Beer of the Weekend #265: Maudite
Another suggestion for my September LV recommendation is Maudite, brewed by Unibroue of Chambly, Québec, Canada.
Serving type: One 750 ml bottle. The “best by” date on the back label is “09-30-12.”
Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is a sexy amber-brown. Two fingers of fluffy, slightly tanned head dissipated to leave a billowy cap.
Smell: Lots of malt, fruit, and spice. Caramel, green apples, orange, dark fruit that I cannot put my finger on, yeast, coriander, and pepper spice. There is a little alcohol, but nothing sinister.
Taste: The mouthfeel is, as the back label says, “uncommonly smooth.” (I don’t know about “uncommonly,” but it is smooth.) The taste is mostly reminiscent of the smell, but the flavors are much more pronounced and very well balanced. Caramel, toffee, green apple, orange, fig, yeast, and coriander; the pepper spice is seemingly nonexistent except for the lingering tingle it leaves on the tongue. There is a little brandy-like alcohol edge, but for the most part the booze is very well masked.
Drinkability: Really good stuff. It has a ton of flavor and the body is full and smooth.
Fun facts about Maudite:
-Style: Unibroue calls it “Strong amber-red ale,” while BA classifies it as “Belgian Strong Dark Ale.” Here are the facts, ma’am:
-Price: $6.99/750 ml bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: The beer’s Unibroue webpage offers this: “8º–10ºC, better at 12º–14ºC / 46° - 50° F, better at 53°- 57° F.”
-Alcohol content: 8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The host of a video on the Maudite webpage says, in a dirty French-Canadian, accent, that it pairs well with “romantic cheeses,” “tomato dishes,” and “spicy food.” Also, there is this:
-IBU: 22.
-Color: 18, which corresponds to “amber-brown” on the handy dandy color chart in Mosher’s Tasting Beer.
-Maudite was first brewed in 1992.
-Maudite has a “great aging potential, with a shelf life reaching five to eight years.”
-For all you want to know about Maudite (pronounced “mode-zit” by the video host in his dirty French-Canadian), check out its schnazzy webpage. It has to be one of the best beer webpages I have ever seen, and Unibroue gives the same treatment to all its brews.
-Having watched a couple of the “legend” videos accompanying each beer, I have decided there is a lot of devilry going on in Québec.
-Ahhh, les francophones and their aversion to pronouncing the letter “h.” I could not help laughing during the “legend” video of La Fin du Monde when the host said, “The overwhelming ‘umidity paralyzed men…”
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
Serving type: One 750 ml bottle. The “best by” date on the back label is “09-30-12.”
Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is a sexy amber-brown. Two fingers of fluffy, slightly tanned head dissipated to leave a billowy cap.
Smell: Lots of malt, fruit, and spice. Caramel, green apples, orange, dark fruit that I cannot put my finger on, yeast, coriander, and pepper spice. There is a little alcohol, but nothing sinister.
Taste: The mouthfeel is, as the back label says, “uncommonly smooth.” (I don’t know about “uncommonly,” but it is smooth.) The taste is mostly reminiscent of the smell, but the flavors are much more pronounced and very well balanced. Caramel, toffee, green apple, orange, fig, yeast, and coriander; the pepper spice is seemingly nonexistent except for the lingering tingle it leaves on the tongue. There is a little brandy-like alcohol edge, but for the most part the booze is very well masked.
Drinkability: Really good stuff. It has a ton of flavor and the body is full and smooth.
Fun facts about Maudite:
-Style: Unibroue calls it “Strong amber-red ale,” while BA classifies it as “Belgian Strong Dark Ale.” Here are the facts, ma’am:
On the same path as the Belgian Dark Ale but obviously higher in alcohol with more of an all around character. The alcohol character can be deceivingly hidden or can be very bold and in your face. Look for lots of complexity within a delicate palate. Hop and malt character can vary, most are fruity and may have mild dark malt flavors. Phenols will range from minimal to high and most will be light on the hops. All in all most are spicy and alcoholic.
-Price: $6.99/750 ml bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: The beer’s Unibroue webpage offers this: “8º–10ºC, better at 12º–14ºC / 46° - 50° F, better at 53°- 57° F.”
-Alcohol content: 8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The host of a video on the Maudite webpage says, in a dirty French-Canadian, accent, that it pairs well with “romantic cheeses,” “tomato dishes,” and “spicy food.” Also, there is this:
Rich and lightly sweet, La Maudite is a great ale well worth savoring. Fire and brimstone red, this sumptuous brew is surprisingly well-balanced and smoothly caramelized.
Its sweet, spicy flavor goes perfectly with strong-tasting soft washed-rind cheeses like Le Fêtard or Gruyère. It is one the rare beers that can be served with tomatoes and spicy dishes. Try it with grilled meats or a dessert of crème brûlée or tiramisu.
-IBU: 22.
-Color: 18, which corresponds to “amber-brown” on the handy dandy color chart in Mosher’s Tasting Beer.
-Maudite was first brewed in 1992.
-Maudite has a “great aging potential, with a shelf life reaching five to eight years.”
-For all you want to know about Maudite (pronounced “mode-zit” by the video host in his dirty French-Canadian), check out its schnazzy webpage. It has to be one of the best beer webpages I have ever seen, and Unibroue gives the same treatment to all its brews.
-Having watched a couple of the “legend” videos accompanying each beer, I have decided there is a lot of devilry going on in Québec.
-Ahhh, les francophones and their aversion to pronouncing the letter “h.” I could not help laughing during the “legend” video of La Fin du Monde when the host said, “The overwhelming ‘umidity paralyzed men…”
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
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