The Trip XV (Buckwheat Belgian Style)
New Belgium Brewing Company

 

Very dark ruby-tinted amber with a fine-grained white foam. Lots of lacing in the Stella Artois goblet. Sudsy mouthfeel. Deep roasted malt and dark fruit aroma.

The array of flavors seems to have melded over its two years in the bottle. The buckwheat displays that odd perfumey, grainy taste, but it's perfect with the sweet date and molasses note. Not too sweet, and just enough bitterness. I don't know if they used hops at all, but the dandelion adds just enough bitterness without much herbal murk. Some Belgian taste with the dry finish, but not very yeasty and doesn't overwhelm the other flavors. Some dark raisiny malt and just the right bitter finish.

This is really a pretty sensational beer, and one of the most likeable oddballs I've encountered. It might even be an argument for aging some brews with more complex ingredients. It's certainly one of the better two-year old brews I"ve ever had. From the 22 oz bottle brewed in early 2013, since I find no indication that this was brewed again. But where did I find this bottle?

 

 

7.50% ABV confirmed. 1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with a pretty appealing label art and branded red pry-off pressure cap acquired at a local FoCo bottle shop and served into an Odell stem-tulip/snifter hybrid glass. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average.

Served cold - straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: No bubble show forms as it's poured.

Pours a one finger wide head of beige colour. Nice creaminess and thickness. Retention is about average - just over 2 minutes. Decent even inconsistent lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.

Body colour is a very dark ruby-amber. Novices might mistake it for black. Opaque. No floating yeast particles are visible.

Overall, it's a generally appealing appearance and while it's not unique or special, I'm looking forward to trying it.

Sm: Dark malts, amber malts, caramel, floral hops, faint candi sugar, and vague nebulous fruit. Pretty plain all around. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable. I'm not finding the dates, dandelion, or buckwheat.

A pleasant if somewhat boring aroma of average strength.

T: Caramel, amber malts, dark malts. candi sugar, floral hops. Awfully simple for the style. Average depth, duration, and intensity of flavour. Light dates. Maybe some unrefined sugar. Balanced enough for what it is I guess. Has a cohesive build, but it isn't gestalt. Some alcohol presence is noticeable. Light rum-soaked fruit notes. Some sugarcane.

Not complex, subtle, intricate, or nuanced. No real yeast character comes through. I like it in a general sense, but it's not great.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Unrefreshing. Fairly thick. Okay body. Overcarbonated. Doesn't really suit the flavour all that well. Okay execution.

Not oily, astringent, harsh, gushed, hot, or boozy.

Dr: Downable stuff, but very forgettable and unremarkable. I wouldn't get it again or recommend it to friends. Doesn't hide its ABV all that well. It's not New Belgium's strongest work, and as a collab, it's pretty disappointing. Mundane. Not worth trying.

C+

I had this on-tap in a pint glass at Special Brews in Lynnwood, WA.

Appearance: rich, dark brown hue with a very light haze and a thin finger of light tan foam. The head dissipated quickly, but there's a nice light lace left on the glass.

Smell: lightly sweet and fruity but somewhat low in intensity. Good, but could be more enticing.

Taste: buttery and sweet with a little bit of raisin and date character. The butteriness is a little much for me, but otherwise it's clean and pretty tasty.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a nice, well-integrated carbonation. Not exactly creamy, but smooth and satisfying.

Overall: a tasty and inviting brew; not perfect or mind-blowing, but a nice little dark Belgian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: Pours a murky brown with a finger of off-white head that fades into a thin ring with no lacing.

S: Belgian spices and candy sugar with dark fruits like plums and dates dominate. There are some bubblegum and yeast notes as well.

T: Belgian spices here as well with candy sugar, slight dark fruit flavors, and a lightly bitter yeastiness. The finish has a big of a steamed veggie flavor to it.

M: Medium body with lowish carbonation, this beer is a little on the watery side.

O: An interesting beer overall that isn't quite successful.

 

 

22oz bomber served in pint glass. Beer pours a very dark red, almost brown, with nearly no head. Aroma is pretty rich, suggesting dark fruit, like maybe prunes. Flavor is deceptively light. Well not light, but I was expecting a flavor bomb. But the mouthfeel is thin, and most of the flavor is in the back. There are mixed sweet and sour fruit flavors, cherry and dates, along with a very slight chalky bitterness. I'm not sure what to make of the buckwheat, or of the grain in general. All around the flavors seem pretty muddled, but most of all I'm just not enjoying this beer.

 

 

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a quite dark mahogany amber with a fine one finger light tan head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of Belgian yeast, toasted and caramel malt, light and dark fruit and a hint of milk chocolate. Unusual. Interesting flavor of toasted malt, dark dried fruit, chocolate. Finishes with an engaging unidentifiable fruit / herbal flavor that must be from the buckwheat and dandelion. Medium body with nice creaminess. This is a quite complex and well integrated ale with elements reminiscent of porters and dark Belgians, but different from any Belgian stout I've tried. Very nice flavor progression. I really enjoyed this for a very nice change of pace.