This week in Beer Corner I bring you the Unibroue brewery, located in Chambly, Quebec, about 15 miles east of Montreal. They specialize in bottle conditioned beers, which means that there are yeast sediments collecting on the bottom of the bottles. Most breweries will signify this on their merchandise by printing “bottle fermented” or, in Unibroue’s case, “on lees.” Just like Chimay beers, make sure you don’t agitate the bottle before pouring unless you prefer to have yeast with your drink. Drinking the yeast with the beer will change the feel of it, but it will also add nutritional value.
To have a beer be bottle-fermented gives a number of positive attributes. The beer is naturally carbonated by the yeast, instead of the usual gas injection practiced on filtered beers. Bottle conditioned beers also have a longer shelf life, and like wines, can become better with age. Some beer geeks advocate that being on lees gives the beer much more flavor than a filtered beer is capable of.
Unibroue makes eight beers that are available Fairbanks, and the names of each beer are inspired by various Canadian pioneering legends. Most of the available beers can be found in both large bottles and 12 ounce bottles (both sold as singles).
Maudite is a strong dark beer that can be found in the Pub. A slightly lighter and hoppier beer is Don De Dieu. Besides these differences, Maudite and Don De Dieu are very similar. La Fin Du Monde is lighter still and smoother. Of the five beers sampled from Unibroue, this thrice-filtered golden ale is my favorite.
Trois Pistoles has the most attractive color: a promising murky brown. But in taste, the beer failed to deliver anything but a hodge-podge of blah. The smell is indescribable and unappealing, and the flavor is best described as bad brown ale.
The Blanche De Chambly was a pleasant surprise. Not being a fan of white beers, the Chambly was unlike any white beer I had tried before, most likely due to the flavors acquired from being bottle conditioned. I highly recommend the Blanche De Chambly for anyone who prefers light beers to dark and is interested in trying something bottle-fermented.
Update
In the previous beer corner I had given a generally negative light on Pumpkin Ales. While the general regard remains the same, it would be remiss to not inform everyone of a recently-found Pumpkin Ale that stands above the rest in quality. The Pumpkin Ale from Buffalo Bill’s Brewery is light and flavorful. The almost-citrus aroma compliments this exceptional seasonal. This beer should be included in everyone’s Horn of Plenty this Thanksgiving. 