Beer of the Weekend #116: La Fin du Monde

Oh, I went there.

The beer this weekend is La Fin du Monde brewed by Unibroue of Chambly, Québec, Canada.


I was so impressed with Trois Pistoles and Unibroue that I decided to carry over my Olympic spirit from last week and make a run for the northern border once again. Also, I have to admit I wanted another chance to use my Allagash tulip.

Amazingly, I did find a beer from British Columbia at BevMo!: Kokanee Glacier Beer, an adjunct lager brewed by Labatt. Though I was curious, and it would have been timely to sample it, I bought a different base lager (which I’ll get to tomorrow night). I suspected it was a lager, but wasn’t sure, so I didn’t feel confident in trying it yet. Maybe next week.

Random observation: I’m watching Man vs. Food while doing a little pre-tasting legwork. Adam is in Anchorage, and I noticed the chef at the restaurant where the challenge is taking place used an Alaskan Amber logo pot. Now that’s state pride.

Serving type: Four 12-ounce bottles. The freshness date on the back label is 11-02-12.

Appearance: Poured a cloudy wheat color into my Allagash tulip. About two fingers of thick, white head rose and dissipated to a foamy lacing.

Smell: Reminds me of summer. Deliciously yeasty, reminding me of a hefeweizen. Orange, lemon, apple, and herbs, maybe cloves. Oh, baby!

Taste: That may be the closest I come to heaven…besides when I drink hefe, that is. Follows the enticing aromas. It’s yeasty goodness is complimented with flavors of orange, lemon, apple, and cloves (maybe). There’s a bit of a hop bite, but the malts dominate, and it just gets better and better as it warms. (I’m really not sure why BA recommends such a cold serving temperature.)

Drinkability: Awesome. Sip the goodness.

Fun facts about LFdM:

-Style: Tripel. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Tripel before, so LFdM is breaking my Tripel cherry. About Tripels, BA has this to say:

The name "Tripel" actually stems from part of the brewing process, in which brewers use up to three times the amount of malt than a standard Trappist "Simple." Traditionally, Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color, which is a shade or two darker than the average Pilsener. Head should be big, dense and creamy. Aroma and flavor runs along complex, spicy phenolic, powdery yeast, fruity/estery with a sweet finish. Sweetness comes from both the pale malts and the higher alcohol. Bitterness is up there for a beer with such a light body for its strength, but at times is barely perceived amongst the even balance of malts and hops. The lighter body comes from the use of Belgian candy sugar (up to 25% sucrose), which not only lightens the body, but also adds complex alcoholic aromas and flavors. Small amounts of spices are sometimes added as well.

Tripels are actually notoriously alcoholic, yet the best crafted ones hide this character quite evil-like and deceivingly, making them sipping beers.

-Price: $11.49/four pack at BevMo!.

-Serving temperature: BA recommends the usual 45-50ºF, but Beers of the World (it’s a miracle — a beer profiled in one of my beer books!) recommends a serving temp of 57ºF.

-Alcohol content: 9 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: Beers of the World recommends “fine cheeses and desserts.” BA, amazingly, goes a little deeper, recommending Mediterranean cuisine, sharp cheeses (Blue and Cheddar), pungent cheeses (Gorgonzola and Limburger), pork, and poultry.

-“La Fin du Monde” is French for “the end of the world.”

-Unibroue also sells its bottled fermented brews like LFdM and Trois Pistoles in 750 ml bottles with Champaign-like cork tops with wire fasteners. It’s no doubt the best way to bottle these beers, but they’re a little more expensive than the four-packs: $7.89/bottle. Insane.

-Like Trois Pistoles, the LFdM carrier has a little microbrew text (Canadian spelling and usage intact):

This “liquid gold”, with its wild spices and incomparable flavour so precious to ancient explorers, could only be brewed in the High Lands of America.

Travellers of old, it was said, would gladly go to the ends of the world to reach La Fin du Monde!

On the opposite side of the English version is the French translation.

-Speaking of French translations, did you know the French version of the Canadian national anthem is different than the English? Check out the Wikipedia page.

The Quiet Man’s grade: A.