Unibroue Maudite

I understand the term "Maudite" means "Damned."  After drinking this brew, I certainly don't feel damned, but I'll let you know!

I picked up a "taster pack" of Unibroue's offerings a couple of weeks ago.  Unibroue is a highly regarded Canadian brewer.  Maudite is a strong Red Ale (or, depending on who you talk to, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale).  This particular beer kicks some serious ass at a full 8% Alcohol By Volume (ABV).   It is also a "bottle re-fermented brew" -- meaning that yeast is present in the bottle, and the beer's character will continue to change with age.

My bottle was "young", so I experienced the "smooth" version of the beer.  Supposedly, as this beer ages it becomes stronger, with more interesting characteristics developing, and more "port like".  Perhaps.  Mine didn't last long enough to find out -- and as good as it is "young", it is going to be one hell of a struggle to allow one to age.

This beer pours to a hazy cider-brown with a generous and durable amount of foam.  I picked up some spices in the aroma (cloves) , along with the unmistakable smell of alcohol (although not strong).

The taste is very interesting and hard to describe. I picked up a hint of green apple followed by a balanced combination of alcohol and malt.  Hops showed up in a smooth and tasty finish.

I had this beer "solo" because I wanted to taste it without anything else in the picture.  However, I think this beer would be amazing with a good steak or a pasta + red sauce dinner.  This beer isn't cheap, and with money as tight as it is, it is going to be a while before I get my hands on another one. However, I enjoyed it thoroughly and hope to get an opportunity to try it with some food (or perhaps to age one) in the near future.