United Nations of Beer

Fffado beer

by Ashley Cotter-Cairns
(UNOB HQ)

Fffado beer

This is another of the beers I picked up after visiting Flaveurs Bieres et Caprices 2007, a beer and food pairing event in Montreal.



Millevertus has created a classic with Fffado, despite all the Fs. It's a blonde beer on lees, which means it will continue to ferment in the bottle and will quite possibly end up a little stronger than the advertised 6.5% ABV.

It pours a rich, golden amber with barely any fluffy head. What head there is sticks around for a while though. The amber colour is so convincing, I wouldn't be surprised to see insects (or myself, with enough exposure) preserved in it.

The smell is citrussy, mingling with the yeast it's fermented on and wheaty, wholesome aromas. It's very inviting and I didn't need asking twice.

There's a strong similarity to the Quebec beers brewed by Unibroue, such as Maudite or Raftman. Not so surprising, given that Unibroue styles its beers on Belgian beer classics...

Yeast is a strong presence, plus citrus peel flavours and the underlying wheaty taste of a blonde beer. It's wholesome, summery and delicious.

Fffado beer simply reinforces the old truism about Belgium: you never need set foot in that flattest of lands to appreciate its true qualities.

One or two of the Montreal blonde beers come pretty close to this beer, but none has quite captured the essence of great Belgian blonde ales. This is truly a delightful beer that will make you wish (as I often do) that there is a local source of hard-to-find foreign beers.

Meanwhile, I have the Montreal Beer Festival to look forward to. I hope I can 'blag' a few cases of imports to review after that event. Otherwise, my family and I are going to Belgium for a long-overdue holiday. It's the least I-, er, they deserve.

Is it Fff-ing good? Too Fff-ing right it is!

Visit the UNOB's Belgian beer guide