Unibroue Inc- Trois Pistoles: Ohh Canada

So I went into the city the other day to go catch the Ben Folds show with Wes and his roommate.  Prior to heading out to the show Wes took me over to the World Market around the corner from where he lives because he said that they have a great selection of stuff you usually can’t find and they sell individual bottles so you can mix a six pack.  This is good for me, because God knows I spend way too much money on Craft Beer to keep this hobby going.  I had heard and read some stuff about Unibroue in the last few months and I decided that I would try something from our neighbors to the north.  Now up is Unibroue’s Trois Pistoles.

Unibroue classifies this beer as a Strong Dark Ale and their website describes Trois Pistoles as, “Brewed with four selected malts and four exotic spices, Trois Pistoles beckons with a subtle sweetness that makes it surprisingly smooth and satisfying for a beer of such strength and complexity.  Its cocoa and fruit notes make it an ideal dessert companion to semi-sweet and dark artisan chocolates.  Trois Pistoles (Three Coins) is named after a small village in the region of Les Basques in Québec.  Founded over 300 years ago, Trois Pistoles gave birth to several legends, including one about a sailor who dropped his tumbler overboard and exclaimed, "Trois Pistoles!" in reference to its worth in old Spanish currency.  Another, the Legend of the Black Horse, involved a local bishop who conjured up a good devil (appearing in the form of bridled black steed) to haul large brick stones to construct a new church. When someone accidentally removed the bridle, the black horse suddenly vanished just as the last remaining stone was to be set. This stone is still missing, as can be seen when visiting the village church in Trois Pistoles.  Enjoy this beer as an after-dinner drink or you can bundle it with a gift box of dark chocolate truffles or semi-sweet chocolate bars.  Winner of 6 Gold and 1 Silver Medals from the Beverage Testing Institute since 1998.

Trois Pistoles pours a walnut brown color with a hefty 2” light brown head.  The smell is a menagerie of fruit, malty sweetness, roasted nut, tangy cherry and Belgian yeast aromas, there’s a lot going on in there.  Trois Pistoles is a big 9.0% ABV.

Where do I begin?  I have to say that vs. other countries, American Craft Beers hands down are tops.  I am not sure at this point that I’m feeling some of the foreign styles.  Don’t get me wrong, I am doing my best to expand my Craft brew horizons but something to me is missing.  Trois Pistoles is actually pretty good but it would not be a brew that I would keep in the fridge for my daily drinker or even buy for special occasions.  What I will say is that it has a huge flavor with a dry fruit taste that is silky smooth and very wine-like.  As described above, the complexity of flavor may be a little too much for this Craft Beer simpleton and I am more than likely going to offend your “high brow/elitists” in the Craft Beer community.  If you like complex, Belgian style beers then I would highly recommend Trois Pistoles…but if you’re like me, it may be worth trying it once just to say you did.

ABV: 9.0%

Consumed: New Belgium Globe Glass

Verdict: Buy a Six Pack