Honey Orange Tripel
New Belgium Brewing Company

There's no other styles of beer that have more leeway in how they taste, balance and look. Belgian beers just do this and New Belgium Brewing takes full advantage of this array with honey and orange.

Simply named Honey Orange Tripel, their beer pours a richer shade of goldenrod and burnt orange with a limited foam character before the release of a fruitier than usual, and sweeter tone of malt, spice and floral notes. As the flavors of sugar cookie flow along the tastebuds, a light pastry tarte character shows a light toasty, candied and cereal sweetness. As the fruitiness of oranges play into the natural estery taste of apple, grape and lemon, the spice character has some catching up to do. Low in bitterness and finishing with honey sweetness, the balance certainly shifts to the sweetness.

Usually prized by their even keel fruit to spice balance and dryness, New Belgium upsets the balance with a fruitier and sweeter take on the style.

 

 

 

I really enjoy the orange peel bitterness, which to me is much more palatable than hops bitterness. Overall, a strong flavored Belgian Tripel with a lot of character.

Look: 4.0 l 5.0
Crystal clear amber turning orange Nice white head dense... Producing goods lacing

Smell: 4.25 l 5.0
Belgian yeast, with wheat, honey, a light orange aroma, and something a little bit spicy. Yeah I can smell all of that prior to the first taste. Beer like this always get a score over 4.0 when the smell is so profound!

Taste: 4.25 l 5.0
Belgian yeast with wheat, right away, from the first sip ---It's smooth with not much bitterness. Alcohol is present and a sweetness emerges --not on the first sip, but the sweetness opens as you linger between draws. The orange is very much in the aroma ---so I would say it's background in the taste, but I expect it might emerge a little bit later with time and experience. Likewise, honey that was present in the nose is hard to pull in that note to the palet over the soft, yeasty wheat maltiness .

Mouth feel: 4.25 l 5.0
Low carbonation and now the citrus notes are coming alive ---thinking this adds to the sweetness and enjoyment of it all. As the alcohol slows everything down, I would say, mouth feel is medium to full body, but soft; very nice ---and comfortable!

Overall: 4.25 l 5.0
Well made nicely layered. Higher alcohol content then I can usually enjoy, but this one's different!
The orange is full, not pithy, not sweet. So triple isn't triple orange ---triple is triple Belgian, high alcohol:10% of course! There's that other note that was instinctual, and I would say: coriander, but I can't really pulled that in on this experience. They clearly is something that plays opposite the alcohol, opposite the citrus and balances the "Belgian Wheat Yeast"; Bravo!

Note: late in the palate and while I was reviewing notes from the pubahs... I might add words like:Bready, Banana, Cookie, Apple. Peppery ---With those suggestions I can agree on a number of theae tastes ('m still calibrating my palette) !

12 oz bottle, dated Enjoy by 31 May 2026

pours a clear golden color, with white head. aroma is fairly restrained for a Tripel, just a bit of grain and Belgian yeast esters. taste is similar, the orange is very minor in the background. thin to medium bodied.

 

RB transfer

Good pour into a half-liter hefeweizen glass produced a clean, solid 2-inch bright white head over a clear light-amber body. As the head slowly faded it left good lacing.
Aroma was notably orange-y.
Surprisingly rich mouthfeel.
Taste is sweet on the front, spicy and warm on the back.
Far too easy to drink for a 10% beer.
I'll buy this again.

 

 

Poured into stemless wine glass: color is straw gold, brighter white head with fine to small bubbles and presents one finger thick, head dissipates to thin top with plenty of lacing.

Smell is light Belgian yeast phenols, honey, bread, yeast.

Taste is sweeter than base NB Trippel but a pleasant variant with notable bread, Belgian yeast phenol, light clove, hints of orange, bread and cookie notes.

Mouthfeel is low/moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, low bitterness.

New Belgium has prided themselves in years gone by on their Belgian beer prowess - this is a more approachable variant but still holds its own against both tripels and Belgian strong ales.

 

 

 

Pours a clear amber color with a 1/2 F head and light lacing.

Smells of bready yeast and citrus.

Tastes of sweet malt, bready yeast, bananas, orange and spice with a lightly bitter , boozy warm finish.

Medium body with very light carbonation. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel.

This brew is a nice, strong, adaptation to the style. Too drinkable. Definitely tastier when it has warmed up from fridge temperature.