Trois Pistoles

A friend tipped me onto Trois Pistoles beer (from Unibroue) this weekend. He mentioned it was available at Trader Joe's, which initially made me wrinkle my nose until I discovered that TJ's carries non-TJ brands of beer on its shelves. My friend described it like this:

"Most beers I just recall just as beers and cannot differentiate one from another in my memory. But this beer...this beer I can think of and remember exactly how it tastes."

Trois Pistoles is a dark, spicy ale that is a fine choice to drink on its own. The Unibroue website describes the taste as "wild fruit with an aftertaste of port" and the aroma as "ripe fruit and chocolate". It's probably not for everyone, as the finish is a tad sweet, but I was happy to try it - and happy to know it's sold at TJ's at such a bargain price.

The only other brew from Unibroue that I recall having is La Fin du Monde. La Fin holds a special place in my heart, because it's the first drink I had during my first trip to Montreal. I was in a French-speaking province, so why not imbibe a French-named beer (or bière)? There are a total of 8 brews available from Unibroue, easily identified by their colorful, fantasy-inspired labeling, so perhaps a tasting is in order.

Beer Advocate, which knows a lot more about beer than I do, gives Trois Pistoles an A.