Oak-Aged Tripel
Upstream Brewing Company - Old Market

Poured cloudy orange yellow color with an average frothy white head that lasted with good lacing. Complex woody, spice and yeast aroma. Medium body with a smooth dry texture and soft carbonation. Medium to heavy citrus balanced flavor with a medium to heavy sweet & sour finish of moderate to long duration with a small alcohol bite. This is a refreshing standout beer.

Aroma - Yeast spice. Bread. Mild fruity esters. Vanilla. Faint hint of pink bubble gum.

Appearance - Amber/light copper. Appearance of high carbonation. Poor head and head retention. Very nice color.

Flavor - Somewhat tart. Fruit esters. Yeasty. Vanilla/oak. Well balanced. No perceived bitterness. Alcohol is well hidden.

Mouth Feel - Medium body. High carbonation. No perceived bitterness. Clean finish. Oak makes this beer smooth.

Overall Impression - Good Tripel. Nicely balanced. Good aroma and flavor.

Thanks to hopdog for sharing this 750 mL. Bottle # 449/642 from the August, 2007 bottling.

Appears a hazy, light gold with a small white cap that slowly fades out. Spotty speckles of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of oak, vanilla, heavy sugar, poached pears, and a touch of apple.
Taste is of more vanilla cream, apple, apricot, with what would appear to be French oak tannins running along the palate.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, with sweet caramel, and apple.

This actually reminded me a little of a Tripel I recently brewed, only my oak had been soaked in Bourbon. Pretty decent beer.

750ml caged and corked bottle acquired in trade with valpoaj - thanks! Bottle 449/642. Brewed in Sept 06 and bottled in Aug 07.

Poured a medium golden color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of wood, oaky, vanilla, apples, pears, and some brett. As I drank more, the aromas would alternate between stronger wood and then stronger fruitiness. Tastes of wood, lighter vanilla, fruity, brett, and I found it to be a little vinous. I really enjoyed this one and it was quite a nice surprise!

750ml bottle: Bottle 257 of 642. Brewed in Sept 2006, bottled in Aug 2007. This one pours a hazy amber color that looks like it has been lightened somewhat by something golden in color. There was almost no head on mine at all. A whiff of sourness is the first thing that hits the nose. Also get some oak, apples and subdued malts. You definitely get some of the sourness up front in the taste, but not an overpowering pucker sourness. Some of the apples are there in the taste too, as well as caramel. There is no sweetness here at all. Some of the oakiness as well as some spices in the finish. I like this one. Too bad I'm not going back to Omaha anytime soon. This is worth checking out!

Appearance: Pours a clear, burnished gold body with a full, frothy, white head.

Smell: Aroma of pale malt, oak wood, and cracked candi sugar with the undeniable scent of Brett.

Taste: Funkified Brett blended with a taste of oak. Drop in some vanilla-infused cream, along with the standard flavors of pale malt and candi sugar (though not much sweetness). Slight sour fruitiness. Drying finish with a taste of top-shelf booze.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Mild carbonation. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel.

Drinkability: A rather solid tripel, I'll give'm that much.

750ml Bottle, corked/caged, hand signed and numbered #193 of 324. Brewed Aug. 2005, bottled Jul. 2006.

The color has a cloudy orange appearance, with a touch of pink hues. Medium white foam doesn't last too long as the carbonation is moderate. The aroma is actually tart/vinegary which is suprising for a Tripel. It smells more along the lines of a Gueuze. The sourness has a peach and lemon character. Light alcohols are also present with a hint of honey sweetness.

The flavor starts out at the first moment to be tart also, but quickly turns more sweet and more like the style. The alcohol is a bit noticible and it finishes with just a bit of unwelcome astringence. The carbonation wasn't as strong as you would expect for the style, so there wasn't that rich foaminess to round out the mouthfeel.

I wasn't too impressed by this beer although I did drink the whole thing. The oak-aging didn't really seem to do much except sour it up some. A decent try...