Beer Review – MAUDITE ALE
February 23, 2009
When choosing a beer at my local liquor store for a future beer review, I usually go for the eye-catching bottle or labeling, everything else about the beer I can figure it out when drinking it!
Case in point, the beer that I will be reviewing today for The Brew Club. The chosen beer is MAUDITE, which is a Belgian Style strong dark ale, and brewed by UNIBROUE of Quebec, Canada. The eye-catching label has a painting of a canoe full of people floating in the air with a gargoyle looking devil at the bottom of it. Upon further inspection of the 12 oz bottle, I noticed the alcohol content for this brew is 8% ABV, (pretty strong) and it states that it’s an ALE ON LEES.
I know what you’re thinking, what the hell is LEES?? Well, I didn’t know either, but after looking it up, “Lees refers to deposits of dead yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate, or are carried by the action of “fining”, to the bottom after fermentation and aging.” Which in basic terms means that the longer you have the beer, the stronger it will get, or to put it another way, Maudite is an ale fermented on yeast in the bottle.
Another cool thing that I noticed was the carrying case of the 4-pack, it tells you why they chose the strange painting to adorn their beer packaging. According to the Canadian “legend of the flying Canoe”, a group of “thirsty” lumberjacks struck a deal with Satan to fly them home in their canoes in time for Christmas and its festivities. La MAUDITE which means “the damned” honors those legendary lumberjacks.
Now, let’s get to the interesting stuff… Drinking the Maudite beer! According to the label, you’re supposed
to pour the beer into Tulip Glass, but having no Tulip glass available, I went with the next best thing – my weird looking wine glass.
Once poured into my glass, the color of the brew is light amber with a couple inches of foam. The first smell that comes to mind is malty. As I take my first swig of this Canadian beer, my reaction is smooth but with a kick. The taste of the beer is malty, but not overpowering. It also tastes like there’s quite a few different spices in there that give the beer an interesting flavor, but its hard to distinguish. The aftertaste of the beer is slightly bitter, but it works because of the different spices.
Another thing that I notice is that with most beers that I have tried that are 7% ABV or above, you start to get like a liquorish or wine-ish taste to it, but with this brew I detected none of that. So even thought this beer is a little on the strong side, the alcohol taste seems to be masked well.
I definitely like this “damned” beer. It’s different, smooth and pretty strong. I give it 4 stars. Definitely recommend everyone to give this beer a try, and will also purchase it again at the store and at bars. Have you tried Maudite Ale? What do you think about it? Leave a comment below, and share with the class!
Rating: 
Glancing at the label again, I don’t blame those lumberjacks for making the deal with Satan for this brew… Matter of fact; move over lumberjacks, I’m jumping aboard the flying canoe!
Editor’s Note – Liz was a lumberjack in a previous life.
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Posted in 4 Star Reviews, Ales, All Brews Reviewed
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February 23rd, 2009 at 10:27 am
I tried the Maudite ale as well over the weekend, and I’d have to agree with Liz on most of her observations. It has that Belgian Ale smell to it that seems to be characteristic of the variety. Anyway, this beer is strong, so watch for that, because it does a good job of hiding the alcohol flavor. Surprisingly good beer that I might not have otherwise tried!
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. The Perfect Beer for Valentine’s Day?
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
Uni makes a ton of great beers. I just drank one of their 2004 edition ales last month. It was a lot like a Saison. Maudite is a very good beer and so is their Trois Pistoles, Chambly Noir, and their Chose (if you maul it). I did want to say that their beer does have some serious Belgian qualities because secondary fermentation in the bottle is especially common in Belgian Ales. These beers are also very finely carbonated like Belgian Ales. I did want to mention, in regard to Lees, that I think their actually talking about aging the beer on the remains of grapes skins and sediment from wine. I think this is why their beers seem, to me, to have the vinous/grapish quality. They appear to be utilizing that after their primary fermentation is complete, then they get a small secondary in the bottle. A lot of these ferment in the bottle beers have thick glass to deal with the extra pressure associated with bottle. conditioning http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2009/01/30/thick-beer-bottles/
Either way, I think that Uni is the best Canada brewery that I’ve come across.
Michael Reinhardt’s last blog post..Planned Obsolescence, Social Networking, and the Neighborhood Pub
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:32 pm
By the way, I’ve been wrong plenty of times before, so I’m not trying to be matter of fact…just telling you what I thought is meant.
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:39 pm
My pride and infallibility are hurt. I looked into it and I stand corrected.
February 25th, 2009 at 4:24 am
Welcome to the world of bottle conditioned beers! I confess I’ve never heard it described as being ‘on the lees’ before.
Homebrewers should seek this one out as a starter beer, if the yeast brews up to a full 8% then it could be the basis for some great home brews.
And for information, Michael, I think the vinous taste is actually the extra alcohol… at 8% you’re getting close to wine strengths. The beer lees are the ‘waste products’ (ahem) from the yeast digesting the sugars. Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol +CO2 + ‘sediment’.
In Australia and the UK the yeast by products from major brewers are processed to form ‘Vegemite’ and ‘Marmite’ – very much an acquired taste.
Bob the Brit’s last blog post..Red Buses
February 26th, 2009 at 9:55 am
I had Maudite a couple weeks ago at a place around here and really enjoyed it. I have also had Blanche de Chambly from Unibroue and want to try La Fin Du Monde as well.
Mike – MikeLovesBeer.com’s last blog post..Stone Ruination IPA
February 26th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I really liked Maudite as well… I was impressed… I’m definitely going to look for other stuff from Unibroue it looks like they know what they’re doing.
Liz’s last blog post..La Maudite Beer – “The Brew Club” Review
February 26th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I think that the vinous character is probably from the alcohol, too. I’ve often had many beers that even spirit like in character. Yeah! there was some confusion on this at first (because Lees are more traditionally spoken of as the waste and sediment from wine). My problem was that I assumed it was being this way for the beer, too. I’ve seen some of my homebrews throw quite a bit of trub during fermentation. Of course, as a homebrewer I’ve always been encouraged to remove the beer from sediment as soon as I could to prevent degrading in taste. I’m always amazed to watch Sugar + Yeast + Oxygen = something as great alcohol and it’s by products.
Michael Reinhardt’s last blog post..Drink with us Friday: Chimay Blue or Rochefort 10
February 27th, 2009 at 2:47 am
At the end of the day Michael it’s about enjoying the Ales, and hopefully learning along the way.
If you’re a homebrewer it might be worth trying a bottle of Maudite to kick start a brew, it would be an interesting experiment and maybe lead you into new areas of alcoholic content. Brewers such as Kasteel are now brewing lager with champagne yeast so maybe old preconceptions are fading.
I confess I’m keeping an eye out for this one.
Bob the Brit’s last blog post..Red Buses
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
That’s true about old preconceptions fading. I know that some Italian brewers are using various yeast strains that are traditional for wines, too. I am a homebrewer and have been thinking long and hard about trying to harvest some yeast for a Lambic. I also agree that it’s about enjoying that Ales. One of our explicit missions for our website is to get more people enjoying good beer. By the way, I’m going to be enjoying some Ales when I come to London in May. If you have some suggestions I’m all ears.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I had this two nights ago. I thought it was fantastic!
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May 27th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Nate… totally agree with you… I thought it was fantastic too!
Liz – The Sports Bra Reports’s last blog post..Lebron James Buzzer Beater vs. The Magic (Game 2)… He’s Amazing.. So Amazing!
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:14 am
I enjoyed a bottle of Maudite that I had stored for three years last night with my wife. The character of this ale changes over time and it becomes much more complex than when it is consumed as a young beer. If you have the patience, you should consider aging some of this fine beer as well.
As far as the spicy nature of this beer, it is not a result of the strong alcohol content but rather a combination of the malts and the variety of yeast that is pitched to ferment it. Some of the same flavors can be found in hefeweizen-style brews and other German styles. I have made barleywines ranging up to 13% alcohol that have none of the flavors associated with Belgian-style ales.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:01 am
Thanks for the tips @aleman! I never thought of aging this beer, but it makes sense to try.
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Beer Review – Brewery Ommegang Witte
August 25th, 2009 at 2:33 am
Nice thorough review of an excellent brew.
Cheers!
-Anthony
.-= Anthony ´s last blog ..La Maudite =-.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
I’ve had just about everything Unibroue makes and I like just about everything. Maudite was the first Unibroue I’d ever had, and is certainly one of my favorites of its style. I think I like Trois Pistoles better, but this could be my #2 of theirs.
February 15th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Thanks Matt. I’ve really got to get on the ball and try more of their beers, I’ve heard nothing but good things! I’d agree that Maudite is a great ale!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence =-.
February 17th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Great review, Liz. My husband received a case of this as a Christmas gift and I’ve only tried a sip of it. I’m definitely going to revisit it maybe this weekend. That said, the label, while cool, didn’t make me want to drink it (ok, maybe I’m a little superstitious and it’s creepy). As for Unibroue, I really like their Ephemere which is an apple ale that might be on the girly side for some of the guys.
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Baked Ziti =-.
February 17th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
@Rachel, funny you mentioned the Ephemere as I oddly got some for Christmas. I’m waiting for some warmer weather to finally arrive before breaking it out to try. Regarding the Maudite, forget the label and give it a try!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Did someone mention goats? =-.
August 8th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
I found this at the world market around May earlier this year. I found it again on my most recent trip today. I bought it up quickly.
One of the best ales I’ve ever had.
August 8th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
@Christopher – I’m glad you commented on Maudite as I’ve almost forgotten how good of a beer it was. I need to pick some more up soon! Actually, Unibrau (the brewers) make several very good beers that you should try.
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Mi Chelada =-.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Where can I purchase Maudite locally? I live in Ohio and the only place I can get it is through Colorado…for a Canadian ale?
I first had some at Disney World and it’s GREAT – but WHERE can I get some????
December 10th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Richard, that’s a tough one. Thankfully, all of their beers are easy to find here in NJ! Hopefully, someone from OH will chime in with some help for you!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2010 =-.
March 7th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Maudite is awesome to my surprise! With it’s 8% APV I was scared to try it as other beers I’ve tried (usually cheaper) with the same percentage have been too harsh. Maudite is surprisingly smooth and very flavorful. Chamay (Red Label) has always been my favorite, but I now have to make a comparison to be sure! To date I’ve tried six different beers by Unibroue and have been happy with all of them!
March 7th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
@Thomas – Thanks for the comment! I’d agree that Unibroue seems to have their act together. The only beer I tried from them that I didn’t really care for was the apple-flavored one with the fairy (I think) on the label. Can’t remember the name, but I’ll pass on that one. The rest of their lineup is great!
March 8th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
lol. There’s a guy I always conversate with at a local liquor store I frequent. He warned me about that beer. It’s called “Ephemere Apple”, and I was told it tastes JUST LIKE APPLES! After his and your comments, I think I’ll pass too! Thanks.
March 8th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Yes, that’s the one! Glad I tried it, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you were looking for something of a cider fix.
May 4th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
maudite, what can i say great beer as i am drinking it right now but one thing i cant help but notice everytime i have it is the feeling i get. I’ll drink this beer just like any other to get drunk. But when i drink maudite the feeling i get from this is unlike any other beer. This beer brings me to a calm and joyful state of mind. I was just woundering if anyone else feels the same from drinking this great brew
May 4th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
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May 4th, 2011 at 7:46 pm
maudite great, as i am drinking it right now. One thing i cant help but notice when i drink it though. This drink for me is unlike any other with the way it effects me. Everytime i drink it, it brings me to a calm joyful state of mind. Just woundering if this happens with anyone else.
May 5th, 2011 at 12:20 am
anthony, glad you enjoy it! Your second comment is particularly telling!
July 6th, 2011 at 7:36 pm
Maudite is fantastic! Great body, color, head, and taste–a quality beer in every way. Don’t over-indulge at one setting because of the high alcohol content. When I bought it I assumed it was a Belgian beer (I did not read the label completely). It achieves Belgian beer quality, however. What a great product!
July 6th, 2011 at 9:28 pm
@Steven – Thanks for reminding me that its been way too long since I’ve had Maudite! I’ll have to fix that soon!