Unibroue 2004

Just ran across it today and drank it this evening. I thought it was good, not quite as good as the 10 or 11 but then not quite the same style. I was just thinking about how to describe it to a friend of mine and this is what I came up with... (although it probably won't be helpful to many people) its a combination of Deus ( the dry floral quality) and older (1999, 2000) Mad River John Barleycorn barleywine (the weird minty spicy quality)

mike

Had some this past weekend. I thought it was overspiced. Coriander, and something else vaguely ginger-like.

Okay, what did you think of DeuS?

Is this a trick question?

I don't know that I've had that particular beer. Is it really spelled with leading *and* trailing caps?

Indeed it is. As pretentious as the beer is. And I find it an unpalatable aniseed taste. For that price, I know of dozens of better beers. Joris

No, sorry.

Yes, it really is. Roughly $25 the bottle, and the one time I opened one with two other people, we didn't care enough about it to finish it. The importer is telling people it tastes best ice-cold; draw your own conclusions.

I actually thought the DeuS (I'll get the double capitalization right this time) was pretty good although I did not take the advice of the importer and drink it Ice cold. I also don't think that it was worth the $25 at least compared to other beers I could get for that price.

mike

Lew Bryson ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.net) wrote: : : Okay, what did you think of DeuS? :

Dunno what other people think but I've got 6 bottles cellared and will probably add another 6 as cashflow permits.

I like it now but I have a feeling that it is going to age really well and some patience will be rewarded.

So, in your professional opinion, are we seeing the decline of Unibroue at the hands of Sleeman?

Brian

Oh, Deus (screw their embedded capital) isn't a Unibroue beer. And as for Sleeman ruining Unibroue, it's way too soon to tell. Give it a year; that should be enough.

I spoke with the brewers a couple months ago at a Baltimore promotional tasting, and they said Sleeman's policy was "we only own you; don't change a thing". They said the only possible change *might* be Sleeman leveraging better malt prices as a big buyer than Unibroue could as a small brewery, but the Unibroue people were dead set against any actual changes in recipes. Of course, if creating new recipes, they might glance at what Sleeman's malt bins have handy............

Of course, we've heard this "no changes" story before (see Wild Goose/Frederick). Make of it what you will.

We sampled 10, 11, and 2004 at the tasting; the agreement was the 2004 was WAY too young, much more green than the 10 and 11 were upon release. I suggest aging it for a couple YEARS............

Alexander D. Mitchell IV Baltimore correspondent, Mid-Atlantic Brewing News

Actually I loved it. Thought the smell was rich and complex with coriander, fruit, brett. I loved the smell of that beer.

Roughly $25 the bottle,... HOW BIG IS this bottle? For THAT price; "bottle" BETTER = "GLASS KEG"! :)

There is a couple of Unibroue 2004 in the 12 bottle Unibroue Collection package now available in Ontario since Sleeman's took over. It was very spicy in aroma and taste but it took me a while to put a name on the flavour except that I knew it reminded of a dish my wife cooks and then it came to me that it was ginger. It seemed like something you'd expect more in a Christmas seasonal and I wasn't impressed. I'll stick to my favourite .... La Fin du Monde!

I get it for $10 a bottle. 750ml