Unibroue Blonde de Chambly
I know that Unibroue has been conglomerate-owned for many years now, but I’m still a fan of their stable of beers. Whether it be the wonderfully ageable Terrible or any other of their products, each beer carries enough reasons for me to keep purchasing them — no matter who owns them.
Having just returned from a trip to Quebec and Montreal back in mid-October the in-laws arrived at The Barley homestead for dinner. In tow they had with them for my wife and I the below care package.
Holy Unibroue, Batman! This awesome selection of brews came courtesy from even more awesome in-laws. pic.twitter.com/4rS75U2viI
— The Barley Blog (@barleyblog) October 19, 2014
I’m familiar with Trois Pistales, having enjoyed that beer many times over through the years, but the rest were new to me. I decided to start with the lightest of the bunch, Blonde de Chambly, a 5% ABV saison. The beer drinks lightly with a lively character and good amount of yeasty goodness. It’s not the best saison I’ve ever had, but I still found it quite enjoyable.
Appearance
The beer pours a pale, straw in color with a short-lived cap of white foam.
Aroma
The nose on the brew is a bit subtle, but hints of light fruits, grain, soft yeast notes and cereal waft from the surface.
Taste
While Blonde de Chambly’s aroma was rather tame, the beer bring a lively flavor to the palate. It’s yeasty and lightly funky with grain, distant fruits and a moderate sweetness. It’s not your typical saison as it’s probably got a bit too much residual sweetness, but I do love the active mouthfeel that gives the beer a refreshing quality.
Overall
I’m thankfully to have extended family members like my wife’s — they have spoiled us rotten through the years with tasty treats like this easy drinking, if a bit too sweet, saison. Blonde de Chambly is a beer that I can see being better enjoyed in the warmer months of late Spring and Summer. I’ll definitely keep my eyes open for it in the coming months.
Rating: 3.75/5
