Beer Review - Unibroue Grande Reserve 17

Unibroue 17th Anniversary Belgian Style Dark Ale - 10% ABV

Do you know the Unibroue creations?  La Fin du Monde?  Maudite?  Trois Pistoles?  All magnificent beers of different styles, yet all strangely similar.  Did you get to try their anniversary ale created for their 17th anniversary in 2007?  No?  Don't sweat it, you still can. 

In 2007 they celebrated their 17th anniversary by creating a very, very special ale, which approached perfection.

Serge Racine - "Andre?  Did you taste the anniversary ale?  It... is... spectacular!"
Andre Dion - "Oui Serge, it is quite amazing."
Serge Racine -"It is quite a shame that we will only be making this one once for it may be the best beer we will ever make"
Andre Dion -"Who says we can only make it once?"
Serge Racine -"Well, it is our 17th anniversary ale after all."
Andre Dion -"Sacre Bleu, let's make it every year on the anniversary of our anniversary, d'accord?"
Serge Racine -"Oui, genius!"

So was born a new tradion at Unibroue of brewing their 17th anniversary ale once a year.

This dark Belgian style ale is stunningly good.  It pours a dark, slightly cloudy amber with a creamy head that persists leaving nice lacing on the glass.  You will smell roasted malts, hops, sugars and a bit of vanilla.  The flavor is oh, so complex... very malty with cocoa, dark fruits and mocha.  The hops are their in the background as well as some spices and some sweetness.  It is really so balanced that it is difficult to isolate many of the flavors.  This Grande Reserve is indeed aptly named in that it won the International Platinum Medal three years in a row and was also named the World's Best Ale.  A-frigging-mazing.

Unibroue 80 Des Carrières Street
Chambly (Québec) J3L 2H6
Canada
http://www.unibroue.com/