Belgian Tripel
John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House

Served on-tap in a 10 oz. glass. This beer was released in celebration of their 1000th batch.

Appearance: Murky dark golden with a thin white head.

Smell: Somewat yeasty with the characteristic spiciness, although somewhat subdued. Mild malty background with some brown sugar notes.

Taste: Classic tripel flavor: spicy and fruity. There was a definite honey-like sweetness with a clean finish. Some alcohol present.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, clean and pleasant on the palate.

Drinkability: Nicely clean and drinkable.

Poured a relatively clear amber with a thin head. Smells were mostly honey-malt sweetness with some alcohol and spices. Tasted overwhelmingly candied-sugar sweet with some peppery spiciness, medicinal taste of alcohol and a little twinge of hops in the finish. MUCH sweeter than I exepct from most tripels with little of the fruity tartness to balance it out. Mouthfeel was crisp and carbonated -- fairly typical for the style. Drinkability hampered by the cloying sweetness and lack of balance. A decent enough brew to enjoy at a chain restaurant, I suppose, but not exactly a connoisseur's tripel. Really more of a fun-house caricature of a tripel than the real thing.

The second half of this John Harvard’s Brew House one liter swing top bottle was enjoyed the day after our tasting. Re-sealed and put back in the fridge.

Appearance: It pours an orange gold and with little head (though it head little the day before as well).

Smell: Lots of sweet honey and spices, cinnamon nutmeg cardamom and even pepper with some grassiness.

Taste: It is sweet with honey and sugar but also balanced with a floral earthiness and a bit of an odd wine cork flavor. The intense spiciness and alcohol that shows through cover this but eventually the beer does become a bit cloying and a bit much to drink. A small serving is enough for me.

Mouthfeel: Sweet sticky malts and yet warming alcohol push through the palate.

Drinkability: It starts off well but soon became a bit cloying.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Poured into a 10oz chalice a medium copper hue with a half finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a yeast ester, a grainy malt with some mild clove spice and soft honey.

The taste consisted of an estery yeast with a mild honey sweetness and clove spice. A slight warming alcohol as well.

The mouthfeel was of medium fullness.

Overall a tasty and highly drinkable tripel. Could be a bit more complex however.

John Havard's attempt at the tripel isn't without it's merit, but it's not going to wow anyone familiar with the style. It pours a golden-orange color into a 10oz goblet, with a familiar spicy and banana scent. The taste is similar, with Belgian spices coming through, and a smooth, banana and fruity taste following. There is a bit of alcohol bite in the flavor as well. Overall this is a good representation of the style, but nothing extraordinary.

Appears a transparent gold with a small white head that slowly fades.
Smell is of honey, bread, flowers, citrus, and candy sugar, along with some earthy notes.
Taste is of the same aromas with some natural spices like cardamom and pepper rousing about that is completely natural from the yeast strain.
Mouthfeel is honey sweet, smooth, with some spices clinging to the palate.

10oz pour into a snifter was a cloudy burnt yellow/orange with almost no head, probably due to the pour. Sweet fruit aroma with spices and a bit of a hop bite. Creamy, substantial mouthful. A lot of spices in the taste, with banana and clove in just the right doses. Nice alcohol warmth as well. Finish is a bit alcoholic, long lasting sweetness.

An excellent tripel, and worth a trip back for more asap. eally liked the alcohol bite. I wish they would offer full pints of this.