La Terrible - Unibroue

crazyfraser

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance very beautiful. very dark, looks dark brown til you hold it up to the light. Its a beautiful Mahogany color with a cream colored head.

Smell kinda boozy malty.. smells strong but good

Taste Malty for sure, very rich, My wife says it has kind of a cola/syrupy taste. easy to drink if you like boozy flavors, its a mild boozy.

Mouthfeel kinda has a bite when you swallow.

Overall strong. yet smooth for its ABV, very rich, beautiful Mahogany color. would recommend to a beer connoisseur like myself. Glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 21:07:57 | More by crazyfraser

PorterLambic

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours an exceedingly dark reddish brown with a faint light tan ring of foam. No lace, no surprise.
Smell is rich, malt, dark cherry, sour, spice (coriander & pepper) and a whole lot more. Phenomenal complexity and balance.
Taste is equally massive. Rich, dark fruits, malt, yeast, wheat, the whole fruitcake. Awesome.
Full bodied, very light effervescence, tart and almost smooth. Drink this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 01:21:26 | More by PorterLambic

chanokokoro

Illinois

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

Poured from a 750 ml bottle, formerly corked and caged, into a Unibroue branded short stemmed tulip glass.

Pours a dark molasses colored brown with one and a half finger off-white head that resembles sea foam in consistency that dissipates quickly. No visible lacing. Dark fruit especially notes of black cherry and fig, a bit of spice, and light phenol alcohol on the nose. Opens with the flavor of black cherries and bit of date and fig that combines with hints of almond and spice. Finishes clean and fairly dry with some alcohol warmth. On the lighter side of medium bodied, fizzy champagne-like carbonation, slick on the palate. A very solid brew. There's nothing necessarily novel about this brew, however a good solid representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 03:21:21 | More by chanokokoro

Ghengis

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A dark ale. I tend to like this style. This style tends to be the sweeter of the dark ales. Can sense a bit of hops, but less than others in the style that I have tried. Overall, a good balanced blend. This was a total impulse buy for me. I'd definitely get another bottle to have in the future. It was definitely not terrible as it's namesake implies. If you have a penchant for dark Belgians (like I do), give this one a go. It is 750ml of goodness.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 08:58:02 | More by Ghengis

srv33

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark amber pour, inch head, very fine lacing. Scent is of apricot, almond, a little licorice, leather. A lot of carbonation in the mouthfeel though balanced. I taste citrus, hint of vanilla, lavender, blossoming into mild cacao and lemongrass, with a bit of nuttiness in the aftertaste. My first Unibroue, was pleasantly surprised by it, I'll have to look out for more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 22:30:11 | More by srv33

david18

New York

3.6/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had a twelve ounce pour of this beer at the Amsterdam Ale House on Manhattan's Upper West Side. A very interested example of the style. Not the best for summer however.

Color was a dark mahogany. A little light on the carbonation but definitely not flat.

Aroma was of dark roast and dark fruit mixed with the yeasty aroma typical of a belgian beer.

Flavor had the same qualities as the aroma but also had a good amount of alcohol heat, maybe a little too much.

Overall a very good beer. Probably a great one if you're a big fan of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2012 19:40:43 | More by david18

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

thanks to Erik for sharing this with us at the Fridge -appreciate it cuz! enjoyed from a tulip chilled.

The color is deep burgundy with some brown hues with translucent clarity and thick cap of cream which holds well. The first sniff gives off some stone fruit and dark cherry odors with mild citrus and light spice ester from the yeast with mild sweet note of dark sugar. The aroma is varied well with slight hints of other dried fruit like date. The feel is very highly carbonated with moderate sweetness and low alcohol with slight spiciness and semi-dry finish.

I like how the yeast and sugar in this combines to give a hint of candied orange rind with the dark sugar providing some rum-like body with mild alcohol and sweetness in the middle there is slight nutmeg-like woody spice that carries over from the yeast and adds complexity with a nice mild creamy toffee note in the finish. Overall I though this is a solid belgian with a nice amount of flavor and has some interesting spice and fruit notes.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 14:05:15 | More by Slatetank

tdm168

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to jtd1969 for sharing this bottle with me.

A - pours a very dark brown bordering on black; thick off white head; fades quickly to a thin lacing

S - Belgian funk, white grapes, big apple notes

T - grapes, apples, faint bread, caramel, funky, spicy

M - full bodied, warm, crisp

This is a big beer. The alcohol is noticeable and slows down the drinking a good deal. The flavor is fruit forward but good. I would probably prefer a little more balance and a little less of the apple notes, but good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 09:42:49 | More by tdm168

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle served in a snifter.

pours a deep mahogany tone while yielding a foamy finger and a half head; good retention and lacing. pretty much exactly what i expect from a good BSDA. nose is lead by dark fruits with notes of spice, yeast, and a hint of booze evident.

flavor follows the aroma pretty closely with the dark fruit, spice, yeastiness and alcohol all accounted for. the booze is plenty well hidden given the 10.5% ABV on this guy. medium bodied mouthfeel with adequate carbonation.

in the final analysis i think this is a really good. no 'wow' factor per se, but overall very enjoyable nontheless. a must try.

(originally reviewed: 07-26-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 22:10:56 | More by BostonHops

lazjuarez

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a caged and corked 750ml bottle into a goblet. Once opened, gave a crisp POP! Bottle stamped: K26101458Q

A: Pours a muddy brown, almost like Coca-Cola in color with instances of ruby red around the bottom and edges around the top. Head is about 2 fingers worth of tightly packed bubbles, khaki in color and receding rather quickly to a ring and small patches. Almost no lacing, but some noticeable alcohol legs. Almost no light coming through, but carbonation is visible right under the head.

S: Nose is amazing! Dark fruits like figs, rum soaked raisins, big earthy yeast esters, and sweet candied sugars. After the dark fruit notes, the yeast really takes over and finishes with a touch of alcohol.

T: Taste is nothing less than amazing. Big Belgian yeast esters, dark fruit notes, candied sugar, and almost a bit of funk. Nice alcohol note as well, but not too overwhelming.

M: Medium bodied; Biscuity mouth feel, great carbonation, and a nice touch of alcohol really helps to move the beer along as well as keep the palate refreshed. A bit of a warminmg effect, but at 10.5% ABV not harsh at all. Great brew, if cellared even better.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 05:42:50 | More by lazjuarez

phishsihq

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This Belgian-style strong dark ale pours a deep, dark brown, while a thin tan head sits atop the brew and provides a good deal of lace. Dark fruit flavors (plum, fig, and raisins), some roasted malt, and Belgian yeast funk provide an intriguing nose. Full of wonderfully dark flavors, La Terrible features hints of candi sugar, black licorice, plum, raisins, spice, and a touch of alcohol. This full-flavored, medium bodied ale is also more then moderately carbonated.

A votre sante! / Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 00:59:29 | More by phishsihq

DoubleJ

California

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I don't know if I would go for a beer named "terrible", but because it is made by the masters at Unnibroue, it can't really be terrible, can it? Here's a 750 ml corked and caged bottle, all for me. On to the beer:

Some like it light, and some like it dark. If you like them dark, then check out this beer's nearly black, but is closer to dark chocolate brown. The head forms two finger's thick on top retaining itself well initially. A few spots of thin lace remain around the tulip. I love that Unibroue house yeast. It's very fruity throughout the aroma. Specifics include notes of cranberry, figs, raisins, red grapes, brown sugar, and a kick of cinnamon (must be one of those "spices added"). So a great start.

It's strong, yet it's not too heavy in the flavor, and the alcohol doesn't dig in much. The spices work very well with the beer's big malt body and yeastiness. A little nutty, fruity, spicy, nice. It's full bodied, pumped with lively carbonation, and drinks rather asy for its size.

La Terrible is not as the name suggests. This is a wonderful Belgian-styled beer that is more than satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 04:58:25 | More by DoubleJ

mtlasley

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Terrible pours an opaque brown color which comes to look deep and murky once in the glass. Reds and Browns peek from the edges but very little light peeks through the beer. A two finger head of light beige takes it's time disappearing. Lacing is very prevalant.

The first thing on the nose is the faint scent of apples, quickly overtaken by raisins, figs and a general dark fruit scent. An extremely sweet smelling malt makes up the center and faint alcohol peeks it';s head out. There's a Belgian yeast here that sits inside all of the other aromas giving things a spicy note and making it quite interesting. The nose is complex and very promising.

Raisins, figs and cherries are up front on the tongue and help to produce a light tartness on the first splash. The middle is characterized by a sweet, faintly roasty malt flavor accompanied by the spicy Belgian yeast. It fits together wonderfully. The yeast carries to the end where fruity esters start to show and the only hint of alcohol in this 10.5% brew is noticed.

There's a slight oily quality in the mouth but you can definitely feel the low attenuation here. The natural carbonation helps though and carries this flavor exceptionally well.

Awesome. Unibroue has yet to let me down and with Terrible, they've set the bar even higher for themselves. Sweet, yeasty with a slight malt background. Definitely a must try for any Belgian fan.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 01:56:25 | More by mtlasley

WesM63

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Chimay goblet.

A: Pours a dark murky brown with a 2finger light brown rocky head. Decent retention and lacing.

S: Faintly smells of roasted malts, figs and alcohol.

T: Lots of roasted malts, dark fruits/fig and alcohol.

M: Full body and plenty of carbonation.

O: Not a bad Belgan Strong Dark Ale, however nothing really stands out on this.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 01:43:24 | More by WesM63

atr2605

New York

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-pours black with a tan foamy head with excellent retention and clings to the side of the glass
S-plums, honey, raisins, molasses
T-plums and honey flavor are bold up front, and is followed by the raisins and molasses, sweet slean finish
M-medium-full bodied with high carbonation
O-Excellent beer with great flavor and feel. Had never heard of it but had other Unibroue beers that I enjoyed. This one is great as well

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 01:06:18 | More by atr2605

pmarlowe

California

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

Tulip glass. Thanks to whoever sent me this. Not a bad way to say goodbye to House.

A: Pours a dark, opaque brown with a half finger of creamy khaki head. Decent retention and some lacing.

S: Sweet grape juice, dark malts.

T: Off dry grape, almost wine-like, and some dark fruity malt.

M: Medium-light body and medium carbonation. Alcohol is a bit present but not bad considering the ABV.

O: Tasty and drinkable, the only knock is that it borders on the one dimensional with its single-note malty fruit.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 06:35:36 | More by pmarlowe

t420o

California

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Unibroue la terrible

A- pour produces a half finger fizzy head that recedes quick leaving no lacing. Beer is a dark brown color 3.5

S- ripe dark fruits, grape juice, brown sugar, tart cherry. Smells pretty good 4

T- very much like the smell; ripe dark fruits, grape juice, brown sugar, molasses, tart cherry, an earthy, almost wood taste as well. 3.5

M- good mouthfeel only complaint is it's just a little fizzy. 3.5

O- I love Unibroue and this beer is no different. A very solid dark ale. 4

B/B+ 

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 04:01:26 | More by t420o

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.78/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Oh, boy. Now you're talking. Finally an Unibroue I can really love. The others (Maudite, Trois Pistoles, ___) have been quite good, but overwrought in one way or another, either too sweet or too rich. Perhaps it's the bottle conditioning of the Terrible that attenuates the flavors and creates more room for error. The yeast fruit definitely adds a dimension to distract somewhat from any flaw, as does the high carbonation. (A note on the bottle-conditioned carbonation: while being a bit sharp in the mouth, it is fought off so well by creamy mouth feel that what carbonation would be a liability in most beers here is an unwavering asset.)

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 01:35:26 | More by martyl1000

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Served a deep brownish-red, nearly black color with a tiny off white head. The head faded fast to give only a little bit of lacing.

Smell – The aromas are big and bold of dark fruit. Cherries and plum are quite big and when mixed with a lighter alcohol, yeast, and sweet fig aroma give a very nice fruity smell.

Taste – The taste follows the nose very nicely. A cherry sweetness starts out the taste. There is a lighter tasting dark bread flavor mixed with the cherry. These flavors are soon met with some other darker fruit flavors that come to the tongue. The fig and plum that were present in the nose, as well as some lighter flavors of molasses and yeast mix with the cherry and bread. At the end these flavors mingle with a light warming alcohol flavor, that all in all, leave a very pleasant sweet and warming aftertaste on the tongue.

Mouthfeel –The mouthfeel is a bit above normal in thickness for the average brew, but light for a beer of this high abv. The carbonation level is quite average and very appropriate for matching the body and the flavors.

Overall – This was one very nice and tasty brew. It had some great dark fruit flavors with just the right hint of warming alcohol to make it very easy to sit back and sip with enjoyment.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 23:27:01 | More by Darkmagus82

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a goblet. Best before 01-30-2016.

4.0 A: Black color. Two fingers of frothy, faint tan colored head. Retention is solid for the ABV, but no lacing is left.

4.0 S: Pleasant mixture of dark maltiness and dark fruitiness. Light supple roast, lots of chocolate, some caramel and molasses. Fruits including lots of fig and lesser amounts of plum, date, and raisin. Clove spiciness from the yeast with hints of pepper. A touch of candi sugar.

4.5 T: Very tasty and well balanced. Again there's lots of chocolate followed by a light roast with caramel and molasses. Fig heavy fruitiness with plum, date, and raisin. Clove and pepper spiciness. Candi sugar. A lot of fine Belgian brews are delicious, but often too subtle and require that the drinker concentrate to get the full experience. This is not one of those beers. The flavors are intense by Belgian standards and mesh extremely well together.

4.5 M: Unibroue yeast is awesome for creating wonderful, spritzy mouthfeels and this is no different. Light to lighter medium body. Good spritzy carbonation. Super smooth with just the right amount of creaminess.

4.5 D: Very good beer. It's been a long time since I had a Belgian style beer this good. Solid all around. Don't pay much attention to the label, this is anything but terrible.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 22:57:57 | More by DavoleBomb

clayrock81

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a brownish body with a one-finger offwhite head that left some lace down the glass. A candi-sugar and yeast sweet aroma, along with touches of dark fruit and something like figs. Medium-bodied and easy passing although a tad bready/filling, a nice balance of candi and caramel sweetness as well as some light touches of dark fruits (cherries, apricots, figs, touches of citric orange - my tastebuds are all over the place). Finishes a little dry and crisp and not as boozy as one would think with high ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2012 16:10:12 | More by clayrock81

ONUMello

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a goblet
A: Very dark brown, almost black, with a two-finger head that settles to 1/2 finger and lingers at that level.
S: Sour aromas- green apple and lemon. Also a hint of figs and spice.
T: Matches the nose except the fig/sweet dried fruits stand out. It's tasty but a bit too light/sour for to the amount of malt/hops
(could use more malt/hop structure to make it truly outstanding).
M: Light-medium bodied, incredible creamy and smooth.
O: A very good beer as is the norm for Unibroue, and it would go from very good to outstanding if it had a bit more structure/balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 21:14:23 | More by ONUMello

videofrog

Texas

4.83/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured a 750ml bottle into a Duvel snifter. Taken out of the fridge and rested for about 40 minutes to bring to serving temp. Best by date of 04-15-15. Poured carefully as to not disturb yeast sediment.

A: Nearly opaque dark brown. Light beige head that dissipates slowly.

S: Took a quick whiff of the cork and got green apple peel. Dark fruits, raisins, figs. Caramel and brown sugar there as well. Also a spiciness I'm assuming is from the alcohol.

T: Outstanding. Raisins and brown sugar more pronounced. Caramel and chocolate in the middle. The green apple seems to reappear very faintly in the finish. Peppery alcohol. Mild hop bitterness there for balance.

M: Lush and full. Carbonation is just a little high, alcohol bite noticable; probably didn't let this one sit long enough; I don't apologize.

O: Complexity is great on this one. This may surpass Maudite as my favorite. As has become my habit, I love mixing the yeast sediment in my second glass when it comes to Unibroue brews. It did not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 00:51:54 | More by videofrog

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a deep brown with a nice dirty white head

S: Vinous grape and slight alcohol aroma and molasses

T: A sweet refreshing kick characteristic of champagne initially. Delicious molasses undertones mesh beautifully with the vinous taste. Hints of blackberries, plums and strawberries. Leaves with a slightly sour/bitter aftertaste. Abv is detectable, but not dominant.

M: Absolutely amazing. This beer has a ridiculously low viscosity, yet it moves in my mouth like a thicker beer would. It is astoundingly smooth and incredibly refreshing.

O: Great. It is soothing and delicious, very easy to finish.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2012 01:54:17 | More by barleywinefiend

jneiswender

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a large tulip glass and served cool.

Pours a squid ink black body and a coffee ice cream head.

Smells of yeast, alcohol, raisins, chocolate, flowers and herbs.

Tastes are layered and are the same as the smells with the addition of some clay or chalk flavor.

Medium and well carbonated.

Overall a very nice version of this style. Complex and delicious with food. I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 14:22:02 | More by jneiswender