Grande Reserve 17 from Unibroue, The makers of the legendary Trois Pistoles, makes their entrance with their 17th anniversary ale at 10%alc/vol. It is an Belgian Dark Ale on Lees aged with French Oak and spices. Made in 2007 and released in 2011, inspired by the brewing tradition of the Trappist monks of Belgium. It has been awarded the prestigious title of “World’s Best Dark Ale” as well as winning 3 platinum medals since that time. Because it’s rarity it has only been brought back for a limited time and it is a specialty brew of beer enthusiast. Can be aged up to 5 to 8 years just like a good french wine. Because Oxygen is a mortal enemy of this beer, yeast is added to the bottle to trigger the natural fermentation and creating CO2 and alcohol to act as a natural preservative and giving it an aging characteristics :P. It has flavors or cocoa, mocha, honey, apples, dates, dark fruits like figs and raisins and well…alot of oak flavor. It feels like drinking it straight from the barrel as it has that sharp oak dryness but almost like a corriander heffeweizen feel. Some vanilla and caramel are left in the after taste. There are other flavors of the Terrible and Troise Pistoles in there. Would I say it is better than Terrible and Trois Pistoles? well it sure is up there and introduces a new range of “oak wine” I have nor tasted before. Certainly it can be at the top as world class. LOL the only problem is that I have run out of beers to keep in my top 10 and have had to extended into my top 20. Which is not a bad thing, just trying different ones is just part of the hobby of exploration of art, taste and experience. The ever lasting expansion into the unknown.