Reinaert Tripel
De Proefbrouwerij

 

The beer has quite a fine look: cloudy amber (with suspended particulates taking the “amber” character beyond mere hue) and a very thick, long lasting crown of foam. The aroma elicits nothing so much as an “eh.” The taste, also, is unremarkable: yet, in its acceptability, its pleasantness, its—as the expression goes—drinkability, it excels. The mouthfeel is easygoing. This is a good beer. Perhaps not a great one, but I can see keeping a case on hand.

 

 

 

On tap at Brasserie V in Madison, Wisconsin.

A- Cloudy, darker golden-straw yellow body with one finger offwhite head. Good retention, nice lacing. [3.75]

S- Yeasty esters, caramel, bread, citrus, a bit of lactic acidity. Smells fairly tart and sweet all at once. There is a slight alcohol heat as well. Not complicated. [3.5]

F- Belgian candied sugar, bread, caramel, spicy yeast notes, honey. Not as tart as in the nose. Lots of sweetness to it, balanced out by mild zesty citrus. notes. Not a ton of complexity, but it is a bit tart for a tripel. [3.5]

M- On the lighter side, creamy and nicely carbonated with some pep to it. Somewhat dry on the finish. Sweet and tart all at once. [3.25]

O- A nice tripel that is different than some of the others that I've had, with more of a tart twang to it. Fairly decent. [3.25]

Final score: 3.44

 

 

 

 

 

Pour is a cloudy golden orange with a huge fluffy light tan head leaving a huge lace. The nose has some peppery spice and yeast notes up front, caramel malts balance and hold together with notes of toasted bread and some light hints of tart lemon. The taste is more integrated but a bit lighter. Sweet candied sugars and malt backbone up front, spicy yeast amongst subtle lemon and honey balance the yeast to malt as a light citrusy soapy hop finishes it off. Medium to light creamy body, active on the tongue, assertive carbonation and semi dry finish.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a New Belgium Brewing Company, I also poured a Grimbergen Tripel from a 330ml bottle next to this one as a comparison. I enjoyed the Grimbergen tripel more but I'll review this beer.

Pours a large head, lots of lacing, an amber/light colored beer, just a shade darker than the Grimbergen that I poured. Smells like wet socks, but tastes much better. Taste is bitter , slightly sweet, lots of fruit. The bitterness prevails primarily. Still has lots of flavor and worth a try. However, I didn't enjoy as much as the Grimbergen.

Bought this beer at a shop in Meer, Belgium. I usually seek out the triple beers there for Christmas.

This was an unknown beer for me when i saw the bottle the first time. The bottle is the same as the Duvel bottles.

I poured it like all triples i drink in the Westmalle chalice i have. Had the beer in my cellar for more than two months to let it come to rest.

The tase was very good and soft. Teh beer feels almost natural. Good carbonation and nice white head. I was so impressed that i have this one a few times more. When you see it? Buy it!

330 ml bottle.
Appearance was cloudy, brackish with an enormous white head tha settles gradually and leaves good lacing. Smell was acidic and flowery, background of spice and black pepper.
Taste was sharp and smoky with a dry and bitter finish.
Interesting tripel, subtle but flavorful. Worth seeking out.

On-tap a a jazz cafe in Ghent. This is a pretty, smooth tripel, but I had a problem with the aroma. There's a not in there that to me smells like creamed corn, not the cooked corn DMS I'm used to, this is like Belgian corn. Go figure, this would otherwise be a great, and maybe even dangerous tripel.

Beer bottle (33cl.), tasted in 2004.

Appearance : yellow color, with white foamy head (fine bubbles).
Smell : yeasty and fruity aromas.
Flavor: The bitterness dominates with a slight acidity. Malt flavours.
Drinkability : a good beer in the style Belgian Triple.

The beer pours an incredibly hazy straw with a head that goes and goes and goes, my ~12oz bottle gave enough head to fill a .75ml glass to the top!

The beer tastes a lot like their Pig Nun -- the presence of corpse and embalming-fluid tastes really dominate this beer. But, I've got to say, there is a pleasant citric middle that really rounds this guy out. This is further complimented by a nice clove-and-pineapple finish.

I am certainly glad I got to try this beer, but I wouldn't want much more than the 12 ounces, and I *like* wild beers. Certainly not for the uninitiated.

There really needs to be a Belgian Wild Ale category. There really, really needs to be one. If I were thinking 'Tripel' when I bought this beer, I'd have been pissed. Especially since this beer declares itself, on the bottle to be a Belgian Wild Ale. Why can't we add the style?

Ahhh well.

A good beer. Though, I have to say, I drank it at room-temperature and if I were to have it again, I might drink it on the cooler side to mitigate the strong brett presence.

The beer poured into the glass crystal clear deep golden amber with an off-white low persistent head which lasted very well to lace the glass.

The aroma was deeply malty with a nutty and toffee aroma coupled with caramel and a light candy corny presence. The aroma was interestingly complex and lightly fruity.

The flavor was lightly sweet caramel with an interesting toffee character and a lightly fruity presence that was very nice.

The finish was dry with more lightly caramel into the aftertaste. The body was medium with a moderate carbonation and creamy mouthfeel. A nice tripel but at 12 years old it may be nearing the end of it's life. Very nice to have the experience.

1994 bottle at Kulminator in Antwerpen on 9/12/06.

Oranged amber color, absolute hazyness; beautiful white and creamy head.
At the smell a fruit note, pineapple, then cooked apple, honey, and flowery notes (blue).
In the taste the pineapple is stronger, on a malty and honey background, and maybe flowers again.
Average body.
Pleasant aftertaste, with a sweet-bitter balance that mitigates a bit the beer. But in the end the boring sweetness is prevalent.