Trippel Troll
The Grumpy Troll Restaurant and Brewery

Pours into a pint glass a clear coppery amber color with no carbonation. Appearances are quite off for the style. Head reduces quickly to thin white lacing in a hurricane like pattern.

Aroma is rather one dimensional sweet malt and banana with only light hints at citrus and ginger.

Taste is very straight forward syrupy sweet malts, booze sugar, and candied banana. Alcohol is very well concealed.

Body is on the light side of medium, warming, with residual bitterness.

Drinkability is through the roof. This is a sessionable, yet strong, Trippel.

This seems to be the replacement beer for the Belgian Trippel - the brewer is using a new recipe of his own for the Trippel Troll.

Appearance: This beer has a darker color and greater visibility than I expected from a trippel. The orange/copper/amber color leaves this beer looking almost like a lager. Pours without much of a head, and leaves very little lacing. Medium viscosity.

Aroma: Golden raisins, ginger, apple skins, and lemons over a malt/yeast background. Not as exuberant as a trippel from Belgium, but solid and pleasant nonetheless.

Taste: Lemongrass, lemon rind, bready malts and yeast. Some sweet golden syrup notes, with some grains and a little booze in the finish. Tasty, but muted.

Mouthfeel: A little sweet, but nice and yeasty in the aftertaste. Constant low carbonation. Dry apple finish. Feels heavy for a trippel.

Drinkability: Not the best example of a trippel, but very drinkable. Some of the muted flavors seem to come from the GT brewer's preference for more mild and drinkable beers. Not necessarily a beer for true fans of belgians, but will please fans of solid brew-pub beers. Worth trying.