Obscurite Tripel Brown
Watch City Brewing Co.

Had to consult a concordance with this one on 2/22/2005. 1 pt. 6 fl. oz. red foil-topped bomber poured twice in a Rapscallion glass. Date on the bottle says it was bottled on April 11, 2004.

Very thin, big bubble head that plays hid-n-seek and eventually settles at the edges, light swirling over the rest. Very deep brown hue verging on a porter-like look with some lazy action. Big wine grape vinous nose, plummy, old ale attributes with huge round malt and sweet, succulent alcohol. Dark fruit on malt with a roasted character on the back end, and not nearly as sweet as the bouquet seemed to promise. As pour warms, more of the vinous notes present themselves; but this is a positive addition. Fairly nice, though a bit vacuous.

Not what you would expect from a tripel. Color: a dark-dark brown. No head at all, and a real lack of carbonation in general. Aroma: For me, grains. I've not spoken to the brewer, but I think some of the malt was dark roasted, and it trally came out in the nose. Taste: My first impression was a high-alcohol porter; again not what I expected. To me, this beer seemed off-style. I really enjoy the offerings from Watch City, and have had a good Beligian from there (Saturnalia). I was hoping for more in this beer.

Update on this beer: I had it on cask today, and finally the beer develops a nice head when poured. It doesn’t last too long though, and there is no lace when you have a few sips. The temperature and the cask seem to emphasize the “Porter” character of this beer. Other than that, not much changes. It is better from the pump, but not exceptionally so.

Okay, contradictions start right away here..Belgian Dark, says the label, but this is listed as a "Tripel Brown"??? Tripels are not brown...who the what the hey?
Anyway, the appearance? It's a terribly dark brown color, we may as well call it black, with a head that's a mere whisper that turns into a tan ring around the edge of the glass.
Aroma: liquor, right off the bat, but sweet, albeit twisted, almost medicinal..and that's all I can pull out! Other than to suggest...Jagermesiter?
Taste: that same feel comes through here, thick, pungent, viscous, more like a port wine than anything I normally encounter in a beer, equipped with roasty malt flavors, a thick, full, very nice texture...this was an unexpected beer, delivering things that clearly deviate from the norm...amd I've got to nod to that! Didn't match anything I'd encountered before, so it was very hard to compare and evaluate. For an experience and experiment, I gotta give this props!
Thanks, big thanks, to UncleJimbo!

Part of the bottle-conditioned series from the brewery. Pours a deep chocolate color with absolutely no head. The aroma of sweet Belgian yeast pairs with chocolate and a hint of alcoholic sharpness. The first smooth sip is heavily roasted and sweet, reminiscent of a robust porter. There is a mild bitterness throughout the glass with a building alcohol warmth. Finishes with a hint of sweet and tangy with a mellow curb. Very tasty.

I'm afraid this brew did not do much for me...
On draft, it had a dark, deep, clear chestnut color, yet had little to no head and/or lacing to speak of. The nose was exceedingly mild....I really had to search hard for what little touch of sweet malt was emanating from the bier. The body was about medium, and it was fairly smooth on the tongue, though I attribute this more to it lacking much carbonation and being semi-flat than any positive aspect. This bier had a slightly sweet start to it, with some very subtle malt and caramel showing up. It then tended to get on the bitter side, with that characteristic lingering in the dryish finish. Nothing really special to me, and more of a hybrid style than anything like a Tripel.

overall: 3.4
appearance: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | mouthfeel: 3.5 | drinkability: 3.5

546

On tap at Watch City.

Pours a nice brown with some tan head. Flavor profile is quite complex. A bit fruity, some chocolate, toffee... A bit sweet. The Belgian yeast flavor is very present and nice to the mouth. Goes down nice and smooth for such a strong brew. I'd like to try this one bottle conditioned.

On tap at WCBC. Pours a very dark brown, small tan head that leaves good rings of lace. Aroma is sweet (toffee), lightly roasty (coffee), and some dark chocolate. Flavor has toffee, mild coffee, lots of dark chocolate. Pretty full body, light carbonation, goes down smooth for 7.2%. Flavors are pretty strong and complex, changing character quite a bit as the mug gets emptier and the brew warmer.

Sampled on cask at NERAX. (OG 1075, ABV ?.?, IBU 37)

"Three fermentations and 3 months conditioning with three yeasts and oak chips in the final conditioning tank and kegs... Dark and complex with no roasted or black malts used... Bastone yeast from Belgium is in the initial fermentation."

This tripel poured a cloudy, brown color with minimal foam from cask. The smell was a very nice sweet sherry and toffee aroma. The taste was sweet malt with toffee, caramel, fruit, and some oakiness. Very nice flavors. The mouthfeel was smooth and creamy. The body was medium to full. Light carbonation. This was a very nice tripel.