La Fin Du Monde

La Fin Du Monde, or The End of the World as it is translated, absoluely assaults your tastebuds with nothing but wonderful flavor after flavor in a seemingly endless fashion. A wonderfly golden deep yellow, the color only hints at the punch of flavor this beer brings to your tastebuds. La Fin Du Monde is brewed by Unibroue in Chambly, Quebec, but you wouldn't have guessed that. Upon simple observation,you'd guess this was a Belgian beer.

Unibroue recommends a tulip glass for serving this beer, as it will allow a full flavor release as well as an appropriate sized head. And what a head it is, with wonderful suds abounding on top of the initial pour.

This beer completely floods you with a burst of flavor with every sip. I was able to pick out grapes and melons, along with a hint of spice. You could almost compare this to a sweet white wine. This is a good spring/early summer beer, with an incredibly refreshing taste. Re-fermented yeast on bottom gives it an interesting character and the triple fermentation makes it an incredibly complex beer. Let this beer sit in your fridge for several hours as to allow the yeast to settle before you pour it.

A lingering sweetness resides in your mouth and prompts you to take another sip, and eventually, another beer. This is most certainly one of the most interesting and complex beers I've come across. But at 9% ABV, take it slow. Otherwise, you may just find out why this beer is named La Fin Du Monde, or The End of the World!

Character: 19 points - One of the more unique beers I've come across - this one definitely stands out. At 9% ABV, watch yourself. The alcohol is noticeable, but just barely when stacked up against these other premium ingredients.
Exclusivity: 18 points - I have seen this beer before in select liquor stores - it's available on what I would guess is a limited basis. However, ask the guy next to you at the bar if he's tried it before, and I'd venture no. A wonderful beer, and yet easily overlooked.
Flavor: 20 points - Wow, what a bombardment of the senses. A gorgeous color, and a sip rewards you with an intense burst of fruit, a hint of spice, and sharp hops, all perfectly balanced together.
Originality: 20 points - Not a whole lot of beers like this one. I'd describe it as a wheat beer mixed with a barley wine and then tied up with an IPA without the bitterness. Certainly not something you'd run into everyday.
Versatility: 17 points - Acceptable year-round, but best in late spring/early summer. Refreshing quality. Most people would find it pleasant.

Total: 94 out of 100

Beer: La Fin Du Monde Ale (The end of the World)
Alcoholic Content: 9% ABV
Triple fermented, brewed by Unibroue in Chambly, Quebec. Belgian Style Ale.
Reviewed by: Jameson Huckaba

In the beginning...

We're going to attempt to pick out some good beers, tell you what we like about them, and when/how you should drink them. We're bossy like that.

We're excited to turn our love for beer into useful information for you when you make your next trip to the liquor store. We've created a simple rating system on a scale of 1 - 100 that we think you'll find effective in making your next malt beverage choice.

Once a week, sometimes more often, you can expect a review of a new beer. Eventually, you'll be able to sort by:

• Alphabetically
• Region
• Type
• Occasion
• Season

To the upper right is Free State Brewery's Oatmeal Stout. We'd spend time telling you all about it, but unfortunately, it isn't available outside of the Kansas City area.

Ok, we changed our minds. It's too good to ignore.

The Oatmeal Stout is a year-round beer at Free State, and is one of our personal favorites. It's rich, bold character gives a hint of spice and molasses, yet it's not too thick to order more than one. It's versatile character allows it to be drank in any season.

From their website:

In 1989 the Free State Brewery in Lawrence opened its doors as the first licensed brewery
in Kansas since 1881 and joined the resurgence of small-scale breweries across the United States offering fresh, full-flavored beer in a variety of styles.

Free State is famous in Lawrence for their Monday night Pint Nights. They select usually three beers to put on special for $1.75, and the Oatmeal Stout is often one of them. Oh yeah, and they're also a great place to eat. The food is fantastic. Your server can recommend a beer to go with your entreé selection.

On our rating scale, we assign points on both subjective and objective characteristics:

Free State Brewing Company's Oatmeal Stout:

Character - 18 points
Exclusitivity - 19 points
Flavor - 18 points
Originality - 16 points
Versatility - 17 points

Total: 88 points

Pretty darn good.

Check them out at http://www.freestatebrewing.com/.

We'll eventually be up at www.beergenius.net. Give us a little time.

If you have any suggestions of brews you'd like us to review, we'd love to hear them! Shoot us an email at beergenius@gmail.com and hopefully your favorite brew will be available in our area.

Thanks!
Beer Geniuses