Unibroue Trois Pistoles

I really love getting my beer in a champange style bottle, there is just something about it that switches on my mind that this is going to be a quality beer..it must be if they go to this much trouble with the transport vessel.  I know that looks are not everything but this does not fail to satisfy.

Trois Pistoles is a very dark beer, as dark as a stout or porter, although there is a certain dark, dark ruby colour in there.

It pours to a great head made up of nice tight small bubbles and settles to hold a head which....looks a bit like an Irish Coffee!

This is a complex beer and not one which is easy to describe, the flavours change from the first taste right through to quite a drawn out aftertaste. There is a lot of fruit flavours and at the end you get the dry sweetness from the alcohol.  I got the 750ml bottle don't think you could get through to many of those at the ABV and price!

I agree with Nathan whole-heartedly. WOW. What a fantastic mixture of tastes. Alcohol kicks in quite quickly, could only drink maybe 2 botts per session.

Fantastic

Before I begin this review, I must let you know just how beautiful a beer this is when poured correctly. I've had this in the past and it was served up in a Pilsner style glass which didn't do it justice. This was the first chance I've had to serve it correctly (in a Snifter glass) and my very first impresion was wow!

The apperance is a murky dark brown with a slight red hue to it, and you can see the yeast particles dancing around amongst the tiny bubbles forming the foamy head. The head itself is resembles a latte then it does a beer. It is thick, creamy and has a brown and almost coffee crema appearance to it. Even the little bit of the yeast that exited the bottle last has sat atop the head like a crema stain you'd expect to see in a Latte art competition, not beer.

To date I have not come across a beer with a more appealing look to it and whilst I will most likely find a lot on par, by my reckoning I can't see it being beaten. Top this off with the bottle presentation, a dark exciting looking bottle with a foil wrapped cap. A definate winner so far.

The aroma strikes you from a mile away. Even resting the glass on my desk I can smell it as I write this review. Simply astonishing the reaching power this has. Smells a little like fresh leather and dies off to reveal a grassy tart aroma at the tail end of my sniff. There is also a hint as to the alcohol content in the aroma.

Upon tasting there is a myriad of flavours. The first that you can taste is quite malty and rich, but then you are bombarded by the spices and fruit flavours. I could taste Cherries and something I couldn't put my finger on, but it reminded me of Black Sapote. The flavour tastes like the best Christmas Pudding you could ever imagine, and then some!
The aftertaste is a little herby and earthy with a wonderful dry grainy finish. The complexity of flavours is off the chart.

Maybe we really are deprived of flavours in Australia, or maybe this really is one of the best dark beers I've tasted to date. This is a definate star from Canada and should be savoured slowly.