As Unibroue has produced some beer that has very much agreed with my palate, I was excited to give this Strong Red Ale a try. “The Damned” poured an amber, outlined by a fading bronze around the edges. The puff of a head diminished to a few pillowy pockets floating on the top. It gave off strong aromas of yeast, like bread fresh out of the oven. It smelled rich and hearty with faint hints of banana and cloves.

At first sip the characteristic Unibroe slightly syrupy sweetness was present. It was balanced, however, by a punch of spices and dark fruits. The mouthfeel was like a pleasant PineSol (is that possible?) leaving your mouth fresh and refreshed with a lemony coating. It was less smooth than refreshing and seemed like a great accompaniment to an autumn day of raking leaves; rich and hearty enough for fall, but light and thirst-quenching enough to refresh after a bit of work.

More than the other Unibroue beers, it would not be a problem to sit a sip a few of these on a cool evening. As it warmed, hints of caramel wafted out of the glass and both the scent and taste became slightly more medicinal. Despite that, it went down very, very easy, with almost no bit of alcohol on the tongue. While I enjoyed this in the middle of December, it would be a perfect beer sipped bonfire-side on a crisp October evening.

ABV: 8%

Grade: B+