry finish, big flavor, some hints of orange, a bit of coriander-like spiciness (though I don't think they use coriander in this one), honey-like aftertaste, very tasty!

Mouthfeel: the carbonation gives a sharp attack, light body, fluffy texture, crisp finish, fair amount of warming

Drinkability: a bit more alcohol than Duvel (yeah, you can feel that!), drinking this whole bottle got me feeling pretty loopy, but that certainly doesn't hinder the enjoyment.

Unibroue is one of the only non-Belgian breweries that can pull off the Belgian styles. They make some fantastic beers and this is definitely one of them! When tasting a Strong Golden ale, you always have to compare it to Duvel because it was the original and it still holds the title. This one comes pretty close, though.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2003 10:41:52 | More by GreenCard

stoutman

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A complex beer. The aroma was lightly floral and yeasty. I detected aged coriander spice in the nose. This brew has a murky golden hue with a large, rocky white head which dissipates. Deliscious and malty, but well balanced. Not sweet. A touch sour with hints of citrus and alcohol. The 9% ABV is fairly well hidden. Medium body with a creamy mouthfeel. Lively carbonation. An acidic tad in the finish, but mostly just a long and dry finish to an excellent belgian style ale. Belgian Trippel fans must try this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2003 17:29:20 | More by stoutman

Naerhu

Japan

2.9/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

appearance - opaque dull gold color with pure white head that disapates. Good taste throughout.
aroma - orange and creamy, corriander.
taste - orange and mild malt taste. mild sweetness restrained by mild bitterness. a mild beer.
mouthfeel - nothing special
Drinkability - nothing coming back for.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2003 06:57:53 | More by Naerhu

marburg

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Easy like a four dollar prostitu.... Well, you get the idea. This beer, despite it's high abv, is an exceptionally easy-to-drink beer. A lot of times, drinkability is really a summary of the whole package. If it's tasty, it's easier to drink. If it doesn't feel odd, it's easier to drink. If it doesn't smell like Farmer Fred's horse feed trough, it's easier to drink. In this case, the beer's gorgeous nose and layered flavor profile make this beer a treat.

Pours a hazy pale straw color, almost a creamy offwhite. A nice, poppy, white head forms atop the beer. Aromas of fruit -- passion, mango, citrus -- and cloves. Very spicy.

Tastes much the same -- but in layers of flavor. There's a definite pear and tropical fruit flavor upfront that forms a very inviting sweetness. A peppery, tingly clove spice flavor tickles the tongue. And finally, a warming alcoholic mouthfeel washes over the flavors and mutes them a bit as the beer is swallowed. It's astonishingly complex, and it's far and away one of the best beers in the world.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2003 06:53:22 | More by marburg

tavernjef

Minnesota

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

Color a pale, cloudy yellow color with yeast floating around, nice white frothy head leaving clingy, patchy lace. Smells of lemon and tropical fruit, banana, with a hint of spice and sweet bitterness. Taste is more of the same, citrusy and tropically smooth and clean with a spicy lemon dry finish thats warming from the alcohol. Feel is medium body sweet and fruity flavors that dry out, nice, crisp and clean finish with warming qualities from alcohol. Pretty drinkable but is a sipper, 9%, it'll sneak up on you for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2003 16:31:44 | More by tavernjef

Ahhdball

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I picked this up at my favorite store in Cincinnati (Jungle Jims) along with it's next of kin Don De Dieu (reviewd later) and was pretty impressed. Like a novice I poured this wrong and the sediment came out into the glass, not a HUGE deal but it marred the taste a little. The look was a golden cloudy color with a tiny lace head that took a little time to dissappear. The citrus was strong in the odor and I could swear I tased some grapes. This was sweet, almost like a champagne with a lot of carbonation. Not a bad brew, smooth, almost too smooth. The 9% alchohol factor could definetly not be noticed. All around a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2003 08:25:22 | More by Ahhdball

Running4beer

Massachusetts

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

At first glance not the best looking beer in the world, but who drinks beer for the looks. I poured this into a snifter and it poured out a hazy gold/straw color with a thick frothy head that took it's time to settle to a thin lace. Right off the bat you get a wiff of yeast and some spiciness, I preferably don't appreciate the smell of yeast(don't know why, I just don't) so I immediately prejudged this brew, to be not good. I couldn't have been more wrong. The taste was awsome it had some yeast, spice and a hint of citrus no alcohol aftertaste at all to this, unlike some of its counterparts. Mouthfeel was smooth and rich. This is an easy to drink beer but if you have more than the four watch out cause the bark isn't as big as the bite(or something like that). I also learned not to prejudge a beer without tasting it, smell or looks may be decieving but until you taste it you never know.

Cheers!!!

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2003 18:57:41 | More by Running4beer

Marty

Maine

4.83/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A dangerous combination of delicious and strong. This is the most drinkable strong ale I've ever tasted. I would sometime like to sit down and drink three of these in a sitting.

Pours a hazy gold with a good-sized fluffy white head. Smells and tastes amazing; citric, fruity, spicy and yeasty! I'd put a Fin du Monde air freshener in my room if there were such a thing.

Amazingly smooth. This is my favorite in its category, and one of my favorite three beers... ever!

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2003 08:46:34 | More by Marty

BittRnessabounds

Colorado

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

This impressive beer pours a hazy dark gold with a very abundant and fluffy head. The head subsided slightly to a wonderful lace and foam that prevented me from every actually seeing the golden color from above. The slight bit of head I got with each taste added a very pleasant creamy flavor. The smell was predominantly spicy and yeasty. I could not easily pick out one flavor that dominated because the interplay of malt and spiciness was too well balanced. All the flavors also made my mouth sing in anticipation for the next sip. Each sip gives only a slight hint of the 9% ABV, which makes this brew dangerously drinkable. All in all this is an incredible beer that goes up there as one of the best I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2003 21:17:17 | More by BittRnessabounds

EmoBeerGuy

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My buddy Marty just got a case of this stuff after we tried it at a beer convention in Syracuse about a month back. What a treat!

Pours with a very frothy stark white head. Nose is spices, and slight hops, not as strong as you might exspect if you have tasted this beer before.

Taste is outta this world. Very well crafted and balanced beer which has everything you want from spices, hops, and malt with a strong alcohol presence. If somebody wants to know whats so great about the artisinal pale ale style let them try this beer. They'll understand.

My favorite Unibroue.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2003 19:17:38 | More by EmoBeerGuy

kbub6f

New York

4.35/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought locally (Grapevine refrigerated shelves), a few weeks in my fridge, reviewed 45F-65F.

There's a big, noisy white head. Not so much lacing. The beer is slightly darkish gold, with darker swirls of sediment. Lots of sediment (I'm not careful).

The smell is spicy/sweet, with apples. The front is citrusy, spicy. Apples return in the middle along with the first hint that this is a relatively high-alcohol beer. The finish is crisp, clean, nice fresh bitterness with alcohol warming. The taste becomes more buttery as it warms. Overall this is a fantastic beer. I think it's more balanced than some of the other great Unibroues. It's sweet but not too sweet. The alcohol is somewhat obvious, but not bad at all for 9%.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2003 11:33:32 | More by kbub6f

maxpower

Missouri

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml caged and corked bottle, best before 10-24-05 date. Pours a pale cloudy yellow color with a lot of floaties, nice white frothy head that leaves a clingy lace in my glass. Has a clean bannana and spicy lemon aroma. Sweet and fruity flavors that dry out, nice crisp and clean finish, another great ale by this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2003 13:15:24 | More by maxpower

JISurfer

South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Whoa, this is one kick ass brew! I was skeerd(southern for scared) from it, cause it was from canada, and the only beers I had from canada pretty much sucked. I was so suprised. The head was one of the best I had gotten out of a beer in a while. It was very thick and lasted for a very long time. It never really went down to a laceing it was so thick. The color was a pale straw color. Oh, and it was bubbley too. The taste was complex. It had elements of wheat, citrus, flowers, and had a little tinge of alcohol in it. The aftertaste definately had some evidence of alcohol. I guess that was the only drawback, but it wasn't a bad one.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2003 18:00:36 | More by JISurfer

bierman2000

Pennsylvania

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

A dangerous beer with a likeness to Duvel. Smooth, golden and full of hops and malt and the alcohol isn't present until after you try to stand up after a couple. It is a slow sipping beer or a summer refresher to be enjoyed with care. Seek this beer out is is the best of Unibroue's products.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2003 14:01:23 | More by bierman2000

Scooter77

Ohio

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

The folks at Unibroue never cease to amaze me. This is such a great beer. Pours a cloudy, golden color topped of by a huge fluffy white head, which settles down to about 1/4-inch. Aromas of cloves, yeasty bread, and spices entice the olfactory senses. Initial taste is sweet and malt, followed by a zing of spiciness. This is a medium-bodied beer finishes quite dry. I’m amazed at the complexity of this wonderful nectar. La Fin Du Monde certainly holds true to its name; this is definitely the End of the World, as we know it.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2003 07:59:55 | More by Scooter77

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice 750ml corked bottle that pours a deep golden orange sunshine tone with a gleaming white head leaving a fair amount of lace around my tulip glass. High carbonation that tickles me nose hair and contains a deep syrupy sweetness with traces of honey and spice in the aroma along with the complement of the yeast strain scents. Tastes a very full complex sweetness with shots of bitter and dry sensations that run down the palate. Within the sweetness of the flavor lies a spiced up fruit like, thick mouthfeel of straight up refreshing goodness. Unibroue is amazing they are definitely capable of bringing the magic of Belgium beer to the North Americas, and for that I raise my glass to them. For making a beer with nine percent alchol that contains this level of drinkability and at the same time is staying within the guidelines of the style of any classic triple. Very good!!!!

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2003 07:09:59 | More by WVbeergeek

gjh

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was hesitant in trying this beer since it came from Canada, but based on the reviews I thought I would give it a shot. Damn glad I did as it became one of my favorites on the first sip. Very competitive with the top Belgiums, yet at a lower cost (at last where I get my beer). Cloudy golden color with a nice light, but tight head. Despite a slight tartness, it is still somewhat sweet and very smooth. Also has a nice spice flavor, but not overwhelming. A tripel at its best! Despite the fairly high alcohol content (9%), there is very little alcohol flavor, but it is somewhat noticable on the after taste. Watch out Belgium. I am looking forward to trying the rest of the Unibroue beers. Well, time for another and another and ...........

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2003 20:11:21 | More by gjh

JohnnyDuvel

Florida

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

Unibroue really amazes me. Their beer is as good as anybody's. As good as Chimay, Delerium, etc. Also, in that category, it is a relative bargain. The La Fin is not as spicy as the Don De Dieu. It reminds a lot of Chimay white, and maybe Delerium Tremens. Incredibly drinkable, potent as hell. As is the case with the others I've mentioned, pours a huge head, deep golden color, perfect balance. This is one of the few beers I could drink on a regular basis and never grow tired of. I give Duvel a tiny edge, as it is a little unique compared to the other similar beers, but the Unibroue 10, La Fin, and Don de dieu are right there (I also love Maudite and Trios pistoles). It's hard to believe people drink macro swill with stuff like this available in the grocery store!

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2003 20:39:44 | More by JohnnyDuvel

Winter

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. Poured a cloudy golden color with a rising airy white head. Excellent head retention as it remained throughout consumption. Aroma consisted of yeast, malt, banana and some alcohol. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and smooth. There's peppery spiciness to the flavor, in addition to a sweet fruitiness and cloves. La Fin Du Monde seems to get creamier as it warms to room temperature. The 9% alcohol introduces itself in the finish as it warms the throat and belly.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2003 11:16:13 | More by Winter

Stubbie1

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice dark gold color. Pours with a stiff tight white head. Clings all the way to the bottom of the glass. Aroma is slighlty sweet and spicey. Nice carbonation, a great warm flavor of spices mixed in with alcohol. An enjoyable brew ! Cant wait to try the others

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2003 16:12:50 | More by Stubbie1

scottum

Vermont

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

I grew up outside of Burlington, VT. Montreal was the closest real city, less than two hours to the north. Unibroue has done me right severial times throughout the years. I met one of the brewers last year at the Boston beer summit and he said that giving out these brews was the best job on earth. When the quality is as high as Unibroue obtains I'd tend to believe that. Pours out a straw gold with a nice white head. The taste is oh so nice. a bit of spice with the nice grain and a tiny bit of the 9% comes through. Sooo smoooth! Very complex, yet so drinkable!

2000 vintage:
Mmmm, five year old unibroue! Can't believe I've been able to sit on this so long.

The pour wasn't amazing. The beer is starting to flatten out. So I got sad for a second thinking that maybe the five year old La Finn Du Monde wouldn't deliver. Wrong! Holy shit! This is one of the best bottles of beer I have ever had! Damn! The flavor, mouthfeel, and drinkability have all made it to the realm of perfect scores. If anyone out there has any old unibroue they want to trade, I will forevermore be oh so very down for it! Please!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2003 11:42:48 | More by scottum

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.83/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A metric 750ml bottle that like other UB offerings has a strange, but quite striking, label.

The Cork was pulled & a gunmetal smoke lingered for a while in the neck, rose & swayed back & forth like an Indian King Cobra whilst peering at the outside world. I wondered if a Genie would appear & grant me three wishes. Sadly, it did not, & eventually the smoke dispersed as I poured the beer into a Duvel glass.

Great looks! This is the consummate incredibly fantastic looking Supermodel; a perfect formed curvaceous tanned body, soft blonde hair and deep ocean-blue eyes – but somehow, you are always drawn to the mole on her top lip. The slight imperfection of the milky hazed golden translucent body of this beer just makes this offering more real, understandable and so damn sexy. The slightly hazed golden color in the Duvel glass also seems so appropriate – a long lost cousin perhaps? Tastes like it.

A massive head builds at first, then like the ‘rubber-neckers’ at an accident when they realize no-one has been maimed, or died – they soon disperse. The head rescinds to a thin light uni-molecular covering, with a clinging white halo. Some lace, but not much.

Tastes are so refreshing, fruity pineapples mixed with lashings of fresh wheat beer infused with black pepper, clove impregnated apples, pears and some juicy fleshy mangos.

Massive mouthfeel that is partly attributable to the high inherent carbonation I feel. This beer dances on the mouth like a Lap Dancer that spies your wallet full of Money. Not that I would know – I have never had a wallet full of money.

The finish is like spending $300 on a meal for your loved one, it is enjoyable, makes you feel good, but only you know it ever happened, it was experienced, but it is only in your own minds and memories - you lost the receipt as well, so have no proof. Damn. I know this beer is great, indeed, it is a Classic. It’s just so hard to prove it.

Definitely Belgium in Style,
Duvelian in Looks and Pedigree,
Wheat Beer in Education and Influence,
– But clearly, VERY “Unibroue” in Character.

This is no Dumb Blonde – Quite Stupendous.
An Aston-Martin of the Beer World; Class, Individuality, Uniqueness and Presence.

"...Except you , you were talking about the end of the world….
I took the money, I spiked your drink,
You miss too much these days if you stop to think,
You led me on with those innocent eyes,
You know I love the element of surprise…..”

“The End of the World” ????
– well, only when supplies of this beer Run Out for Ever.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2003 21:51:35 | More by TheLongBeachBum