Unibroue Blues

[Duffey]

First off - I generally don't enjoy a lot of Belgian beers. I can appreciate them, and I can see why other people like them, but they just don't do it for me. And I like high-alcohol barleywines and imperial stouts very much.

Everyone tells me how good Trois Pistoles is, and I want to see what all the fuss is about. Seeing that I didn't like Maudite, and I think Chimay is so-so, is it likely that I would enjoy the darker Trois Pistoles?

[grub]

can't really say without trying, but my preference is definitely more towards the dark belgians than the light. the ligher ones (belgian pale, tripel, strong pale) tend to lean towards spicy character, whereas the darker ones (dubbel, strong dark/quad) tend to be more fruity, especially with some age. the trois pistoles i got from biegaman a while back that was a year old was pretty good stuff to me.

so give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.

[sstackho]

I haven't had much Trois Pistoles, but I do remember thinking there were similarities between it and Maudite (which I have had a lot of). I'd be a bit surprised if you liked one but hated the other...

[lagerale]

Have you tried the Chimay Blue before? Not that they are the same beer, but I think there a lot of similarities.

And almost any beer is worth trying once.....

[Derek]

The maudite is certainly spicier, but I think it's balanced by the malt and I find it very drinkable. I've had my fair share of this one, and even brewed my own clone. Perfect holiday season beer (and it's even got the legend to boot).

I haven't aged a TP for very long, but I think the higher alcohol makes it much drier and less drinkable. It's got some depth to it's flavour, but I think the lighter-weight Maudite may actually have more. I think I've got one in the cellar (with probably 2 yrs on it). I should probably try it with the Chimay Blue. I agree they seem similar.

My Favourite is Unibroue is actually La Terrible, which is much higher in alcohol, yet somehow it's VERY drinkable. I don't think they've brewed it since '04 though.

[cannondale]

Good luck finding any. There are just a few cases lingering, mostly in the northern hinterlands. It's been de-listed in Ontario.

[midlife crisis]

I could swear I saw its logo at my local Beer Store (Avenue and Lawrence) the other day though when I was taking back a load of empties. I didn't ask about it or anything but might be worth a shot.

[Belgian]

There were lots of new six-packs of TROIS PISTOLES at the Spadina store south of Bloor.



I think Chimay Bleue, Achel 8 Extra and Trois Pistoles are unique beers that overlap to some extent. (If my kitchen faucet ran the Achel I would never need to buy any beer.)

Trois Pistoles - will you like it better than Maudite? Depends what you have reservations about WITH Maudite. The TP is definitely more assertive, and has a deeper, almost grapey fruit note not unlike a fortified wine such as port. It seems to age very attractively. It makes killer beef/bison Carbonnade stew and matches grill steaks and chef roast unlike any other beer, IMO.

Is TP perfectly balanced as Achel 8 Extra, or as quirky as Chimay Bleue, or will you like it? Hard to say. You'd have to grab some and see. If you don't like the six-pack you buy now you can come back to it in six months or even much much later. IME there are so many variations in beer styles to explore and you really have to just evolve and not force it. It may come around to you later.

Cheers.

Have you tried the Chimay Blue before? Not that they are the same beer, but I think there a lot of similarities.

And almost any beer is worth trying once.....

[cannondale]

well you better stock up then because according to sleeman, it has definitely been de-listed.

[Belgian]

well you better stock up then because according to sleeman, it has definitely been de-listed.

Who's "de-listing" it, the producer or the beer store?

I hope the Sapporo ownership does something intelligent with marketing special or seasonal Unibroue belgian ales or some good combo-packs.... We can get Boucanier mix packs from overseas yet not Unibroue, very odd.

[tuqueboy]

well you better stock up then because according to sleeman, it has definitely been de-listed.

Who's "de-listing" it, the producer or the beer store?

I hope the Sapporo ownership does something intelligent with marketing special or seasonal Unibroue belgian ales or some good combo-packs.... We can get Boucanier mix packs from overseas yet not Unibroue, very odd.

there was a thread a while back about sleeman's no longer selling it to the beer store. i think any stock they have has been there for a while, not that it matters with this stuff.

[Belgian]

Boxes looked really new, didn't check date codes.

This store hasn't had it in a long while.

[runes]

just bought a six the other day

[pootz]

First off - I generally don't enjoy a lot of Belgian beers. I can appreciate them, and I can see why other people like them, but they just don't do it for me. And I like high-alcohol barleywines and imperial stouts very much.

Firstly, let me say that it is a mistake to force yourself to like certain beers because they may get great ratings...taste is subjective and personal...there is nothing "wrong" with you because you don't get turned on by certain beers the hordes of lay-experts go ape snot over on the beer rating sites....it's OK to like something else

Seems your are much like myself, you like high strength beers and big beers but are not terribly impressed with many Belgian strong ales (Or at least what passes for a BSA from Unibroue)...your palate may be sensitive and you have issues with the yeast content in any beer on lees??

Personally I keep hitting spoiled (oxidized) samples of Uni TP ( and other Uni beer on lees) to date and although the fresh sample I had some time ago was excellent, these bad samples really turned me off the label entirely...not that I'm any great fan of Uni Belgians in the first place....these days I only buy their limited offerings to cellar and I drink maybe 2-3 a year....I think I'm not alone because Uni gets more sales in the US than it does around here these days

[cannondale]

well you better stock up then because according to sleeman, it has definitely been de-listed.

Who's "de-listing" it, the producer or the beer store?

I hope the Sapporo ownership does something intelligent with marketing special or seasonal Unibroue belgian ales or some good combo-packs.... We can get Boucanier mix packs from overseas yet not Unibroue, very odd.

there was a thread a while back about sleeman's no longer selling it to the beer store. i think any stock they have has been there for a while, not that it matters with this stuff.

I was told that it has been de-listed in Ontario. Presumably by TBS, as I was also told that sleemans is working to have it reinstated into stores and that due to the extensive application process, the earliest that would happen is late spring '08. I'm not holding my breath.