United Nations of Beer

Unibroue Maudite

by D'Arcy Gray
(Beer Delegate, QC, Canada)

Maudite beer from Unibroue: what a view!

Unibroue Maudite (8% ABV)
Unibroue, QC, Canada
Visit the UNOB's Quebec Beer Guide

La Maudite, the beer that's sneaky like Gollum! I'm referring, of course, to Unibroue Maudite beer from Chambly, Québec. Unibroue has been around for a while, formerly (presently?) the baby of Robert Charlebois (a famous Quebecois singer).

None of that matters, of course, because this beer kicks ass all on its own without needing either history or fame to stand behind it. Maudite is a Belgian-style "Strong Beer" and at 8% ABV it packs quite a wallop. It is re-fermented in the bottle and thus has the tag Strong Beer on Lees on the label.

If you've got a bottle, best to pour it into a short fat glass (not a champagne-type flute) and leave the yeasty sludge in the bottle. Probably, if you care enough to read this review, you know how to handle your dead yeast.

Recently, I became an official UNOB Delegate for Quebec (cue the applause) so I donned my funny hat and headed out with a couple of friends to celebrate. Much to my joy, the Irish-ish pub (McCarold on Côte des Neiges, FYI) we went to had Maudite on tap. This is quite a rarity. I was excited, VERY excited.

Maudite is an amber ale, with definite spices on the nose. I'd say cloves, but sniff for yourself. Once in your mouth it's quite 'fizzy' (not a good tasting word, I know) and surprisingly light. The aftertaste is almost sweet, but not sickly sweet like a girly drink.

What I'd forgotten about this damn beer is that it's 8%. So, after my customary two pints (one for each damn hand, of course) I was a little loopy.

The damn thing is that when it's on tap, you don't have the label to read, therefore little pea brain tends to forget the damn damage Unibroue Maudite is doing to your senses. This gorgeous liquid will sneak up and bonk you on the liver without warning.

Anyway, my damn advice is to take the damn metro to where you're planning to drink Maudite. Better yet, stay home so you won't be a damned menace to society. That's my two cents worth.

Incidentally, "Maudite" translates as "Damned". I wasn't just swearing for fun: there are much better words for that! There's a great graphic on the label depicting a bunch of guys in a canoe paddling through Hell. So, go have a couple of pints, damn you! See you in Hell.