Apprentice Series Tres Pa' Cuatro
White Birch Brewing

From tasting notes. L: Pours hazy gold with a 2” white foam cap that slowly dissipates to a thick film that provides extensive lace. S: Grainy, spicy, fruity aromas rise from the glass. T: Light malts provide the backbone for a palate that starts spicy and fruity and then caramel flavors grow in the middle. The fruit flavors suggest pineapple and papaya with light citrus. There is a real light anise or even a suggestion of horehound in the background. Big bitter hops balance and underlying sweetness and help coax some drying out on the finish. Some pepper on the end. F: O: Very pleasant and drinkable

 

 

Bottled January 2013. It is old but a style that can take some age. Grabbed off the clearance shelf. Pours a hazy, bright golden color with half a finger of head that settles to a thin cap. Some spotty lacing is left down the glass.

Nice yeast esters fill the nose with notes of pears, apples, pineapple, and apricots. A little bready malt as well but not smelling any rye.

White Birch almost nailed the yeast qualities of the Belgian greats. Might have worked the yeast a little too hard however as the faintest of phenols are starting to sneak into the flavor. Nice pale fruit notes of pears and apricots. A touch of twang from the rye and wheat that compliments the Belgian malt.

The oats aided in the mouthfeel as this is full with a creamy texture. Carbonation is lively but not harsh.

Almost outstanding but that seems to be the case with most White Birch beer.

Pours a mostly clear medium golden color with a a decent sized off white ehad that quickly dissipates to a cap on top. Smells of orange marmalade, light brown sugar, clove, coriander, spicy wheat malt, and Belgian yeasty phenols. The flavor is sweet up front with citrus fruits and light sugars. That gets cut pretty quickly with spicy wheat and rye as well as some sharp phenols from the yeast. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet sharp mouthfeel going on. Certainly a different take on a tripel, but it works pretty well, I enjoyed this.

From the 22 fl. oz. bottle dated January 2013. Sampled on March 30, 2013.

The pour is a slightly cloudy medium amber with a quick burst of white fizzy head that settles down momentarily to a ring.

The aroma is of barley malts, grain, Belgian yeast, Belgian sugar, and a slight orange zing.

The body is medium to bold with more of a creaminess rather than an astringent quality.

This beer evolves with each sip. It begins relatively sweet, malty, and grainy but with each passing sip there is a licorice sensation the builds in as well as a pear-like quality as opposed to the orange on the nose. The alcohol is well-integrated into the beer. There is a lingering moderate bitterness. It has the expectations of a Tripel with a slight grainy character just like the description says. I liked it.