La Fin Du Monde - Unibroue

Dantes

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Package: 750ml corked bottle, labeled 9% ABV, Best Before 09-12-04.

Cost: $5.99

Presentation: tulip glass at 50º

Appearance: Rich yellow color, a shade darker than Duvel. Scads of fine bubbles streaming through a cloudy body. Head is monumental! Super-fine bubbles that are so dense, the head resembles a meringue, where the egg-whites have been beaten to a fare-the-well.

Smell: Citrus, apple, pear, and hops. Doesn’t quite have the Belgian mustiness that Duvel exudes, but still an impressive nose.

Taste: Yeast and hops meld well with a malt fullness. Did not fill out quite as much as I expected as the beer warmed, although spice notes became more apparent. Alcohol was well-integrated but notable. Finish wasn’t quite as substantial as I had hoped, considering the initial complexity of the flavors.

Mouthfeel: Warm. Creamy carbonation fills the mouth. Carbonation seemed more aggressive than I remembered and a touch coarser than suggested by the head and tiny bead.

Drinkability: A very drinkable beer that should be kept on hand for regular sampling.

It amazes me how well Unibroue has seemingly effortlessly mastered the process of brewing such good, Belgian-style beers. Although I feel that they may have too many variations without too much difference, no one can fault the products. They are subtle, flavorful, well-crafted brews that continue to impress.

Backwash: This is a great beer, although I believe that it should probably sell for a bit less, considering the C$; and I think that Duvel (typically $6.99) is a better beer and costs more to ship. If this were priced like Ommegang (as it originally was), I would buy it by the case. Other than the limited Unibroue 10, this is probably my favorite Unibroue product so far (until I get my hands on the 11 and the La Terrible). Well worth the purchase. Thank you Canada!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2003 14:22:49 | More by Dantes

shirfan

New York

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Intense carbonation; the warning label about uncorking the bottle isn't just there for fun.

Poured a rich clear golden color with a moderate head which was continuously replaced by streamers moving the length of the glass.
Second pour (after swirling up some yeast from the thick layer at the botttom of the bottle) produced a murkier yellow, still every bit as carbonated.

Smell is rich and sweet, warns of the complex flavor ahead.

Taste is yeasty and just as complex, like a hefeweizen but meaner. Notes of apple, banana, and clove. Very sweet, but just enough bitterness in the finish to not feel like soda pop... and the carbonation could easily lead one to be mistaken otherwise.

There is no hint of alcohol in this at all... until about 15 minutes later. "Oh, THERE you are!" Definitely a sneaky ABV, but I'll forgive this brew, I doubt anyone can stay angry at it for long.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2003 18:27:50 | More by shirfan

hyuga

North Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pale golden in color with a huge white head. Head stays fairly well. Excellent aroma that I'm taking great pleasure in. Black pepper spiciness, tart fruitiness, breadiness, and plain old yeast. Sure, it doesn't sound like much, but it certainly is a pleasure to sniff. And to drink...! Wow, I'm impressed. Sweetness and black pepper, odd combination? No way, it's great! Up front it's a little hoppy, then in the middle it gets to the sweet and peppery bit. Bready and a little yeasty as well, all the way through. Tangy citrus and fruitiness shows up at the back a bit more. Hop bitterness is really brought out in the finish, making it very crisp. Medium body. You'd never guess at the abv. Not a hint of it is detectable! A wonderful representation of the style, one of the best even. A wonderful beer in itself. It makes you think, what if the world was about to end? What would be your last beer? I'd say this wouldn't be a bad choice at all.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2003 01:31:37 | More by hyuga

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is exceptional...no surprise coming from Unibroue though. It poured a cloudy off-yellow color with a thick foamy white head. I was hoping it would smell more like Don de Dieu, but it was not quite up to par with it...mild fruit, yeast, and spices.

The taste and sheer drinkability of this brew make it spectacular. Unless you read the 9% written on the bottle, it is very hard to detect. Alcohol flavor is only mild toward the end of each sip. Has flavors of clove, ripe fruits, banana, apple, and mild spices. A smooth, delicious mouthfeel make this a delight to drink a few of. Definitely one to enjoy in all its complexities.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2003 11:01:29 | More by IrishRedRock

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Keep your glass close by on this one, it is a bottle gusher. Popped the top on this one and it came rushing out. Once in my glass it was a hazy, golden-straw color, with a off-white head that left good lacing. The aroma was sweet, of candi sugar. Also in the aroma was spices, and graininess. The flavors I detected were of cloves, spice, and sweet candi sugar. It is fairly light to medium in body, and easy drinking. The alcohol warmth is in the finish, and the strength sneaks up on you. Tasty!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2003 08:38:18 | More by BeerBuilder

kelticblood

Massachusetts

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

La fin du monde poured a huge foaming white head.Very impressive appearance.The color was a cloudy yellow with sediment floating around.A very unusual but inviting aroma.The
aroma hinted at hops,citrus and fruit,malt,with an acidic like smell.An exquisite taste thats really unreal.Alcohol is noted on the finish.Very creamy with a very crisp mouthfeel.Hop bitterness is followed on the finish.When the end of the world comes I want a bottle of this in my hand!

Notes: intense carbonation..Wheat,bread,grain,and malt noted..very complex.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2003 22:55:41 | More by kelticblood

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Hazy golden with white foam. Some lace

Smell: Tart, fruity (sour apples). Not an overly strong aroma.

Taste: Tart, fruity (bananas, apples, pears), and yeasty. Very pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean. Good balance. Nice mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Very good. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2003 18:43:08 | More by UncleJimbo

avylover

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice appearance. Very hazy yellow-golden color. Nice thick white head, which sets uneven on the beer.Citrousy aroma, almost like sour apples. Alcohol almost ignites the nose hairs! Now the taste...Awesome!! Nice ciitrous taste on top of a doughy/alcohol base...lots going on here. Nearly goes down by itself...did I even swallow? Nice dry aftertaste with no syrupy mouthfeel..just taste and carbonation...warm belly to boot. Goes down nice & easy for a beer this high ABV...easy does it!!!!. One of the best belgian style beers I've tried....and it's not even belgian. Good stuff, in more ways than one!!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2003 18:50:53 | More by avylover

goz

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a lightly hazed golden. Small champagne like bubbles race to the top, battling the sediment for the quickest path to join their fellows in the thick white head. Aroma is medium fruity (banana and apple), and lightly yeaty. Flavor is apple and banana, ending clean and dry with some yeast undertones.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2003 07:12:24 | More by goz

stoutlove77

Arizona

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one put the nail on the coffin for me. I had this one after a good night of beer tasting. The look was a golden blonde with the look that reminded me of champange with the head looking rather light. The smell is what resembled a sweet tangy candy with tints of spice, at some point it reminded me of apple pie. The taste was no doubt as close to the smell, has a tangy fruit based sometimes close to strawberries with an after taste of maple syrup. The drinkablity was the key point here, all that flavor with a 9% ABV in stealth mode, was the note the put me to sleep after. When having a beer for dinner consider this a candidate.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2003 13:34:49 | More by stoutlove77

Jason

Massachusetts

4.97/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12 oz brown bottle with a foiled top, a best before date on the back label.

Appearance: Foamy off white head that takes a long while to subside to a sticky lace. Cloudy yet radiant yellowish golden colour shows that this is a pale brew.

Smell: Ripe sugary nectarines, a powdery yeast and a light phenolic clove and medicinal mix in the aroma. Alcoholic esters with a touch of solvent linger in the back of the nose.

Taste: Peppery clove spiciness with a warming alcohol right behind it. Estery with a hint of solvent-like character in the high level of alcohol. Malt lays down some sweetness with a thick drying pale graininess, fruity flavours of mango and pear flash on the taste buds. Bitterness from the hops melds with the thick powdery yeast and bring the mouth to a slightly dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy with a medium to high carbonation.

Drinkability & Notes: One of my favourite Belgian style pale strong ales, a bit over the top for some people and one that I respect by sipping through the night.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2003 18:12:15 | More by Jason

kunzbrew

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy light straw color with a monster of head. with bubbles flowing to the top. The smell of citrus packes the nose with a punch. This is a lightly hoppped brew that kicks ass. This is one of the best belgian style ales I have ever tasted.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2003 09:29:30 | More by kunzbrew

HopheadEd

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a hazy yellow you can not see through, big, big, head. Aroma of citris, lemon, grapefruit. Great clean, crisp mouthfeel with big carbonation, ala champagne. First sip reveals a little alcohol, but is soon hidden with complex fruit flavors and a small hop bite. Lace to the bottom of the glass, again, a slight alcohol finish, but still very drinkable. One of my favorites from Unibroue.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2003 05:26:45 | More by HopheadEd

purplehops

Maine

4.22/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

End of the World pours a cloudy amber yellow with a white compact head. Little lacing on the glass. The aroma is apples, mace, and pear with hints of alcohol and malt. The taste starts with a carbonated rush of malt with background notes of orange peel and coriander. The finish is dry with notes of spicy hops and apples with hints of pepper. The after taste is malt sweetness balanced with yeast fruitiness (apples, pears, apricot, & bananas?) and alcohol. The mouthfeel is warm and effervescent. It causes the muscles in your face to form a smile while drinking.
Another very nice product from Unibroue. A refreshing Belgian style strong ale true to style.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2003 15:47:16 | More by purplehops

cretemixer

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle. Pours a pale golden hue with a slight cloudiness(me like!) Dense creamy-white head which settles at about 1/4 inch. The carbonation won't let it get any less than that. Clean malty smell that reminds me of a fine Belgian. Spruce undertones. Alcohol warmth hits right away with a slight bitter bite. Smooth & creamy mouthfeel. Overall pretty impressive, but not my favorite Unibroue product.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2003 07:39:30 | More by cretemixer

Gusler

Arizona

4.15/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

One sip of a Unibroue beer several years ago started a continuous love affair with this brewery, and the whole line of their beers, “La Fin Du Monde” was that first beer, what a stroke of luck that was for this “Grizzled Old Beer Swiller”.

As it pours from the bottle, a slightly hazy lemon yellow, the head creamy in texture, the size masterful, the color a brilliant white, as it evanesces it leaves a silky sheet of fine lace to cover the glass. The aroma of finely malted grains dominates the nose, citrus crisp, lightly sweet and a pleasure to the senses. Start is ambrosial with lots of malt, the top middling in its feel with a spirited acidity, masterfully hopped, and a long drawn-out aftertaste that is dry. The 9% ABV, make this a real “Belly Warmer”, for these cold winter days and nights, a beer I love, and I always have a few bottles on hand as they age gracefully and I wish I could say the same for my own self.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2002 11:19:41 | More by Gusler

Wildman

Ohio

4.97/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer poured a golden straw color and formed a bubbly white head that left circular lace. A small amount of carbonation was present. It had an aroma of citrus, spice(?clove) and some yeast elements. The flavor was of spice and citrus with a warming feeling of the alcohol present. The finish was a touch astrigent

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2002 17:07:48 | More by Wildman

mickstepp

Ohio

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

First of all I feel bad about pouring this beer into a pint glass (it's all I have). But I'm really excited about trying it. I'm not well versed in the Belgian art (but not quite a virgin either). It pours a very effervescent yellow (lots of bubbly action in the glass) with a thin head. There's an appealing sour-lemon aroma with a little yeastiness. At first sip I'm thinking boy am I drinking this beer at the wrong time of year. Very refreshing, very summery. Comparable to some of the best Hefe's I've had but without the banana/clove flavors. Moderate body, very nice texture. The tart and sweet flavors compete but keep each other in balance. Tart in the beginning, more sweet in the finish. Clearly an accomplished brew even f you're not an expert in the style. I'll have more. Maybe in Quebec.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2002 17:33:44 | More by mickstepp

MaineBeerMan

Maine

4.72/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer is a cloudy golden yellow, with a huge merangue like head of snow white foam that lasts a very long time and sticks like glue, leaving loads of lace.
Smells of fruit (pears or peaches?), light clove, earthy yeast and a bit of alcohol only begin to describe the complex aroma of this brew.
Awesome flavor, rather sweet and fruity, lots of complex spice flavors, clove and and a fruity flavor that I can't quite pin down that resembles the aroma. Very complex and tasty.
Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, even with the higher carbonation of this beer, long lingering finish of hops and fruit.
An outstanding beer, one of my favorite Belgian styles and not too pricey to boot.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2002 19:43:18 | More by MaineBeerMan

ElGuapo

New Jersey

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

you pour out a wonderful pale golden colored brew with a massive white foamy head that wants to jump right out of the glass. the aroma is of yeast and a lot of sweetness that tickles the nose.

you get a wonderful yeasty beer with some sweet fruitiness in there. alcohol is barely noticeable in the finish. i am glad that the alcohol was kept under control.

the carbonation tingles your tongue as the smooth brew slides right down smooth as silk, leaving your tongue warm and leaving you warm and fuzzy. this is truly an incredible beer. i love Unibroue

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2002 07:31:01 | More by ElGuapo

StevieW

Florida

4.72/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. Shiny golden color. A swirl of the bottle will clould things a bit. Rich and foamy off-white head. Great citrus smell. Some yeast richness also sneaks by. Perfectly balanced belgian pale ale. Nice rich yeasty goodness, and sweet candied taste. Sweet plums, cherries and apples all come to mind. Slightly fizzy carbonation but it settles. Belly warming alcohol is present toward the finish. Mostly it just sneaks by and leaves you wondering how they made such a great beer. Not much I can, say that hasn't already been described.
A great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2002 17:34:49 | More by StevieW

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Very opaque hazy gold, big and generous head that laces in thick sheets rather than delicate threads. Champagne-like aroma, a sense of yeast as well. Great mouthfeel and moderate carbonation., malts of candied plums and cherries, slightest sense of a pithy hop bittering at the end. Just a hint of a wheat quality and little woodsy sense. A lot of fresh qualities. La Fin du Monde? Nah, this is just a beginning, one that gives me a sense of being live in Belgium and sampling the Ales fresh. Maybe my favorite Unibroue so far, powerful but tasty and drinkable

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2002 09:39:38 | More by ADR

mjohn27603

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle - best before 7-4-05. Filled the tulip glass with a big and light head. It is blonde in color. Aroma of coriander but very light not overly so. Taste is of lemon and spices with a high alcohol content present. Leaves a sticky coating on the tongue after finishing but is quite drinkable for a something with 9.0% ABV. Very fizzy carbonation leaves light feeling in mouth. Drinking at 9PM on a Sunday night, it is a good way to cap off the night and the weekend.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2002 18:39:29 | More by mjohn27603

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

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

Pours a cloudy off yellow color with a small white head that didn't seem to last. The smell is fruity and a bit raw. Coriander, citrus and some other odd spices are what I taste in the beginning. The end is more like lemon and spices. A bit in your face at first but very smooth in the end. I am very impressed to say the least. Can this company produce a bad beer?

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2002 18:04:04 | More by CharlesRiver

HossMcGraw

Pennsylvania

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

It's difficult for me to describe this beer because the flavor is pretty much all over the place. A floral taste equally combined with a bold wheat flavor kicks things off, and from there, you're on your own to figure out what flavors you encounter. I sure as hell have a hard time. Ripe fruit with a subtle but noticeable malt flavor might do the trick. I hated this beer at first, but I grew to love the complexity and richness of it. If you're kind of a rookie beer taster like me, check out the Unibroue variety case. It's bomb. When I drink this stuff, it makes me want to shake my skinny white ass to some Kool & the Gang.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2002 16:57:55 | More by HossMcGraw