Third Man
Brasserie Saint James

 

draught
Light gold with orange overtones. Light, sweet spiced hop aroma, that has a whiff of bacon to it, like applewood smoked malt, to create that aroma. A bit of an off, spiced malt flavor that is also light. No Belgian fruity yeast note here.

 

yum! a very well made tripel here, i think this is what these guys go best, traditional belgian styles and saison types, they have a cool house yeast strain and they use it well in this one, a slightly cleaner and lighter take on the style than i have gotten used to, but still with all the depth and complexity i like in one of these. its honey colored and airy white headed from the tap, with an obvious belgian nose of cool yeast esters including pear, white wine, apricot, and coriander, with a little floral element there too, and a touch of peppery spice, immediately complex even without taking the grain into consideration, which is simple, earthy, and sweet here. the flavor is everything the aroma is, totally yeast driven, and without the usual candy sugar sweetness i know in the style, i like this being on the dryer side, and i dont think it detracts from the flavor at all. i still get a honey note to the malt, but its all in service of the complex flavors the yeast contributes i reckon, white pepper, coriander, golden raisin, elderflower, even gin botanicals for a second. great carbonation, a lighter, minerally feel, and overall just a great american made belgian beer. these guys deserve more love for beers like this one!

Unknown vintage; drank 7/6/16 @ the Yarchives.

Cloudy orange/yellow appearance; champagne bubbles throughout.

A rough pour yielded a big, noisy off-white head; frothy lace.

Fresh soap, banana & mild clove notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Banana, fresh soap & mild banana flavors up front; faint clove bite on the finish. Vanilla notes emerged as this warmed.

This will likely never be my favorite style, but this was well-made & above average.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tons of clarity in a golden bright pour. Alcohol warmth, not too estery or phenolic, relatively clean aroma.

Taste was clean, kept the heat out. Tiny bit fruity, definitely some white pepper to it. A little bit of citrus rind and spice rack (coriander) in the background.

From 750ml bottle:
Appearance: straw yellow with a nice fluffy white head. Bit hazy and seems a tad less carbonated than the Trappist versions.
Smell: floral, bready with a big earthy grape note.
Taste: lot of white wine, white grape skins, spice, lemon, pepper and an odd bit of sour funk. What really stands out is the big grape flavors along with a little barnyard sour funk on the finish. Maybe Nelson Sauvignon hops here? Could there have been a dash of Brett or a very interesting house yeast strain.
Mouthfeel: nicely done to style, chewy, dry, not too sweet, medium body. Not overly carbonated which I appreciate.
Overall: great stuff, what an excellent American Tripel

 

 

Bitter, Bready, Dry, Floral

Golden with a slight chill haze, creamy head, and tons of stick on the glass. Bread and floral in the nose. Pleasing on the palate, Third Man is creamy, silky smooth, and lively. Bitter up front with a slight citric snap, followed by some rhubarb, green banana, alcohol spice, white pepper, honey malts and bready yeast. Dry with a floral and banana skin linger and warming alcohol that builds with each sip. A deliciously killer nod to the Belgian Tripel.

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As reviewed in BeerAdvocate magazine #101 (June 2015).

One of the best American tripel variations. Not as hot in alcohol taste as many in the style. Would prefer a little more IBUs to rank higher but am glad this is locally available. The only other tripels I'd go for are from abroad.

Tasty, like a softer version Westmalle at first. It's more floral with lightly peppered hops. There's a toasty coriander and hint of citrus peel. It's relatively smooth for the style, it doesn't have the fruit of a strong Belgian pale ale, but it's not as dry and earthy as many big tripels (it's still dry and earthy, but more subtle). Damn tasty beer. I'd have another.

Picked up three of there beers in bottles, all three have won gold medal winners. This was one of them. Maybe the most spot on American interpretation of this classic Belgian style. Creamy, spiced, effervescent, and dry finish....Great!