Tripel
Dry Dock Brewing Co.

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass. Traffic light amber, small head. Malty, sweet, spicy, a very silky mouthfeel. Quite good. Gimme another.

This was a really good beer, definitely worth buying a bomber. I saw it listed at 9% ABV on the bottle, so I guess this year's batch came out a bit stronger than previous ones. But despite a weaker smell, the flavor was so good, exactly what a tripel should taste like. A little malt, some spice, faint hops, but all tied together well, and apparently better than the version made in prior years given the other, older reviews. Dry Dock must have made some improvements to this one and I'm glad they seem to have kept tweaking it.

22 oz. Bomber
ABV: 9%

Poured into a chalice a pretty nice clean/clear dark golden yellow color, very nice carbonation, with a pretty nice creamy small head, which leaves some oil slicks and sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, yeasty, grassy/wheaty notes, spicey. The taste is pretty nice malty, yeasty, nice touch of spices. Medium body, a little bit hot. Overall, a nice little brew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a 650 ml bottle into a tulip. Reviewed from notes dated May 30, 2013.

A-The brew is darker than many tripels, with copper coloring. A decent display of carbonation is visible in the clear liquid. The off-white head is initially about one and one-half fingers tall, but it drops leisurely into a thick cap.

S-The smell is quite sweet with overripe apples, pear, candy sugar, and fruity alcoholic notes being dominant. There is only a hint of grassy straw but it does not completely balance the overwhelming sweetness.

T-The taste is also hugely sweet, with overripe apples being the most noticeable flavor. A touch of grassy, hoppy bitterness creeps in towards the middle, but it does little to counteract the sweet, mushy fruit flavors.

M-The feel is decent with a crisp, moderate carbonation.

O-This brew leans too heavily towards the mushed fruit end of things for my taste. It lacks substantial spice or grass notes, and it is missing the complexity that a good tripel displays. I guess they can't all be winners.

 

Very odd perfumey flavor hits you right from the first sip. Rather light bodied. A mustache of foam but carbonation is not very high. Some sparkle on the tongue but the head dissipates.

Some of the the Belgian dry finish, but I wouldn't say there is much yeast flavor. Modest hops, per the style, but a little bitterness in the aftertaste. A little fruity tang, something like apricots. That peculiar perfumey nose just doesn't let up. Some interesting flavors but it's hard to call this anything but average in a category full of great brews.

From the 22 oz bottle bought in Denver. This one has been in the basement for at least eight months.

 

 

 

 

22oz into a goblet

A- Pours a light golden color - very clear and brilliant. Not hazy at all from bottle conditioning. Light pearly white head formation.

S - Lightly sweet and spicy nose. A little bit of alcohol tones as well. The coriander is present, but plays behind the fruity esters.

T - Starts off lightly sweet, then gets even more sweet. Mid-stream brings in esters and some white pepper/coriander spice. Finishes with a sticky sweetness and a little alcohol flavor.

M - Full bodied, moderate carboanation. In line for a tripel. Alcohol warmth is present, but not overbearing.

O/D - A solid tripel, lightly filling and managable ABV. A little bit sweet for a tripel, which is somewhat a misnomer.

Bomber served cold into a goblet.

Dry Dock's Tripel is a pale golden yellow color with very good clarity. The head is thick and dense, settling to a skim layer with spoty lacing.

Aroma is mild but has nice floral and spice notes.

Flavor is really well done. Mild at first but then the depth really hits. Sweet pilsner malts up front give way to a fairly big hop profile of spicy European style cones. A little bit of pepper from the yeast but mostly floral and tropical fruit character from the hops.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly smooth and well-balanced given the strength. Deceptively easy to drink.

Overall a real surprise. After having a sample at the brewery a few weeks ago, I wasn't that impressed. When I saw the bombers on the shelf at my local, I figured I would give it another try and I'm sure glad I did.

Dry Dock Tripel Seasonal, 20 oz. bomber: The Belgian Tripel style is one of my favorites, not for mass consumption, but as a dessert beer for special occasions. The bomber format fits this style perfectly, and there are a great array of Belgian and US offering available at your high end stores. Tripels vary quite a bit, so they are worth exploring. But do you try one brewed in Aurora, Colorado? Pretty far from Belgium, but I was game. A thin head covered the light golden body. This beer was very clear, with big particles of yeast floating about. The aroma conjured up yeast and fresh bread on a bed of flowers. The flavor was very centered, no big flavors of apricot, no sparkle of champagne, just a solid smooth tripel. My thanks to Dry Dock for a job well done in a difficult style filled with a wide variety of competition.