Unibroue "La Terrible"

From BEER_webalbum

From BEER_webalbum

Unibroue's Terrible: a moderately cheap (being Canadian) but mighty tasty Belgian Dark Strong Ale. The brewery (http://www.unibroue.com/products/terrible.cfm) not only claims that it is a "pleasant alternative to coffee" (great way to wake up!), but also that its shelf life is 10+ years, and I believe them given the 10.5% ABV. I'm gonna have to put one of this on the shelf for a year or so and see what comes of it. I think this would age amazingly. Nose is candyish. Head is good, and retains the whole way on the edges of the glass. Not particularly thick, but I don't think that's expected of this style. The alcohol is felt but not tasted. A bit bubbly in a champagne-y way, but not unpleasantly so - the carbonation doesn't affect the taste negatively. I never really know what to say about the actual taste of Belgian styles... background sweetness, feels bubbly, roasted malty character, nice subtle yeastiness maybe... As it warms, it gains more fruitiness, but also some very slightly unpleasant sourness (?) - this is to say I think it should be drunk at that liminal moment when it starts tasting fruity but hasn't started tasting warm. Anyway, the point is this is as good as many classic Belgians of the same style, and it's cheaper and easier to find. All in all, I vote an enthusiastic, "Yes."
This cold one will satisfy your palate, your raging alcoholism, and your budget all at once!

I think the Beer Advocate reviewers always do an infinitely better job than I:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22/3635/?sort=topr&start=0

BTW there's something wrong with this world when Google's spellcheck knows "laminae" but not "liminal".