Haiku Belgian Tripel
5 Seasons Westside

A: Crystal clear golden body topped by a generous white head. Nice lacing and head retention.
S: Nose of bananas, bubblegum and clove. Lovely Bouquet typical for this style.
T: Flavors include honey, Belgian yeast & banana.
M: Smooth, complex and ending with a dry finish.
O: Delish.

 

On-tap at the brewpub - I was told this was just under one year old.

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a one-finger white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of light and sweet malts with good amounts of syrupy pears. Also present are hints of coriander.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Light pilsner malt flavors kick things off and are joined almost immediately by good amounts of light fruits - mostly pears but with hints of light citrus. Midway through the sip a very light coriander spiciness makes an appearance before fading into a sweet ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass quickly and could have another with no problems.

Overall I was a fan of this beer, but having having the two barrel-aged versions the base beer is at the bottom of the list. Still, if this is at the bottom of the list then you'll have a hard time going wrong. Worth a shot.

Appearance: Pours out a lightly hazed, golden body with a thin layer of white foam that dissipated out fairly quickly.

Smell: Sweetish nose of pils malt dipped in golden syrup and punctuated by some alcohol and fragrant white peach tones and fainter notes of spice and citrus.

Taste: Sweet tastes of pilsner and pale malts boosted further by some candi sugar influences and a perceived taste of wildflower honey. In rolls a warming alcoholic quality and taste of peaches, giving it a taste of fine peach schnapps. Hint of lemony citrus. Spicy flavor reminiscent of dried coriander. No more than a tiny bit of bitterness. Continually drying and warming right up until the semi-dry finish with a last, final dose of spice and fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. There's a definite stickiness to mouthfeel, but thankfully it's amply carbonated to keep it from ever becoming cloying.

Drinkability: A sweet, rich tripel that added a nice, complimentary counterbalance to the beer battered onion rings and its spicy curry dipping sauce.

A - One finger of white foam on a slightly hazy, golden body. The head settles quickly and leaves little lace.

S - Sweet and fruity. Pilsner notes and some grape/strawberry notes. Elusive hop notes hiding in the background as well.

T - Very sweet malt with red apple and lime yeast notes. Toasted grain in the middle. Some clove flavors appear briefly with spicy hops in the finish.

M - Medium body, moderately high carbonation, and a somewhat sweet finish.

D - Not a bad beer by any means, but a bit sweet which is a problem for the style. The sweetness is magnified by the very fruity yeast. The hops make an effort to balance, but they don't quite succeed and the drinkability suffers a little bit. Nevertheless, it is a good tripel with nice yeast character.