Tripel
LowDown Brewery + Kitchen

 

a tasty american take on a tripel, the only thing that was really missing for me was the head. it had basically none, but would have looked lovely, all orange and dense in a thick glass goblet. the nose is belgian candy sugar, but the brewer told me none was used. the yeast is a grain strain, lots of fruity esters of apples and pears, and an herbal quality as well. the beer isn't too sweet, and the alcohol is very well hidden, this drinks dangerously light. floral properties in with the fruity notes i get some clover honey and blooming flowers. candied pear is the finish, i like this yeast strain a lot. well carbonated but holding on to a bit of a bigger body. just a bit of sweetness, but right on for the style. well done american version. lowdown brewery is off to a great start i think, and there may be some real winners in their future. everything was solid, and to make a beer like this so genuine was nice to see.

edit: this has improved over the batches, much more lively and carbonated in appearance and feel now, and equally compelling on the yeast front. nicely done, raising some scores to reflect this improvement.

On tap into a chalice at the brewery.

A-The beer arrives with a fat finger of nearly white head. The foam is dense and lasts a while. It leaves some nice lacing too. The brew is quite hazy, almost murky and lighter yellowish color like you would expect. It looks like it is supposed to.

S-The aroma is full of doughy, bubblegumy, yeasty scents and fruity alcohol. There is also some coriander in there that remind me of a wit. This brew is on the sweet side, which is how I like them, but there is just a touch of grassy pepper to balance the sweetness.

T-The taste is also heavy on the bubblegum, bread dough, spices, and generally sweet Belgian-style flavors. The alcohol is nicely integrated and comes through as fruity, rather than medicinal or hot. The brew could use a bit of balance to moderate the sweetness, but it tastes close to what you would expect from a tripel.

M-The feel is a bit on the heavy side for a tripel with a chewy character. Carbonation is pretty mild and the trend is toward creamy.

O-I enjoyed my first beer from this new brewery. The flavors here are not terribly restrained or nuanced and complex, but they are not too far out of line for the style. If you like your tripels on the sweet side, give this one a try.