St. Bernardus Tripel | Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Brewed by:
Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Belgium | website
Style: Tripel
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 01-07-2001
Reviews: 1,257 | Ratings: 3,083
4.97/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
An golden/orange-yellow hued haze of a liquid with a very nice white head that stays quite well without any help. Amazing aroma! In-your-face sweet and spicy with a doughy yeast background. Banana esters, juicy strawberries, and am I crazy, or do I detect some mango in there as well? Slight spicy alcohol tones as well. Great complexity. And now into my mouth it goes... The first thought that hits me with this beer is the amazingly thick and chewy mouthfeel. Not many beers have this, and for me, it's a highly sought-after quality. Like the aroma, very sweet doughy flavor from the yeast and malt, like a mix between cookie and bread dough. This is perfect with the mouthfeel the way it is. Clove shows up in the spice department, a welcome addition to the other flavors. There is a bit of fruitiness, mostly banana, but it's much more subdued than in the nose. Hop bitterness plays a slight role, balancing everything out well. Alcohol warms all the way through. More targeted hop bitterness in the finish. Overall, a wonderful, wonderful beer. This one goes on the "must buy in massive quantities" list. My favorite tripel, even above Unibroue 10 and New Belgium's "Trippel".
★ 1,181 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
An golden/orange-yellow hued haze of a liquid with a very nice white head that stays quite well without any help. Amazing aroma! In-your-face sweet and spicy with a doughy yeast background. Banana esters, juicy strawberries, and am I crazy, or do I detect some mango in there as well? Slight spicy alcohol tones as well. Great complexity. And now into my mouth it goes... The first thought that hits me with this beer is the amazingly thick and chewy mouthfeel. Not many beers have this, and for me, it's a highly sought-after quality. Like the aroma, very sweet doughy flavor from the yeast and malt, like a mix between cookie and bread dough. This is perfect with the mouthfeel the way it is. Clove shows up in the spice department, a welcome addition to the other flavors. There is a bit of fruitiness, mostly banana, but it's much more subdued than in the nose. Hop bitterness plays a slight role, balancing everything out well. Alcohol warms all the way through. More targeted hop bitterness in the finish. Overall, a wonderful, wonderful beer. This one goes on the "must buy in massive quantities" list. My favorite tripel, even above Unibroue 10 and New Belgium's "Trippel".
★ 1,181 characters
4.97/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I must come clean up front, I love St Bernardus beers, and shockingly this beer out of the bottle is darn near as good as draft in Bruge. I purchased a 4 pack at Total Wine (glad to see they are beginning to carry good variety of bottled 4 packs of Belgians) and this Tripel is excellent. The pour is delightful, not overly carbonated, really an almost perfect head. The golden haze is classic for a really good tripel. The initial taste is neither sweet nor too dry, just right, without the lemony aftertaste of most Belgian blondes which have their own category. The smell is as good as it gets for tripels, great balance, hint of banana/caramel, but really a clean and fine flavorful beer and the moderate alcohol makes this Tripel worth a try. I plan to enjoy this particular brew many times in the future, especially now that I don't have to buy the 22 oz expensive model every time. I am occasionally torn about the overall price of Belgian beer and I will be glad when our stateside brewers catch up, which they will. Unfortunately we are a bit short on monks supplying out of the back monastery entrance, but our micros more than hold their own. The St Bernardus range of beers is wonderfully thought out and each has a reason, taste and character for it's existence. So I am happy to include this with their Abt 12/8/6 and Wit.
★ 1,336 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I must come clean up front, I love St Bernardus beers, and shockingly this beer out of the bottle is darn near as good as draft in Bruge. I purchased a 4 pack at Total Wine (glad to see they are beginning to carry good variety of bottled 4 packs of Belgians) and this Tripel is excellent. The pour is delightful, not overly carbonated, really an almost perfect head. The golden haze is classic for a really good tripel. The initial taste is neither sweet nor too dry, just right, without the lemony aftertaste of most Belgian blondes which have their own category. The smell is as good as it gets for tripels, great balance, hint of banana/caramel, but really a clean and fine flavorful beer and the moderate alcohol makes this Tripel worth a try. I plan to enjoy this particular brew many times in the future, especially now that I don't have to buy the 22 oz expensive model every time. I am occasionally torn about the overall price of Belgian beer and I will be glad when our stateside brewers catch up, which they will. Unfortunately we are a bit short on monks supplying out of the back monastery entrance, but our micros more than hold their own. The St Bernardus range of beers is wonderfully thought out and each has a reason, taste and character for it's existence. So I am happy to include this with their Abt 12/8/6 and Wit.
★ 1,336 characters
4.97/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This brew pours a semi-cloudy orange color with a nice white head. The aroma is strong. Orange peel, and spices. The taste fantastic. Fruity and juicy with spicy undertones. The mouthfeel is juicy and well carbonated. Overall, this is a great brew. Very refreshing.
★ 265 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This brew pours a semi-cloudy orange color with a nice white head. The aroma is strong. Orange peel, and spices. The taste fantastic. Fruity and juicy with spicy undertones. The mouthfeel is juicy and well carbonated. Overall, this is a great brew. Very refreshing.
★ 265 characters
4.97/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Recently bought a four pack of 11.5 ounce bottles. Poured into a trumpet glass. Very generous head with lacing and an abundant aroma. The mouthfeel is wonderfully fresh carbonation and a sweet aftertaste. I find this a great example of a tripel. I would recommend this to anyone with the desire to experience a great example of a tripel.
★ 337 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Recently bought a four pack of 11.5 ounce bottles. Poured into a trumpet glass. Very generous head with lacing and an abundant aroma. The mouthfeel is wonderfully fresh carbonation and a sweet aftertaste. I find this a great example of a tripel. I would recommend this to anyone with the desire to experience a great example of a tripel.
★ 337 characters
4.97/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Poured gently into chalice. A cloudy pour with less than 1 finger of head (this is how I prefer it, more head would have been easily obtained). A light amber/dark yellow color. Very attractive with nice lacing. Very pleasant, welcoming aroma. The taste is pleasantly bold, without being overpowering. As you work through the glass, the fruit flavors become more apparent. Full, enveloping mouthfeel. Extremely drinkable, you could settle in with nice assortment of meats and cheeses and drink several of these very easily.
★ 522 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Poured gently into chalice. A cloudy pour with less than 1 finger of head (this is how I prefer it, more head would have been easily obtained). A light amber/dark yellow color. Very attractive with nice lacing. Very pleasant, welcoming aroma. The taste is pleasantly bold, without being overpowering. As you work through the glass, the fruit flavors become more apparent. Full, enveloping mouthfeel. Extremely drinkable, you could settle in with nice assortment of meats and cheeses and drink several of these very easily.
★ 522 characters
4.97/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
The only thing I was disappointed with was the label, which is kind of corny and cartoon-y. The beer transcends the label though, which is a good rule to remember: Just because the label looks bad (or good) that doesn't mean that the beer inside will also be bad (or good).
This Belgian trippel, to me, is exactly what I would expect and demand of the style. The pale color and thinner but longlasting head makes it look beautiful in a glass. It is not as highly carbonated as many other Belgians I've tried, and that is fine with me. It feels wonderful in your mouth and even better going down the throat.
It isn't particularly aromatic, with hops at least, although there is a nice malty sweetness that comes off of it.
I find it tastes a bit on the sweet side which means I like it just fine, thank-you, yet it is still very complex in flavoring. As it warms you can start to pick out more spicy notes and citrus (?) flavors.
If you like Belgian beers then a four pack won't be enough...
★ 998 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
The only thing I was disappointed with was the label, which is kind of corny and cartoon-y. The beer transcends the label though, which is a good rule to remember: Just because the label looks bad (or good) that doesn't mean that the beer inside will also be bad (or good).
This Belgian trippel, to me, is exactly what I would expect and demand of the style. The pale color and thinner but longlasting head makes it look beautiful in a glass. It is not as highly carbonated as many other Belgians I've tried, and that is fine with me. It feels wonderful in your mouth and even better going down the throat.
It isn't particularly aromatic, with hops at least, although there is a nice malty sweetness that comes off of it.
I find it tastes a bit on the sweet side which means I like it just fine, thank-you, yet it is still very complex in flavoring. As it warms you can start to pick out more spicy notes and citrus (?) flavors.
If you like Belgian beers then a four pack won't be enough...
★ 998 characters
4.96/5 rDev +17.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Poured into a tulip glass.
A - Bronzy gold, thick head, plenty of lacing
S - Spices, yeast, and citrus
T - Everything in the aroma comes back, plus honey and roast malts,some nutty flavours, and floral hops
M - medium bodied, lots of carbonation
O - Very very impressive. Definitely up in my favourite tripels: loving the complexity that goes into this beer without completely warping it away from the 'classic' tripel feel.
★ 429 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Poured into a tulip glass.
A - Bronzy gold, thick head, plenty of lacing
S - Spices, yeast, and citrus
T - Everything in the aroma comes back, plus honey and roast malts,some nutty flavours, and floral hops
M - medium bodied, lots of carbonation
O - Very very impressive. Definitely up in my favourite tripels: loving the complexity that goes into this beer without completely warping it away from the 'classic' tripel feel.
★ 429 characters
4.96/5 rDev +17.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Appearance:
Dark gold color, murky. Lots of lively carbonation streaming. Thick rocky head.
Aroma:
Fruity yeast... Pear, banana, maybe some apricot. There's some Beligum spices. Deep bready malt. Hint of alcohol.
Taste/Finish/Body:
Lots of fruity yeast up front, Pear, banana, apricot, also I'm getting some tropical fruit and spice (nutmeg and cloves). Deep creamy malts, bready, a little toffee. Finish is peppery, yet slight tartness and some dryness. Body is milk shake texture, crewy, crisp, semi-dry, warmth, very smooth.
Overall:
It's a world class beer.
★ 573 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Appearance:
Dark gold color, murky. Lots of lively carbonation streaming. Thick rocky head.
Aroma:
Fruity yeast... Pear, banana, maybe some apricot. There's some Beligum spices. Deep bready malt. Hint of alcohol.
Taste/Finish/Body:
Lots of fruity yeast up front, Pear, banana, apricot, also I'm getting some tropical fruit and spice (nutmeg and cloves). Deep creamy malts, bready, a little toffee. Finish is peppery, yet slight tartness and some dryness. Body is milk shake texture, crewy, crisp, semi-dry, warmth, very smooth.
Overall:
It's a world class beer.
★ 573 characters
4.95/5 rDev +17%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
I tried this beer on August 10, 2007 at The Esplanade Biermarket in Toronto. The beer was a cloudy brown in colour with a short lasting off-white head. The aroma was very yeasty with some spicy tinges in the background. The mouthfeel was medium bodied with a fair amount of carbonation while the flavour was full of yeast and wet bread. Another damn fine product from St. Bernardus!
★ 382 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
I tried this beer on August 10, 2007 at The Esplanade Biermarket in Toronto. The beer was a cloudy brown in colour with a short lasting off-white head. The aroma was very yeasty with some spicy tinges in the background. The mouthfeel was medium bodied with a fair amount of carbonation while the flavour was full of yeast and wet bread. Another damn fine product from St. Bernardus!
★ 382 characters
4.94/5 rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
One of the best tripels out there for sure, and I know it as I keep drinking. Seek it out.
Appearance: Not as much lacing as I would've wanted. And the head isn't as huge and foamy as I wanted, but the head still tops it off as I drink it, and there's at least enough of the white head to cover it without dissipation. Maybe it's my glass, and I'll review this again, but appearance is hurting it a bit.
Smell: Wonderful. Cloves, cream, banana, pepper, cirtus zest, spice. The cream aspect seems to be extremely high for tripel, and it adds much to the aroma.
Taste: As with many tripels, banana comes through (at least for me) mostly. Some lemon or lemon grass, slight cream (though there's more in the aroma). The spice does nothing but enhance all the flavors, and is perfect. Pretty incredible for sure. The aftertaste is amazing, yeasty, full, creamy, and coating. Oh, and the slightest amount of hops is present with the aftertaste also.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation explosion at the very first, but it soon turns very creamy and full, though medium-bodied. Fantastic.
Drinkability: Not an insane amount of alcohol, and insanely drinkable without being cloying or too much in anyway.
I only have 3 bottles left from my 4-pack. Now it seems I need a case, though that probably won't happen. Pick this up if you can find it.
★ 1,344 characters
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
One of the best tripels out there for sure, and I know it as I keep drinking. Seek it out.
Appearance: Not as much lacing as I would've wanted. And the head isn't as huge and foamy as I wanted, but the head still tops it off as I drink it, and there's at least enough of the white head to cover it without dissipation. Maybe it's my glass, and I'll review this again, but appearance is hurting it a bit.
Smell: Wonderful. Cloves, cream, banana, pepper, cirtus zest, spice. The cream aspect seems to be extremely high for tripel, and it adds much to the aroma.
Taste: As with many tripels, banana comes through (at least for me) mostly. Some lemon or lemon grass, slight cream (though there's more in the aroma). The spice does nothing but enhance all the flavors, and is perfect. Pretty incredible for sure. The aftertaste is amazing, yeasty, full, creamy, and coating. Oh, and the slightest amount of hops is present with the aftertaste also.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation explosion at the very first, but it soon turns very creamy and full, though medium-bodied. Fantastic.
Drinkability: Not an insane amount of alcohol, and insanely drinkable without being cloying or too much in anyway.
I only have 3 bottles left from my 4-pack. Now it seems I need a case, though that probably won't happen. Pick this up if you can find it.
★ 1,344 characters
4.94/5 rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This one pours a darker shade of your typical Triple. Nice white head. The smell is outstanding. Tropical fruits, and a hint of alcohol.
The taste is also outstanding. There are tropical fruit flavors, lemon, apricots, and an incredible bready malt balance with some herbal spice to finish things off. Complex would be understating it.
The mouthfeel has an adequate amount of carbonation, and feels light for this ABV. The drinkability is only limited by how much I can get my hands on.
This is by far my favorite Belgian Triple. Superior in almost every way. If I could only drink one beer for the rest of my life- this one would be solid possibility. Incredible stuff.
★ 680 characters
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This one pours a darker shade of your typical Triple. Nice white head. The smell is outstanding. Tropical fruits, and a hint of alcohol.
The taste is also outstanding. There are tropical fruit flavors, lemon, apricots, and an incredible bready malt balance with some herbal spice to finish things off. Complex would be understating it.
The mouthfeel has an adequate amount of carbonation, and feels light for this ABV. The drinkability is only limited by how much I can get my hands on.
This is by far my favorite Belgian Triple. Superior in almost every way. If I could only drink one beer for the rest of my life- this one would be solid possibility. Incredible stuff.
★ 680 characters
4.92/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
From the 4 bottle & glass gift pack. Hazy autumn light brown, bit of gold. Smell is divine, sweet fruit, heavy malt, fancy belgian wheat, hint of orange. Taste is divine. What a beer should be. Spice, orange, sticky malt, caramel. Spice and alcohol both heavy but blend very well. Velvety texture with a microscopic bubble.
A lovely beer, highly recommended.
★ 361 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
From the 4 bottle & glass gift pack. Hazy autumn light brown, bit of gold. Smell is divine, sweet fruit, heavy malt, fancy belgian wheat, hint of orange. Taste is divine. What a beer should be. Spice, orange, sticky malt, caramel. Spice and alcohol both heavy but blend very well. Velvety texture with a microscopic bubble.
A lovely beer, highly recommended.
★ 361 characters
4.92/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Appearence: Pours a brilliant gold with a nice, thin white head. Tiny yeast particles float everywhere.
Smell: The smell of this beer is spectacular. I can't get over how the grain smell mixes with the fruityness. It's such a perfect combination.
Taste and Mouthfeel: I have to say this is without a doubt the best tasting tripel I've ever had. Smooth, sweet, creamy, fruity, malty, and so much more. The taste is so wonderful and complex yet perfectly balanced. Everything about the taste of this beer is perfect. One of the best beers I've tasted to date. The mouthfeel is full, creamy, and incredibly inviting.
Drinkability and Overall: About as close to Tripel perfection as a beer can get. My first true Belgian Tripel and I'm blown away. I can't say enough about this beer. It's so rich and flavorful, yet so smooth a easily drank. I will be getting more of this very, very soon.
★ 894 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Appearence: Pours a brilliant gold with a nice, thin white head. Tiny yeast particles float everywhere.
Smell: The smell of this beer is spectacular. I can't get over how the grain smell mixes with the fruityness. It's such a perfect combination.
Taste and Mouthfeel: I have to say this is without a doubt the best tasting tripel I've ever had. Smooth, sweet, creamy, fruity, malty, and so much more. The taste is so wonderful and complex yet perfectly balanced. Everything about the taste of this beer is perfect. One of the best beers I've tasted to date. The mouthfeel is full, creamy, and incredibly inviting.
Drinkability and Overall: About as close to Tripel perfection as a beer can get. My first true Belgian Tripel and I'm blown away. I can't say enough about this beer. It's so rich and flavorful, yet so smooth a easily drank. I will be getting more of this very, very soon.
★ 894 characters
4.92/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
St. Bernardus Tripel has a fizzy, ginger ale-type, white head and a hazy, golden-orange appearance, with lots of champagne fizziness and a plethora of suspended brownish-gray particles floating about. The aroma is of spicy bread, fruit, and sugar candy. Taste is of spicy fruit cake, bread, raisin, malt, and a lot of other stuff I can’t pinpoint. Bitterness is low with this one. The mouthfeel is tingly and medium, and St. Bernardus Tripel finishes mostly dry, tasty, and highly drinkable, which could get a drinker into trouble. Overall, it lives up to its reputation.
RJT
★ 579 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
St. Bernardus Tripel has a fizzy, ginger ale-type, white head and a hazy, golden-orange appearance, with lots of champagne fizziness and a plethora of suspended brownish-gray particles floating about. The aroma is of spicy bread, fruit, and sugar candy. Taste is of spicy fruit cake, bread, raisin, malt, and a lot of other stuff I can’t pinpoint. Bitterness is low with this one. The mouthfeel is tingly and medium, and St. Bernardus Tripel finishes mostly dry, tasty, and highly drinkable, which could get a drinker into trouble. Overall, it lives up to its reputation.
RJT
★ 579 characters
4.92/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Beautiful Belgian pour into a tulip. Everlasting head.
Smells of light citrus macerated in spiced candi syrup. I can't get enough of this aroma; it's divine and easily worthy of a 5.
Again, the fruit and spice combine with perfect caarbonation and a honey note to make this one of the worlds best beers imo.
Mouthfeel is near perfect with a lingering bite that cleans the palate and begs for more of the nectar like aroma and front notes.
Near perfect beer experience.
Update: Just had this beer again. How amazing it is to get a beer of this quality at your local Bev-mo. I'm so glad to see the awesome reviews on this site. What a treat. More memorable than their Quad IMO.
★ 680 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Beautiful Belgian pour into a tulip. Everlasting head.
Smells of light citrus macerated in spiced candi syrup. I can't get enough of this aroma; it's divine and easily worthy of a 5.
Again, the fruit and spice combine with perfect caarbonation and a honey note to make this one of the worlds best beers imo.
Mouthfeel is near perfect with a lingering bite that cleans the palate and begs for more of the nectar like aroma and front notes.
Near perfect beer experience.
Update: Just had this beer again. How amazing it is to get a beer of this quality at your local Bev-mo. I'm so glad to see the awesome reviews on this site. What a treat. More memorable than their Quad IMO.
★ 680 characters
4.92/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Memories of this beer's greatness sucked me in while I was shopping for Thanksgiving brews at Putnam's shop. I ... just ... couldn't ... stop ... myself.
Ripening banana colors -- shifts from yellowish to off-brown. A little hazy. Big poofy styrafoam head spouts off a laundry list of aromatic delights: banana, dried orange peel, tropical fruit, yeast, pepper, sweet bread...
Sugary malt sweetness is heavily interwoven with a potent alcohol kick and all sorts of subtlties -- pineapple, cookies, banana, oak. Disturbingly light feeling as it goes down -- very easy to drink -- despite its almost creamy presence rolling around on the tongue. Shazam!
★ 657 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Memories of this beer's greatness sucked me in while I was shopping for Thanksgiving brews at Putnam's shop. I ... just ... couldn't ... stop ... myself.
Ripening banana colors -- shifts from yellowish to off-brown. A little hazy. Big poofy styrafoam head spouts off a laundry list of aromatic delights: banana, dried orange peel, tropical fruit, yeast, pepper, sweet bread...
Sugary malt sweetness is heavily interwoven with a potent alcohol kick and all sorts of subtlties -- pineapple, cookies, banana, oak. Disturbingly light feeling as it goes down -- very easy to drink -- despite its almost creamy presence rolling around on the tongue. Shazam!
★ 657 characters
4.92/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Pours a hazy straw yellow with an abundant head that is lasting and leaves spotty lacing on the glass. The aroma is a very strong blend of sweet fruits, spice, yeast and some earthy hops. The taste is a great balance of sweet malts, spice and earthy hops with an appropriate yeast bite. The beer is medium bodied and crisp with warming alcohol. This is an immensely enjoyable Tripel.
★ 383 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Pours a hazy straw yellow with an abundant head that is lasting and leaves spotty lacing on the glass. The aroma is a very strong blend of sweet fruits, spice, yeast and some earthy hops. The taste is a great balance of sweet malts, spice and earthy hops with an appropriate yeast bite. The beer is medium bodied and crisp with warming alcohol. This is an immensely enjoyable Tripel.
★ 383 characters
4.9/5 rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
This green label caught my eye one day at Surdyk's. I have been on the lookout for this beer for about a year now after seeing it on a BA list of top Belgian Triples.
Light pale colored pour with plenty of white dense head. Starts very foamy and eventually calms to an inch of head with moderate wet lacing in the glass.
Amora is fruity, woodsy and dry with a chalky sweetness and natural earthiness.
Excellent mouthfeel. Leaves the tongue tingly and mouth feeling dry
A very crisp drink and excellent mouthfeel make this a beer that stands out from the rest.
★ 571 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
This green label caught my eye one day at Surdyk's. I have been on the lookout for this beer for about a year now after seeing it on a BA list of top Belgian Triples.
Light pale colored pour with plenty of white dense head. Starts very foamy and eventually calms to an inch of head with moderate wet lacing in the glass.
Amora is fruity, woodsy and dry with a chalky sweetness and natural earthiness.
Excellent mouthfeel. Leaves the tongue tingly and mouth feeling dry
A very crisp drink and excellent mouthfeel make this a beer that stands out from the rest.
★ 571 characters
4.89/5 rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Appearance: hazy, golden amber, foamy persistent white head
Aroma: very aromatic,banana and clove with soft malt character, very yeasty with spicy hop additions
Taste: spicy with notes of banana and clove, malty depth
Mouthfeel: very smooth, rounded and balanced mouthfeel, little carbonation,
Overall Impression: A delicious and easy drinking Tripel, much easier to drink than Westmalle Tripel, and exhibits the spicey hops and yeast desired with strong malt background.
★ 475 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Appearance: hazy, golden amber, foamy persistent white head
Aroma: very aromatic,banana and clove with soft malt character, very yeasty with spicy hop additions
Taste: spicy with notes of banana and clove, malty depth
Mouthfeel: very smooth, rounded and balanced mouthfeel, little carbonation,
Overall Impression: A delicious and easy drinking Tripel, much easier to drink than Westmalle Tripel, and exhibits the spicey hops and yeast desired with strong malt background.
★ 475 characters
4.88/5 rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
A hazed golden orange appearance. Volcanic streams of CO2 surface at extreme rates. A bigass crop of whipped white froth caps it off. After a few minutes, the head starts to look like a damn snocone. Beautiful appearance. Aroma hits home with some bready yeastiness, mint, candy, lemon pepper, must and earthy hops. On to the flavor, which can be summed up best as "subtlety to perfection." Cookie dough yeastiness, bready tones, mint leaves, soft candy tones, pepper, lemon, grass and yellow cakiness. This beer melts in the mouth like mother fucking cotton candy. Effin beautiful. And drinkable. Nothing alcoholic at all about this bitch. This one is a dandy. One of the best tripels I've had. Check that...THE best Tripel I've had.
★ 734 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
A hazed golden orange appearance. Volcanic streams of CO2 surface at extreme rates. A bigass crop of whipped white froth caps it off. After a few minutes, the head starts to look like a damn snocone. Beautiful appearance. Aroma hits home with some bready yeastiness, mint, candy, lemon pepper, must and earthy hops. On to the flavor, which can be summed up best as "subtlety to perfection." Cookie dough yeastiness, bready tones, mint leaves, soft candy tones, pepper, lemon, grass and yellow cakiness. This beer melts in the mouth like mother fucking cotton candy. Effin beautiful. And drinkable. Nothing alcoholic at all about this bitch. This one is a dandy. One of the best tripels I've had. Check that...THE best Tripel I've had.
★ 734 characters
4.87/5 rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
appearance: pours a dark cloudy orange with creamy head. there is some lacing but nothing too exceptionally great.
smell: hops, alcohol, maybe banana, apple, and some citrus. very complex. smells great.
taste: taste is very good compared to other brews of this style. goes down nice and smooth. there is a hint of hops in the flavor but it is not overly bitter. there is a hint of an alcohol taste but it's not overpowering. alcohol is more noticeble in the after taste. flavor is pretty complex. not the best i've tasted but the best in this style definitely.
mouthfeel: great, what else is there to say? lightly carbonated, not overdone, not completely flat, just about right. also has a nice smooth feel to it.
drinkibility: i'd definitely have another. the only thing that takes away from this getting 5 is the noticable alcohol, especially in the aftertaste. it is still very drinkable, though, just not the very best.
overall it's a very great brew, the best tripel i've had.
★ 986 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
appearance: pours a dark cloudy orange with creamy head. there is some lacing but nothing too exceptionally great.
smell: hops, alcohol, maybe banana, apple, and some citrus. very complex. smells great.
taste: taste is very good compared to other brews of this style. goes down nice and smooth. there is a hint of hops in the flavor but it is not overly bitter. there is a hint of an alcohol taste but it's not overpowering. alcohol is more noticeble in the after taste. flavor is pretty complex. not the best i've tasted but the best in this style definitely.
mouthfeel: great, what else is there to say? lightly carbonated, not overdone, not completely flat, just about right. also has a nice smooth feel to it.
drinkibility: i'd definitely have another. the only thing that takes away from this getting 5 is the noticable alcohol, especially in the aftertaste. it is still very drinkable, though, just not the very best.
overall it's a very great brew, the best tripel i've had.
★ 986 characters
4.87/5 rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Presentation: Poured a translucent (cloudy) orange-amber color into a tulip glass. A rapidly rising head immediately sprang up, and retention was great throughout the drinking of this beer. It showed a rather high amount of carbonation right off the bat. The scent was one that blended grapes and red wine, with slight floral (rose) hints. There was a heavy malt presence in the scent, and it enveloped my nose. This could be one of the best beer aromas I've ever encountered.
Tasting: A slightly citric flavor came across on the front, followed by sweet malty characteristics, finally concluded by the warmth of alcohol. It was a sweet, sipping beer with a virtually nonexistent hop profile. There was a strong bread-y aftertaste as well that lingered in my mouth. The beer itself had a medium body. It was wonderfully complex in that every flavor that I had expected from the style came across. There are some beers that I've seen that use an overpowering hop presence to mask imperfections in the beer, but this beer blended all its elements extremely well. There was no harshness on the tongue, despite the high alcohol content. It rolled across very easily. This beer gets better as it gets a little warmer, too.
This beer is highly drinkable as a sipping beer, ideal for a wine and cheese hour or for dinner. The higher alcohol content may catch some by surprise, mainly because it is so well hidden by the flavors. At $3.99 per 11.2oz bottle (where I found it), this beer is meant for special occasions (or tastings at home, where I reviewed it). Definitely one of the best that I've ever tasted.
★ 1,609 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Presentation: Poured a translucent (cloudy) orange-amber color into a tulip glass. A rapidly rising head immediately sprang up, and retention was great throughout the drinking of this beer. It showed a rather high amount of carbonation right off the bat. The scent was one that blended grapes and red wine, with slight floral (rose) hints. There was a heavy malt presence in the scent, and it enveloped my nose. This could be one of the best beer aromas I've ever encountered.
Tasting: A slightly citric flavor came across on the front, followed by sweet malty characteristics, finally concluded by the warmth of alcohol. It was a sweet, sipping beer with a virtually nonexistent hop profile. There was a strong bread-y aftertaste as well that lingered in my mouth. The beer itself had a medium body. It was wonderfully complex in that every flavor that I had expected from the style came across. There are some beers that I've seen that use an overpowering hop presence to mask imperfections in the beer, but this beer blended all its elements extremely well. There was no harshness on the tongue, despite the high alcohol content. It rolled across very easily. This beer gets better as it gets a little warmer, too.
This beer is highly drinkable as a sipping beer, ideal for a wine and cheese hour or for dinner. The higher alcohol content may catch some by surprise, mainly because it is so well hidden by the flavors. At $3.99 per 11.2oz bottle (where I found it), this beer is meant for special occasions (or tastings at home, where I reviewed it). Definitely one of the best that I've ever tasted.
★ 1,609 characters
4.87/5 rDev +15.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
26.01.2016
St. Bernardus Tripel
Tripel - 8% - 330ml bottle – Best Before 28.08.17
Appearance: Golden, clear, ale with a perfectly white head - 4 fingers, dropping to half quite quickly. Medium to high levels of carbonation. One thing I noticed was just how much yeast has been added for the bottle conditioning of this beer when the bottle is held up to the light, and yet it all stays at the bottom of the bottle enabling you to pour a perfectly clear beer into the glass – this is a real ‘testament’ to the water used in the brewing process.
Aroma: Strong notes of juicy oranges, straw, some classic hop aromas, other sweet, ripe fruits including apple and fresh pears. Spices from the yeast. Very nice.
Taste: Sweet apple and oranges upfront straight away and this lasts all the way through with the yeast coming in the middle and then giving way to a very brief second where the alcohol is just detectable (very well hidden though, and certainly doesn't drink like an 8% brew) then we're back with the sweetness for a very long, pleasant finish. Not bitter at all. The yeast strain can be easily identified as St. Bernardus – the old Westvleteren yeast.
Mouth feel: Smooth and gentle, not dry or bitter at all. Very neutral as in not dry, not oily.
Overall: A world class tripel, easily on a par with Westmalle which is widely considered to be the bench mark for the style. Perfectly balanced, must buy more! 10 / 10.
★ 1,437 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
26.01.2016
St. Bernardus Tripel
Tripel - 8% - 330ml bottle – Best Before 28.08.17
Appearance: Golden, clear, ale with a perfectly white head - 4 fingers, dropping to half quite quickly. Medium to high levels of carbonation. One thing I noticed was just how much yeast has been added for the bottle conditioning of this beer when the bottle is held up to the light, and yet it all stays at the bottom of the bottle enabling you to pour a perfectly clear beer into the glass – this is a real ‘testament’ to the water used in the brewing process.
Aroma: Strong notes of juicy oranges, straw, some classic hop aromas, other sweet, ripe fruits including apple and fresh pears. Spices from the yeast. Very nice.
Taste: Sweet apple and oranges upfront straight away and this lasts all the way through with the yeast coming in the middle and then giving way to a very brief second where the alcohol is just detectable (very well hidden though, and certainly doesn't drink like an 8% brew) then we're back with the sweetness for a very long, pleasant finish. Not bitter at all. The yeast strain can be easily identified as St. Bernardus – the old Westvleteren yeast.
Mouth feel: Smooth and gentle, not dry or bitter at all. Very neutral as in not dry, not oily.
Overall: A world class tripel, easily on a par with Westmalle which is widely considered to be the bench mark for the style. Perfectly balanced, must buy more! 10 / 10.
★ 1,437 characters
4.85/5 rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Pours a hazy golden yellow with a one finger foamy white head that dissipates slowly leaving a small cap and leaves modest lacing.
Sweet malt, spice, and hops to the nose.
Marvelous taste, echoes the smell. Very well balanced and totally enjoyable. One of the best, if not the best triple I've had.
Mouthfeel is excellent, nice carbonation, and just a joy to imbibe.
Drinkability is exceptional as well. ABV is well hidden, and at 8% not as devastating as the quadrupel.
★ 482 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Pours a hazy golden yellow with a one finger foamy white head that dissipates slowly leaving a small cap and leaves modest lacing.
Sweet malt, spice, and hops to the nose.
Marvelous taste, echoes the smell. Very well balanced and totally enjoyable. One of the best, if not the best triple I've had.
Mouthfeel is excellent, nice carbonation, and just a joy to imbibe.
Drinkability is exceptional as well. ABV is well hidden, and at 8% not as devastating as the quadrupel.
★ 482 characters
St. Bernardus Tripel from Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
4.23
out of 5
based on 3,083 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Orange, slightly cloudy pour with a huge white head that leaves alot of nice, intricate lace.
Perfumy flowery smells intermingle with some nice ripe plum notes.
Semi-dry tasting up front, this soon gives way to an underlying sweetness. Throughout there are flavors of lavender, tree ripened peaches and cheddar. Ends with the subtlest hint of alcohol, just so you know you aren't drinking a light beer.
Mouthfeel is dominated by that awesome Belgian "overcarbonation" wonderfulness that leaves the tongue tingling. Very drinkable, if only it weren't for the price tag. Such is life.
★ 591 characters