Unibroue Don de Dieu Belgian Strong Pale Ale at 9% ABV (Via trade, 341ml, bottle date 13-Nov-2011)
Pours hazy deep gold with some particulate, one finger of white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, no lacing. (3/5) Nose is bready yeast, apples and pears, spices. (7/10) Taste is moderate bitter, mild sweet, mild tart. (7/10) Light to medium body, prickly to moderate sustained carbonation, and a dry mildly bitter and tart finish. (3/5)
Some cidery apple notes and a doughy, bread-like yeast initially dominate the flavour. As that fades, there’s a moderate bitter and a mild tartness that linger. Despite the quick recession of the head, there’s significant champagne-like carbonation that persists all the way to the end of the glass. The high ABV is seriously well-hidden, making this a very sneaky sipper. The character is about what I’d expect given its long cellaring, but that’s by no means a negative. That being said, I’ll have to try it again fresh, just for comparison. (15/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
