WILK Friday BeerBuzz – 21 Dec 2012 UniBroue La Fin du Monde

It’s been months and months since the WILK Friday BeerBuzz didn’t feature a guest.  We love welcoming brew masters from all over the world and we love talking beer with local brewers as well…but today seemed different….and today seemed like a day when it should just be Friday BeerBuzz family.

For those following along with the Mayan Calendar and carefully counting your B’ak’tuns, you’ll know what today means.  It’s not just Friday or any old day in December; today is the one and only 12/21/12 or what the Mayans called the “end of days.”  While some may say that the date is wrong, some may say they were only signifying the beginning of the next B’ak’tun 13.0.0.0.0, and some may even say they simply ran out of time, ambition or rock to carve….we thought it would be best to be prepared just in case the Mayans were on to something.  Personally I think they probably discovered beer somewhere toward the end of the previous B’ak’tun and simply decided to have a beer instead of carving the next calendar.  In any case we decided the Friday BeerBuzz team should be together just in case the world ends today.

So how do you celebrate the end of the world?  Simple!  You drink “The end of the world.”  Yes our beer today literally translates into “the end of the world” so why not celebrate the day with UniBroue La Fin du Monde!? 

UniBroue traces it’s beginnings back to the early 1990s but it’s beginnings go further back than that.  UniBroue was the first brewery in North America to use the ancient brewing techniques of Trappist Monks in Europe, so their methods and yeasts are historic.  UniBroue was purchased in 2006 by Japan’s Sapporo brewery, but their Belgian traditions march on.  With over 25 beers on their roster ranging from fruit-based brews to sessionable lagers, UniBroue has a wide variety of beers, but their Classic Belgian-style beers are my favorites….and of course that means La Fin du Monde.

La Fin do Monde is a classic Belgian Tripel golden ale and at 9% ABV it will certainly get your attention.  Named after the explorers who left France in search of spices who thought they had reached “the end of the world” when they hit North America.  In honor of that search for spices, UniBroue has created a slightly spicy and wonderfully champagne-like ale to celebrate their journey.  La Fin du Monde has floral notes, a spicy dry finish and an effervescent mouthfeel that makes it easy to drink…but we warned that like the Mayans…the 9% ABV is sneaky.  La Fin du Monde is regarded as one of North America’s first Trappist style Tripel ales so it is not only a historical beer, but also a beer that will age really well…in fact UniBroue recommends cellaring it for 3 years before it is at it’s best….that is of course assuming we have 3 years left.

Buy some La Fin du Monde now and drink some now just in case…but put some in your cellar and should the sun rise tomorrow morning, cellar your beer until 2015 and enjoy it again in the next B’ak’tun!

fun Friday….and maybe our last!? 

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together. As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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