The Turning Shape
Anchorage Brewing Company

 

*Poured into a Teku glass from a 16oz can*

Like many Belgian beers, this also had a pretty nice look to it. The color was a brilliant golden honey color and was slightly cloudy from the yeast. The head was also nice and fluffy and poured out an impressive two finger thick white colored head.

The aroma on this was more balanced than what I initially expected. I thought that the aromas coming from the malt and yeast were both fairly prominent, giving me notes of cloves, bread, biscuits, banana, and pepper.

The taste followed the nose. The front gave me mostly yeast-forward notes such as cloves, banana, and pepper in the front and slight notes of bready malt character came through towards the middle. The beer finished with pronounced spicy peppery notes from the yeast coupled with an ethanol taste. These flavors were good and decent, but they were relatively weak and lacked a yeast-forward robustness that I typically enjoy in this style of beer. I felt as though it didn't do much to distinguish itself from other Tripels that I've had.

The beer felt dry from start to finished, and was medium bodied and high in carbonation. There was a notable alcoholic taste to this in the finish and had a peppery aftertaste to it that wasn't long or lingering.

Cloudy bright golden body with a fluffy white head. Biscuit malt, flowers, orange and lemon, belgian yeast and spices especially clove, apple honey and grass in a vibrant nose. Taste is much the same, add some earth and black pepper to balance, has a bright citrus finish. Feel is soft yet spiced, yeast yet not too bready, full but airy and spiringy. Best american tripel in a long time, went dow stupid easy. The wife liked it

 

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a hazy, medium golden-orange with a two finger, somewhat fizzy head that nevertheless had great retention and thick lacing; The can fizzed over on opening as well, but everything else looks fine. Aroma of grainy malt, Belgian yeast, clove, apple, hints of light stone fruit; nice tripel profile. Flavor is grainy malt, clove, coriander, apple and pear juice, Belgian yeast; a little earthy in the finish. Lingering apple juice and clove. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess and sharp carbonation. A well made domestic take on the tripel style (one I see way to rarely now). The initial flavor is full, but fades a bit into the finish and is not as deep in fruit flavors as a Continental tripel. The yeast is authentic tasting and the fruit profile and spicing is spot on. A little more fruit depth from the yeast would push this one over the top. Because of the rarity of tripels on the market, I'd buy this again soon if it was available (but I never saw it again; Anchorage used to be well represented in the Northwest market, but is rare now and sells out very quickly).

 

It is always fun to think that you can play in the same field as the masters. But, it also takes a lot of work to compete with centuries of ale culture. And in the long-term and in the Belgian tradition, the yeast is the key.

The Turning Shape has yet to learn that... although it probably will since Anchorage is probably a master at what they do and they will follow suit in the Belgian tradition.

Turning Shape has an active foam after a full pour, but no real lace. Smells are OK, but really lacks the Belgian trademark of malt yearning-to-be-fruit. Tastes are balanced and refreshing and, generally, good... but where is this tripel's complexity? In the mouth, I get bubbles but not much fullness.

As my first from Anchorage, I went on their site and they clearly are dedicated to unusual and expensive brewing. Had I known they specialize in Belgians, I should have held out until I found their saison. In the spirit of the global brewing in remote regions, I'll hunt out their saison. I feel kinda mean giving this review to a brewer largely successfully bringing a complex brewing tradition to a remote part of the world (albeit the state's largest city). Anchorage is an accomplished brewer and for that, I give them some pretty good Overall Hugs.

16oz canned 11-13-19. Opened 4-4-20.
Can conditioned, fermented and aged in Missouri oak.
2+ finger white head peeking over the rim of the glass. Good retention falls slowly and steadily to 1/4" rocky head. Golden body with a slight haze, neither opaque nor clear. Sticky, patchy lacing.
Floral, honey, light clove spice. Apple skin. Bit of a vinous quality in the nose as it warms.
Sweet malt, apple, some spicy/yeasty flavors. Pepper, honey,
Medium body and carbonation. Big, sweet malt upfront with a dry and almost medium length finish. Some warming heat.
Good to very good. Fairly simple and straight forward and not a bad example of an American brewed Tripel.

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 11/13/2019. Pours lightly hazy medium golden/amber/yellow color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a large amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big lemon, pear, red apple, peppercorn, light banana/clove, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, candi sugar, light honey/toast, wood, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, earthy hops, and pale malt/sugar notes; with big strength. Taste of big lemon, pear, red apple, peppercorn, light banana/clove, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, candi sugar, light honey/toast, wood, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness; and yeast spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, pear, red apple, peppercorn, light banana/clove, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, candi sugar, light honey/toast, wood, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, earthy hops, and pale malt/sugar flavors; with a fantastic malt/bitter/spiciness balance; and no lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly crisp balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Slight lingering resins through the glass. Mild increasing warming of 8.5% through the glass. Overall this is an outstanding tripel. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, earthy hops, and pale malt/sugar flavors; dangerously smooth and fairly crisp/refreshing to drink for the ABV, with the modestly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Awesome balance of classic Belgian yeast complexity, earthy Saaz hops, with clean pale malt backbone. Minimal residual sweetness with lingering crisp dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding spot on style example. Very classic tasting in every way.

 

 

L: A partially filtered orange brew with three to four fingers of white froth on a center pour. Leaves no lace on the glass.

S: Apple, honey, and bannanna sweetness, cracker malts and a mineral quality, and also quite spicy on the nose: Cardamom and fennel, peppercorn and slight clove possibly. Complex.

T: Of the better Tripels I've had. Follows the nose and the ABV is well hidden. Less of the spice notes make it to the palate. Off dry.

F: Smooth but weighty.

O: The sugar is not on point for me. Hard to say but I think I would prefer this a hair drier and lighter.

 

Interesting Belgian beer that I’m trying in order to branch out my tastes. 11/13/19 date printed on can. Pours a slightly darker golden color with some nice fluffy head and small sticky rings of lingering lacing. Smells of light Belgian yeast, clove, weaker banana, malt, faint hops, vanilla and caramel. Tastes similarly, almost reminded me of a light wheat beer. Smooth mild mouthfeel, decent carbonation. Higher ABV was well hidden. Not too bad at all!

16 oz can from Tavour. Orange golden pour, cloudy, initial high fluffy head which settles into a tight, creamy cap. Aroma is sourdough, yeast, light savory notes, bready, fruity, floral. Taste continues with more of this broad palate, coupled with a buttery, full mouthfeel

Slightly dark golden body topped with a thick, creamy white head. Spicy and sweet aroma; peppermint and anise. Malty, spicy taste; a touch of honey; cardamon; muted booziness. Medium body; light residual sugar sweetness; velvety; alcohol warmth.

This is a nice, balanced Belgian tripel offering from Anchorage. Te alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing, the malt sweetness is likewise nicely played, soft and light overall.