Cuvee 2000

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

How is it possible that I am the very first to review this beer? A very odd question indeed, considering that this was part of a fairly large beer-trade between myself and my bud Darren a few months ago. Is it possible that I'm sampling a Belgian beer that everybody's favorite Englishman hasn't reviewed yet? And what about the rest of the various beer geeks out there? Very odd, indeed. Either way, this is a mighty fine Belgian Strong Ale, that I suspect I will never see again.

Corked 75cL bottle, with a very festive front label, glittery fireworks going off in the background, "Cuvee 2000" in the foreground, and both French and Flemish along the bottom. Back label features French, Flemish, and Esperanto (!?) descriptions of the beer, with what I assume to be the assertation that this should be consumed no later than 31 December 2001. Well, sorry mates, not only am I not drinking it during it's suggested time period, but not even on the "correct" continent...! ;)

Label semantics aside, onto the beer itself. Poured this into a La Fin Du Monde glass, and was rewarded with a nice amount of head production. Nice fresh and very appealing aroma, too -- very much a Belgian beer, through and through.

Slighty musty flavor, followed closely by a wave a more complex maltiness. The typical Belgian Strong Ale middle and finish, in that "dried fruit + complex malt + aged/nuetral Noble hops + {unknown quality}" that makes up most fine Belgian beers.

Along those same lines, I have no idea what makes up a Cuvee vs. any other sort of Belgian Strong Pale Ale, but I have to assume, based on the nature of this beer celebrating turning over the calendars to 2000, that Cuvee is fairly rare and celebratory beer.

A beer worthy of celebrating "Y2K" -- and even better now that it's "Y2K3". Pick up a bottle of this if you somehow see it around. It's a keeper. :)
//TB