Apple Tripel Ale
Otto's Pub and Brewery

 

DATE: August 29, 2021... OCCASION: the family fantasy football draft complete, I celebrate another success with a beer I received a while ago from brother Jer... GLASSWARE: Affligem chalice... off to a bad start: the cork wouldn't pop, then split in half... I was able to save the beer, but without a bottled date, tough to know if that was a suggestion of age... its pour is an uneventful muddy body akin to iced tea... its head is short-lived, with white smears becoming some "fly bites" that wrinkle the beer's surface... huge apple, sour candy, tea leaf, big dough malts, and some skunky, funky barn that suggests malt liquor... mellow, almost soft in its approach, a tea-like consistency without any effervescence... easily drinkable--frightening for a beer this big... could the lack of crispiness be from its age? it finishes dry and lagerish... the apple is crushing, a juicy bite in each sip, while the malt is sweet and mellow... honey is faint, with a bit of tobacco and tea... probably not in the shape it was meant to be experienced, I will curve my scores slightly given its apparent age... this nonetheless is an odd experience--a style usually light and hoppy is now a cider-like experience...

 

Had on-tap at Otto's in State College, poured into a goblet.

L: Pours a clear medium golden color. Two fingers of creamy white head... great lacing.

S: Belgian yeasts... banana bread and cloves... faint apple cider notes.

T/F: Classic Belgian triple up front.. yeasty and complex, with bananas and spices. Cloves and nutmeg... earthy. The apple character is subtle but present yielding a mild sweetness to the brew. A mild hop finish cleans up the mouthfeel. Carbonated and crisp.

O: A very refreshing apple tripel, and one I like to re-visit every year when they have it on tap. The apple character is in the background and plays nicely off of the classic Belgian style. Quite a nice beer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a growler into a chimay glass

Appearance – hazy orange/gold color, which formed a whispy
head upon pouring from the growler into a Chimay chalice glass

Smell – Sweet apple smell, evokes a welcoming to this brew.

Taste – Fruit; bananas and a bit of citrus. Apple of coarse but less then would be expected. A good spice flavor for a Belgium with the perfect alcohol aftertaste – not too overpowering, but warming.

Mouthfeel – lightly carbonated with a lush and full feeling.
Overall – A very tasty Belgium. Reminiscent and a close competitor for Chimay Blanche although with slightly more fruit flavor and

Overall slightly a bit under its predecessor. Very good brew overall and one I would recommend.

Served on tap at the brewpub.

A: The ale is a crystal clear golden color, interrupted only by the stream of carbonation at the center of the goblet. Half a finger of head laced in strata around the glass.

S: The nose is a very sweet tripel, candi sugar punctuatted with a honey sweetness. Very little apple is present in the nose, relying on just a hint of tartness at the end.

T: The ale's strength is evident from the first sip. Bready malts transition into a candi sugar and honey sweetness that is rather thick. Underneath the honey, a mildly tart green apple flavor creates a nice contrast in the flavor. Booziness is evident, as the ale weighs in at almost 10%.

M: The mouthfeel is sweet but filling, heavy on alcohol and spices. An enjoyable ale that didn't set me on fire.

D: At nearly 10%, a snifter is enough, especially when barrel-aged Jolly Roger is on tap.

Had on tap in a 10 oz. snifter. Was a golden yellow with a fair amount of carbonation and a thin white head. Aroma consisted of apple, cardamom, and lightly of yeast. Taste was bold and crisp: slightly sweet, honey flavored, a little exotic spice followed by crisp apples and ethanol. Felt very smooth and easily drinkable considering how potent it is.

On tap at the brewpub on 12/27/08. 10 oz pour served in a snifter.

Pours a slightly hazy golden orange with a thin brite-white head. Retains by bunching up around the edges, flaring up nicely, and leaving solid lacing behind, that slowly slides down the sides of the glass. The aroma is malty sweet tones and spice up front that melds into just a tasty smelling Granny Smith green apple tartness in the back. Yum!

The taste is bready sweetness, honey, and spice up front, that then ends (much like the aroma) with a crisp apple bite back that finishes things with a dry, spicy, and slightly tart feel. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fantastic creamy carbonation that brings the flavors together and helps hide that almost 10% ABV extremely well.

Damn, another solid high gravily offering from Otto's that perfectly mixes the apple and Triple characters together into one scrumptious and easy drinking concoction. Dangerous stuff!

A-Bright golden yellow with a thin bright white head that left zero lace.

S-Light spice, sweet malt and a faint apple must aroma.

T-Sharp spicy bite from the yeast is countered by smooth, sweet biscuity malt. Mild tart apple twinge in the finish.

M-Medium-light body. Very crisp, "hard" finish. Good lingering spicy bitterness.

D-Tasty, a good solid tripel. The hint of tart apple in the background is a very nice touch and adds to the flavour complexity.

My brewing class went up to Otto's to learn a bit about microbreweries, and afterwords we did a bit of tasting.
Looked as though a triple should, that hazy gold with a bit of pure white head.

Smelled real good, the triple spicey clovey bananay with a bit of apple to it.

Now I'm not a huge triple fan, I find them a bit too spicey sweet to my liking. But this brew was great. It had everything you expect but I thought it was more balanced than other triples (like golden monkey... I can't handle it) The apple tartness that comes through at the end is great in balancing the spice.

This has been my favorite triple I've had so far

I have been looking forward to this one at Otto's, and it lived up to my expectations!

A: This pours a hazy light copper with a beautiful cloud white head that lasts half the glass. Very little carbonation for a tripel, but that does not take away from the experience.

S: Very sweet smell, and not dry like a lot of the tripels I have had. The smell is Belgian yeast spice, banana, orange, and just a hint of Granny Smith green apples. Very nice.

T: The taste is very, very good for the style and I was quite impressed. It is rather sweet for a tripel and not dry by any means. Flavors of orange, spice, some banana and lemon, and a touch of green apple that leaves is a bit tart.

Overall, this is a great representation of the style and a very nice brew by Charlie, Roger and the guys at Otto's!