Trois Pistoles is by far my favorite beer name ever. I’m not sure anyone outside of my head would understand why. The only other French word I know is dix-neuf, but the name of this beer (along with the apocalyptic horse on the bottle label) brings a smile to my face every time. I just love saying it. Trois Pistoles. Rolls off the tongue. And that’s not to mention the fact that it’s from Unibroue brewery in Chambly, Quebec. It’s linguistically titillating.

I would nominate this for Beer of the Month on name alone, but this also happens to be a very fine brew. A strong dark Belgian ale, it offers a slightly different twist than the more traditional Belgian doubles and triples. The color is a very dark brown, similar to that of a stout, but it is much sweeter and spicier than most stouts. It has a subtle caramel or chocolate flavor that comes out later in the aftertaste.

I would say this is an excellent post-dinner or dessert beverage. It is quite strong at 9% ABV, so it is certainly a sipping beer to be savored slowly with fine food and friends. It has an excellent complexity that you can truly savor. I credit this as one of the first high gravity beers that introduced me to the genre. I first had it on a wedding anniversary weekend trip to Highlands, NC. I was like a kid in a candy store, as I dropped about $100 on beers I had never had in that gas station. What a glorious day.

As an aside, Unibroue has an awesome tutorial on the proper way to experience beer. Check it out, it is quality…