Not Bad Meaning Bad But Bad Meaning Good

This weekend I wanted to get into the beer closet and treat myself.  I’ve been avoiding this bottle because it’s a big beer and it’s a full 750 mL bottle, so it wasn’t meant for a work night.  What is this wonderful beer?  Terrible from Unibroue. 

I got this beer with BevMo gift cards I received on my birthday.  Ever since I found out that the Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale was brewed by Unibroue, I’ve become a little hesitant to try this.  I saved a bottle of said Vintage Ale for when I came home after my daughter was born and it reminded me of a failed homebrew from years passed that we lovingly dubbed “Raisin Beer.”  Many friends and writers have assured me that Unibroue is fine drinking, so I put my worries aside.

I have to admit, I love this bottle.  Big and dark, silver painting and a cork.  After admiring it for a minute I went right into pulling out the cork, gently of course.  I was rewarded for treating the cork properly by a soft “pop”  and a pleasant surprise, a distinct aroma of berries.  I poured the beer into a Chimay glass and the aroma was even more intense, very deep and dark berries.  I shared the nose with my wife who was equally impressed.

Drinking this beer is equally enjoyable.  Rich dark  and sweet, I taste a lot of berries and black currant.  This took 3 glasses to finsh with each getting a little better.  The final glass actually reminded me of root beer.  This last glass was easy the best of the three, so make sure to let this one warm a little out of the fridge before serving it, possibly even letting it breathe.  Your patience will be rewarded.

So I don’t see what about this beer is so terrible.  Having drank 750 mL of 10.5% dark ale, my only guess is tomorrow morning, it may be my headache.