Name: Unibroue 15th Anniversary Ale

Brewer: Unibroue (English home page)

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Bottled On: January 6th, 2006

Cellared On: August 3rd, 2007

Original Tasting: August 19th, 2007

Unibroue 15 is a big (10% ABV) Belgian ale brewed in Quebec Canada. The brewery is just a quick shot up the Northway for me here in Upstate NY. Something tells me I’m going to have to throw the wife in the car and take a ride up to check this brewery out in person.

The 15 is their special anniversary ale. It pours a deep golden color, with a very thick and bubbly head that held up forever. Soft fruity smells were apparent, reminding me of pineapple and the like. It almost smelled like one of those fruity frozen drinks Lisa (my wife) loves to drink.

Very subtle flavors in this beer, nothing bold smacks you in the face here. I picked up the fruits again as I tasted it, but maybe a few other fruit flavors instead of just the tropical ones I could smell (a little bit of apple?), along with a bit of a honey taste. Yeast and malts are here too, but subdued. The alcohol brings a nice warming finish.

Six Month Tasting: February 17th, 2008

Six months really suited this beer well. The fruit flavors where much more pronounced now both in smell and taste. The flavors brought to mind cherries, nectarines, pears, and a kind of semi-dry honey flavor. Delicous and very drinkable. The color was pretty much the same as back in the summer, and there was a bit more carbonation present.

Cellar Outlook: High ABV and bottle conditioned should make this one hold up nicely. I’m hoping for some additional fruity esters to come through over time.

Six Month Outlook Notes: Hey, so far so good. I didn’t expect the fruity flavors to be so prounounced this time around, I’m hoping they’ll go even further!

Next Tasting: August 2008