Unibroue 16
Poured into a large Allagash tulip glass. Pours a murky tea hue with a monumental 3" head. The head is certainly resilient, sticking around for quite some time. Smells of yeast, lemon zest, perhaps a bit of orange citric. Slightly spicey aroma, which I will attribute to the hops. Nice, if a bit lacking in complexity. Ahh... now this is quite a bit more interesting. Certainly more of a strong ale than a pale ale in my mind... not that there's anything wrong with that. Surprisingly malty with quite a bit of lemon zest tossed in. A yeasty breadiness that is so common in Unibroue beers, not to mention the style they emulate so well. First it comes off a bit bitter, then a bit sweet... a nice balancing act going on here. While the mouthfeel is nice and thick, the carbonation is a bit over the top in my opinion. Nothing that destroys the beer, but something that could definitely be toned down. I have to give credit where credit is due. For a 10% brew, this beauty shines in the drinkability category. The alcohol is noticeable, but inoffensive. Another winner from the boys up north... its no La Fin, but its quite nice in its own right.