This is a very pleasant pastime this comparison of Belgians which is already into its third month. To say pacing is required is more than stating the obvious. These are big big beers with two of today’s selection coming in at over 10%. Good reason to have a get together.
Just as one observation on the photos I like to add to these posts, this was a very hard grouping to shoot as the paint on the Terrible by Unibroue is actually mirroring silver while the bottle is black glass. There was no way around using the flash, which I do not think provides you with the best photo of glass. So that being noted, here are my notes on the three examples of this style I have gathered:
Gulden Draak: A true Belgian, 10.5% 330 ml from a variety six-pack from Van Steenberge sold during the pre-Yule rush by the LCBO. The first thing you notice is the malty heat from the dark candi sugar – tastes of fig, pepper and prune. Also, it is surprisingly juicy very nice, grapy and there is a bit of milk chocolate truffle in the centre. Unlike a dubble there is no burlap or oaken notes or orange peel and spice. This is all about the malt, like a barleywine stripped of the English hops. The yeast is prominant as well, butter pastry and cream. It is all like a tart of prunes with whipping cream dolloped on top. The hops balance rather than cut the malt, providing structure but it is all about the malt. Advocates say yeah.
Dogfish Raison D’Etre: An entry from Dogfish Head of Delaware in the USA, this beer is 8% and 12 oz. sold by the single bottle at the LCBO. This one is lighter and somewhat reliant on the addition of grape juice to the beer but the result is surprisingly similar to the Gulden Draak. The yeast is bready rather than pie crusty and the hops are even more subdued. The rich core is more about dried apple more than prune. With its fairly soft water profile and relative simplicity it is still very pleasant. I am coming to think that these beers are also like Scotch heavy ales without the smoke of the barley and that northern strian of ale yeast. Soft blankets of malt. Some advocates disappprove citing poor head and thinness yet it was awarded American Beer of the Year 2000. Can’t we all just get along?
Unibroue Terrible: Canada’s entry is again fantastic – lush, juicy and more-ish. Amazingly, at 10.5%, there is no heat. I am recalling that Terrible is less complex as well than the Unibroue’s Trois Pistoles, their other Belgian dark strong ale. [By the way – imagine a brewer in North America selling two Belgian dark strong ales. I hope Sleeman knows what it bought.] There is some orange but it is more as juice than peel. Big malt but the least signs of dark candi sugar than the Gulden Draak or Dogfish. A little figgy, a little leathery, smooth. Some dried cocoa like a can of powder for baking – dusty and light. Perhaps a recollection of black cherry. The yeast is milky rather than butter or cream – not rich and it adds to the juiciness. Hops again are structural rather than bitter. BAers approve as all but one.
I see that this style is just all about the capacity of belgian pale malt if concentrated. These are beer‘s beers. This is what beer imagines it could be if it only put its mind to it, think of the big picture.
[Original comments…]
Alan – January 18, 2005 3:36 PM
I really am with you on the sipping. I am too much the old fart to have 3 bottles of 10% in a couple of hours. Plus, the flavours warrant the time being taken. These big Belgians are really much more like wine in that respect. And I can’t get over the value proposition. You can buy a 750 ml of 10.5% amazingly complex real ale for under six bucks CND – virtually the best in the world. Conversely, I wouldn’t allow a wine at that price anywhere near me or mine. We get sixes of the Unibroue at the Beer Store for only about 12 bucks for 2 litres. Insanely cheap food product for the quality going in.
Alan – January 18, 2005 4:08 PM
I am a nut for the stuff at the bottom of the bottle but I know what you mean. I think the large bottles age better, too. I have a nice set of different glasses and tend to tall Petrus as opposed to the Chimay’s bowl.
Hey thanks for the attention over your blog and consider yourself the correspondent from the South – go photograph beer stores. People think it is very odd to take photos of beer stores. They walk up to you and ask you what you think you are doing. Even on this drive-by of a northern PA drive-through distributor, I thought the guy in the grey t-shirt was going to jump on to my hood.
Alan – January 21, 2005 8:00 PM
I erroneously added Chimay Blue to the triples rather than these dark strongs. Once I poured I was mortified…well, concerned…ok – I am just going to cross reference, alright?
Chimay Blues is a big malty bown ale with nice supportive hops and little in the way of dubble-like big spiciness. A classic expression of the style, smooth with notes of apples and dried fruits, perhaps even a little cinnamon. My bottle was extremely vital, the head blowing out of the bottle as soon as the cap was opened. Mahogany hued with plummy tones, cloudy by the yeast swirled on the last pour. The yeast gives a black rum cake kind of thang to the whole brew. Very nice.
Keith – January 8, 2007 12:43 PM
The “orange” present in most belgian ales is corriander. This is found in Unibroue’s La Fin Du Monde and a lot of other belgians. I did not notice it as much in La Terrible. I was so taken with La Terrible, I brewed 5 gallons of it myself. I just bottled 10 gallons of La Fin Du Monde. I have had good luck with harvesting the yeast from the bottle, so in all likelihood they do not use champaigne yeast to bottle condition their beers like the brewers of Chimay do.
Alan – January 8, 2007 2:33 PM
I understand that Belgians also use dried Seville orange peel. Coriander would usually accompany it say in a dubbel and also stand alone as the source of citrusiness in, say, white beer.
Tim – November 28, 2007 4:21 PM
Found 750ml Terrible in Seattle on a brief visit to the QFC at 500 Mercer. Still trying to nail the plum aftertaste as it’s puzzling, maybe I’ll blame the Sushi that accompanied a few glasses.
Never less an extremely good brew. Warming. Brings a little cheer to the dreary weather today.