Hibiscus Tripel
Une Année

2022-08-27
16oz can served in a tulip. No date that I see.

Pours a dark purple red, fairly clear, with about a finger of head. Carbonation is slow and very fine. Smell is moderately sweet, somewhere between grape and cherry.

Taste is fairly mild, also fairly similar -- fruity, somewhere between grape and cherry, but with some banana esters in the background, and maybe, if I'm patient, a bit of a clove note very late and hiding in the back.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, kind of flat. Overall, it's interesting and not bad, but certainly nothing to write home about.

Short reddish-tint head with nearly no retention. And this was from a pour that started out gentle and quickly turned to down-the-middle vigorous once it was obvious this was not going to build a large head. The body is wine-red, hazy, with tiny bubbles rising to what is a very thin cap and ring after just a second or two (it seems - slight exaggeration). On its own, it looks OK, but the short and short-lived head is a bit of a deduction for a Belgian-style tripel in my view.

The aroma is quite nice. It is weak, though … perhaps this is due to the lack of any head at this point. I have to almost dip the schnoz into the beer to get a good whiff, but when I do, the reward is there. Apple-cherry aroma, floral with spice, presumably the hibiscus. TBH, I really don't know what hibiscus is supposed to smell like. I know it is popular in herbal teas, but I'm not into herbal teas. Hibiscus or not, the aroma is, as I stated, nice.

Very good flavor, bringing the apple, cherry, spice, and floral. Some tannin-like character, but no bittering. The initial taste starts slightly sweet, but this is quickly dispensed with by a somewhat acidic tannic drying. The apple and cherry mingle nicely on the tongue, enhanced by the floral spice and tannin. The middle becomes dryer, and the finish is actually quite dry. The aftertaste has the fruit tannin lingering. The beer drinks much easier than its ABV should allow. Quite refreshing, actually, almost like a lambic.

Mouth feel is wine-like; no carbonation, and a bit of tannin.

Overall, nicely done. I really, really enjoyed it, even if it is not a prime example of the tripel style. I like the creative extension of the style this beer presents. Just don't drink it too fast, as the beer invites this and your head may regret it later!

NB: This rating is not a rating to style! This beer has several detractions from a strictly "to style" rating, including in the look, feel, and flavor aspects. I did not deduct points for being "off style". This beer is actually quite good; the beer is a much better "style independent" beer than it is a tripel.

Bought from Beermiscuous and poured into my elegant Westmalle goblet.
I've drank The Tripel from Une Annee close to a dozen times and I think it is probably among the Top 5 Tripels on this side of the Pond. Hibiscus certainly seems derived from Une Annee's recipe and, actually, a few things reflect on its parent well.

At this Solstice sunset, Hibiscus Looks like a gorgeous cabernet with foam and sparkles. Smells slip a bit to just muted fruit. But Tastes are well-balanced: nothing sweet, nothing tarted-up, no hops trying too hard to steal the show. In my mouth, this sits nice; no fumes, actually quite soft. For a recent release, Hibiscus is close to Annee's master tripel.

I've had 14 different brews from Une Annee' and am a bit shy of them because I'm fearful a Wild yeast will wander into one of the traditional Belgians that I favor. So perhaps for that reason, I tend to not repeat (except their Tripel.). But after Hibiscus, I recognize I should give them the appreciation they deserve as Chicagoland's northwest suburban Belgian specialist. As rare as it is for me to go out, I even should come taste their kitchen. A Votre Sante' !

6/8/22 I finally made it to their kitchen for lunch and review it in Places. I also picked-up Less Is More and Ambre. But for this review, I had Hibiscus again and it was decent with the frites I ate. (A rare treat for me.) But Hibiscus cut through the fat and cleansed the palate. Did its job. I may have Hibiscus again, but only if Annee's parent Tripel is not available.