If you've been following BeerCrank.ca, AKA Cranky Beer Blog(ger), my Flickr feed or my blog on Spymac/RateBeer.com twenty years ago, you know that I'm a huge Unibroue fan. In recent years they moved towards cans, which is exactly what most beer drinkers wanted, but not myself. I fell out of love of my favourite beers like La Fin du Monde and Trois Pistoles. They taste off for me now so you don't see me getting all excited reviewing everything that comes around - they have a LOT of new products but they're trying to replicate anything and everything now days, no longer trying to be the tried and true best Belgian-style brewery on the continent with some of the best Belgian ales - They still do that well but in cans I've found the beers to be too sweet or just something off. Blanche de Chambly is excluded because that beer is meant fresh and that still tastes like a gem.Today I'm sampling Unibroue's Saison Libre, a "light beer" Saison at 4% ABV. Thankfully I saved a bottle of Blonde de Chambly for the time I neeeeed a bottled Saison.. but for now, there's Saison Libre.
Appearance: Has a bit of an East Coast IPA vibe to it: It's an opaque orange/lemon juice vibe, no clarity to it. The head is thick with a very bright snow white hue to it. The head itself diminishes pretty quickly leaving behind a thick lacing on the glass.
Aroma: Is that Citra I'm getting? Unibroue's product page doesn't tell me the hops. It's a very citrusy aroma with notes of Dove soap, lemon, leafy hops, a bit of dankness but also a zest of Belgiany goodness and a hint of bubble gum. The smell is rather too hoppy for me for it being a light Saison but in the x times I've sampled it, I liked it so far.
Taste: I get a Belgian yeastiness right at the start, giving off a bit of a bitterness, followed by a hint of bubble gum, lemon, a bit of memories of Five Alive soda, lots of hops and even more hops - bitter, mildly pine, leafy, dank, floral. At 4% it grows on you but the hops are what you have to get past the most.
Overall Thoughts: Blonde de Chambly will always be la Saison d'Unibroue. I miss seeing 750mL bottles of interesting beers and it was only a bit over six months ago the last time I'll ever see bottled Unibroue in Manitoba ever again. Does this mark the end of a 20 year love for Unibroue? No but I've been able to save a little bit of money once they moved from bottles to cans - I could justify $6.99 for a 650mL bottle but $16.99 for 4 x 473mL cans? Nope, unless if I'm going to drink them all.. and how is it more expensive per 100mL in cans than bottles?!
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