Beer of the Week - Joyeux Anniversaire!

Since this week I am celebrating the anniversary of my birth, it is only right that the BOTW be a anniversary celebration of sorts as well.

We talked a little about the Canadian brewery Unibroue back here , so if you want a little of the brewery back story, go check it out.

Each year, Unibroue releases a special brew outside of its standard repertoire to commemorate the anniversary of the brewery. This is the 16th year of the brewery, and the beer has been aptly titled "16" as well.

My only criticism of this beer is that it is totally within the comfort zone of Unibroue; however, Unibroue makes excellent beers in the Belgian tradition, so this isn't entirely a bad thing.

While you can get most of Unibroue's roster in 12oz. bottles, the 16 only comes in a 750ml champagne style bottle. This brew is so delectable that you're probably going to want a whole bottle to yourself, so buy an extra bottle to share. Be advised that 16 weighs in at 10% ABV, so after you've sucked down 750ml, call a cab.

16 has an exceptional head, forming a tall, tight layer of thick bubbles to protect the brew before eventually settling to about 1/4". The beer is a cloudy burnt orange, and has a yeasty citrus aroma, backed by a honey-like malt sweetness. The initial taste is sweet, but the alcohol and the hops/yeast mix give it a balanced almost "sour apple" type back. The carbonation is penetrating and the finish is alcohol dry. Delicious!

If you don't like the Belgian yeast and noticeable alcohol, then you aren't going like this beer. If you are a more adventurous quaffer, then hoist a glass and salute 16 years of quality brews from Quebec, and Unibroue 16, our first Canadian BOTW.

Joyeux Anniversaire!

Beer of the Weekend

After a busy weekend, Sunday night was the perfect time to plop on the couch with Amber and the dogs, and enjoy our company. Sunday night is also the perfect time to enjoy our BOTWE, Unibroue's Don de Dieu.

Our first Canadian brewery to grace these pages, Unibroue is located in Montreal's francophone suburb of Chambly. I've been to Montreal, although not Chambly, but from what I understand, there is an old fort, Unibroue, and not much else there.

Unibroue's saga begins in Lennoxville, where Unibroue acquired shares of an existing brewer that was in financial trouble in order to bypass Quebec's tough restrictions on brewing licenses. Unibroue eventually gained all shares of the former brewer and then mergered the old brewery with Unibroue to create the brewery we know today.

In 1992, Unibroue became associated with a Belgian brewmaster, a nameless person described by the brewery as an "expert in producing beers on lees," that is, unfiltered beers with live yeast in them, which causes a refermentation (or completion of fermentation) that occurs in the bottle.

Don de Dieu is a triple wheat ale at 9% ABV that Unibroue has produced since 1998. It has a deep yellow color, just approaching light orange. The beer is very smooth, although the carbonation is noticeable, and is just slightly sweet with a fruity, malty body. The head of the beer was not as nice as I would have expected, eventually totally vanishing, although I would have to try it again to pass a complete judgement on that. I had mine with some spicy Asian noodles, and it paired ideal. I would imagine it would go equally well with spicy Latin flavors.

Unibroue makes many quality brews, so look for them next time you're in the beer depot, and make sure you try Don de Dieu, our Beer of the Weekend.