La Fin Du Monde by Unibroue

Posted by Keith Wallace on Feb 21, 2013 in Beer Reviews | 0 comments

The more I taste beers from Canada’s rising micro brews  the greater my respect. They embrace the quality of North American grains and hops, and at the same time executing old school brewing styles. It’s a winning combination they share with some New England brewers, but few others.  La Fin Du Monde -the end of the world- is a great place to start.

A tone-perfect Trapist Tripel, is rich in ester scents, ranging from Bartlett pear to nectarine. Fermentation flavors of clove and spicy ginger are prominent, along with a refreshing top note of grapefruit  oil and fresh baked bread.

Duvel Tripel Hop

Posted by M.L. Wolfsohn on Oct 6, 2012 in Beer Reviews | 0 comments

Duvel has been both the template and the high water mark  for Belgian Strong Pale Ale since the 1920′s.  The company has expanded  greatly since then, acquiring other breweries in Belgian and the United States. The core remains the Duvel brand.

The brew hews very close to the traditional Duvel profile. A head like a fluffy Lhasa Apso, with a beautiful crisp golden body.  The pale malt, the granny smith apple, the lemon oil, and the clove, these are all elements of the class Duvel.

The difference is very much in the Citra hops in this bottling. Grapefruit and grassy notes, along with some fresh pine notes brings this a layer of complexity. Is it better than the original? No. Is it a fun variation of a classic? Sure is.