99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - Unibroue 16

Unibroue is a great brewery, producing top-quality Belgian-style beers from their brewery in Quebec. Their beers are not slavish recreations of any other beer - instead, they are as boldly conceived and richly executed as the finest of the Belgian brewers. They capture the spirit of Belgian beer as much as the flavor.

Unibroue 16 is a Belgian Strong Ale, probably best categorized as a Tripel. "16" is a special beer brewed for the 16th anniversary of the brewery. It is a golden/orangish color, and has a foamy head that settles fairly quickly into a light covering of tiny bubbles. The nose is surprisingly light for a beer that jumps into your mouth with a shout of esters, pepper, alcohol warmth and a bubble-gummy flavor from the characteristic Belgian yeasts.

Weighing in at 10% alcohol, this is a big beer, but it is subtle. The alcohol doesn't burn, and is concealed behind the malty taste and the yeast flavors. The hops do not contribute to flavor, but provide the bitterness to keep the beer balanced instead of cloying.

This is definitely a beer for beer snobs. If you're not expecting the estery flavors of a Belgian tripel, you're going to think you got a bad bottle, but, if you're looking for a solid interpretation of the Belgian Tripel style, you'll enjoy toasting 16 years of outstanding brewing at Unibroue.