Erastus - Dry-Hopped
Schilling Beer Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A - Pours a lightly hazed gold wit a one finger creamy white head. Decent amount of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma pear, banana and cloves.

T - The taste is apple, pear, banana, pineapple, clove, peppercorn and light earthy hops.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.

O - This is tasty. The citra adds some nice citrus to base tripel. A nice take on the style.

 

16oz. Can from 8/5/19
Opened and reviewed on 8/27/19

Semi cloudy and lively golden color. 2" high white foam top, creamy and bubbly.

A very sweet fruity and floral nose. Green cucumbers and mint leaves, Banana and spices in the Abby yeast, tropical fruity hops and golden grains and grasses in the malt aroma. The Dry hopped addition really does alot for the depth of charecter in the nose.

I did not give high marks to the original Erastus due to the very standard and mediocre yeast charecter, which is unfortunately, the norm for most versions of this style brewed by Americans. However, this is the Dry Hopped version which adds a very nice floral and tropical fruitiness. The yeast also seems a bit more interesting with a spicy kick. Dry earth tones, but certainly still dominated by the boring "banana and clove" effect. Complexity overall seems to be a step above the original Erastus.

The mouthfeel is actually very nice, malty medium bodied, dry currents, spice kick, maybe a bit slick.. at the finish. For me, this style should have that ultra crisp dry bite from the light grains of the malt and super lively yeast. Old world tasting hops and dry, refreshing finish. This one comes close... Nah. Not really. But oh well.

If I rated the American Abbey-Style Tripels based on my favorite Belgian brewed Abby versions, they all would be panned. But In my mind, I'm separating the American versions... But should I ? Is that fair? So I take all factors into account and let it land where it may in my mind.

With all of that being said, I'm enjoying this beer, if I forget what this style can really achieve... It ain't so bad.

16 ounce can into chalice, no can dating. Pours very hazy deep golden amber/light orange color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lemon, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, gooseberry, white grape/wine, candi sugar, wheat, cracker, and white bread dough; with lighter notes of banana, bubblegum, peppercorn, clove, herbal, floral, wood, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, fruity/spicy yeast, candi sugar, and pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big lemon, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, gooseberry, white grape/wine, candi sugar, wheat, cracker, and white bread dough; with lighter notes of banana, bubblegum, peppercorn, clove, herbal, floral, wood, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light herbal, floral, woody, grassy bitterness; pepper/clove yeast spiciness; and wheat tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, gooseberry, white grape/wine, candi sugar, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, banana, bubblegum, peppercorn, clove, herbal, floral, wood, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, fruity/spicy yeast, candi sugar, and pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium-plus carbonation and body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly crisp/sticky mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 9% after the finish. Overall this is an excelent dry hopped Tripel style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops, fruity/spicy yeast, candi sugar, and pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, easy, and fairly crisp to drink with the mellowly bitter/spicy/drying finish; great soft feel for the style. Awesome balance of juicy/vibrant Nelson/Citra hops, and Belgian yeast complexity; with a great pale/wheat malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. Well attenuated for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive style example. No complaints.

Many thanks to SawDog505 for this can.

A - Hazy medium gold color with a thin dense ring of white, mild carbonation. As the beer warms the haziness subsides.

S - Pear, light citrus, white grapes, and a small amount of clove.

T - Pear, green apple, citrus, and some mild spiciness. Citrus dominates the profile of this beer.

M - Medium body with lots of prickly carbonation.

O - This reminds me more of a Belgian IPA and not so much a Tripel. Still, an enjoyable beer, though.

 

 

Light cloudy golden color with a 3F head in a Tulip.
Aroma is grape, with warming predominantly cloves.
Smooth MF for the style.
Excellent taste: mostly grape with an added clove taste.
Light, dry, hoppy finish.
I enjoyed this beer. Very different approach- I haven’t tasted a dry-hopped Tripel.
The Hallertau Blanc and Citra hops create an interesting approach to the style.

Not a style I love or go out of my way for, but this is a well constructed beer. Poured into my 13 oz thin tulip Game of Thrones glass, not sure when it was canned. Pours a very attractive yellow orange with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves a thick ring of lace as it slowly settles, with excellent retention. 4.25

Smell is hibiscus, clove, banana, melon, and pineapple. 4

Taste follows stuff is bold, hibiscus, melon, clove, melon, banana, and pineapple is rounding this beer out. 4

Mouthfeel is bigger than most, a tad dry, plenty of life, and at 9% ABV loaded with flavor but very approachable. 4.25

Overall this is not my normal jam, but this stuff is extremely tasty and amazingly balanced.

Kind of sad that I found this one a few months after it was initially canned, as this is quite nice overall. I guess this is dry-hopped with both Nelson and Citra, but I'm just going to assume they've fallen off a bit. Still, read on to discover how even after three months, this is a very solid hoppy tripel!

Pours a hazy straw-golden color with an initially thick head that falls off to about a quarter-finger after a mere minute in my glass. I was expecting a slightly deeper hue with better head retention, but we can't always get what we want, right? Intense carbonation rising from the bottom of my glass, with lots of clustered micro-bubbles hanging close together. Light, soapy/sudsy lace with a semi-cloudy surface. Just alright looking, really, but it's what's inside that counts for sure.

The nose gives off wonderful, complex notes of orchard fruit (pear and apple) with lighter notes of melon, peach, and apricot poking out as well. Light notes of baking spice and a suggestion of clove with a rather appreciable hit of ethanol coming across as well. I can pick out some white wine here as well, which may be the Nelson hops popping out. Some maltiness and an almost rye-like grainy spiciness. Very solid, indeed.

My first sips are heavy on the pear and ethanol component, with flashes of clove, yeast-driven esters, rye/wheat chewiness and rustic funk crossed with a light peppery note at the end of each sip. Dry and robust finish with a nice, chewy mid-palate and a spritzy hop component that somehow hasn't lost out after the few months this was on shelves. Nutmeg and allspice with a touch of tropical fruit melding in there as well... maybe some pineapple or mango. Kind of juicy when set against the drier finish and bracing carbonation. I would say this is a touch more in line with older-school traditional Belgian Trappist tripels than some new-world versions I've had that get a little more expressive with the yeast. If you want a cleaner, hoppier tripel with some nice orchard fruit flavors and lighter tropical notes, this will work well for you. Not really mind-blowing, but it's true to style and has a bit of flair to it.

4-pack from Magnolia. Poured into tall German glass with plenty of head. True to style. Strong Belgian ale but hop smell/flavor.