Pretty Lights
Around the Bend Beer Co.

 

The reviews/ratings that pan this tripel could be more fair.
Those that enjoy tripels from Belgium and compare them to American micros' tripels often note one difference in common: Belgian yeasts typically make malt into fruit better (often with a brewers sugar booster) and then offer this unique pepper. This is difficult to do, unless this is in the larger kitchen and culture. American micros can't find and keep such a sophisticated yeast, so their products vary. So they think "we can brew Belgians" and then scamper; often leaning on the brewers sugar to amp-up the alcohol or, in the case of Pretty Lights, adding cranberries to try to amp-up the fruit.

But this is not the same. While Pretty Lights Looks interesting with its reddish-amber, it offers up too little fruit in the nose. Tastes also are OK... but where is the Belgian character? Lacking character, it does not need to sit in my mouth for long.

I reviewed two previous beers and said something similar: young brewers should focus on one tradition and be the best they can be before they go into another tradition. In most cases, American crafters should take on the Belgians last.

I want to like ATB. They operate in a cool concept. They are one of the four breweries that collectively share a brewing facility and a cool micro-tap gastropub. I need to visit after they reopen. Until then... good luck !

16oz can poured into a tulip. Pours golden with nice clarity and has bubbles racing upwards; small white head that fades leaving decent retention and lacing. There's some sediment on the second pour giving it some haze. The aromas have banana and bubblegum along with some hints of cranberry. Hints of peach. Malts and yeasts are there. The flavors follow the nose. More banana and bubblegum. The cranberries are balanced giving this one a subtle tartness. There's a sweetness, but it's not cloying or anything like that. Some black pepper in the mix. Yeasts and malts do their thing. Finishes dry for the most part. Alcohol basically goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of full-bodied with active carbonation. It's sharp, crisp, smooth and dangerously drinkable.

This is a solid "American Tripel". The cranberries aren't overpowering and compliment everything else that's going on. It might not be anything super crazy, but it's refreshing and enjoyable. It's really not bad at all. I like it.

 

Form the 12 oz can in a snifter. This interesting little hybrid pours a
pinkish peach tinged golden color with a nice thick head of white
foam that settles to a thick ring, thin light pool, and displays some
decent sudsy lacing. Nose of subtle cranberry, under-ripened peaches,
candy sugar, and subtle yeast notes with cracker mild phenol notes.
Flavors follow the nose with a lightly bitter peach and mild cranberry
flavor over a bed of light candy sugar and honey and mild herbal hops.
Decent mouth feel; medium light carbonation, medium light body,
and a dry sugar dusted cranberry finish.

Improves with some warmth letting some other notes come out
of cracker and peach. Surprising really.

Not sure why all the hate---perhaps get some fresher brew---this
was a hybrid Belgian style that was pretty good---mind blowing---
no, but it is far from a drain pour.

A unique take on a Belgian classic.

Cheers

Smell is off putting. Taste is tart for a Belgian Tripel. Low carbonation leaves it feeling almost flat.

 

I am a beer lover, not a beer hater. That said, this is the worst beer I have had in a long, long time. Halfway through my first one, I’m finding myself contemplating pouring the rest of it down the sink. I bought it at the grocery store after seeing it for the first time and had high hopes. Had a low budget can with a paper wrapper around it, it looked very local and micro, not to mention it was a Belgian style tripel which is arguably my favorite style of beer. Anyway I took the refrigerated $12 dollar six pack home and left it in my beer fridge for three hours, cracked one open and poured it into my Belgian beer glass. First of all this is the first beer I have ever had that literally stinks. The arouma isn’t mildly bad, for a beer it is really bad. “No big deal” I thought, I like stinky cheeses sometimes so maybe this will taste good. Not so whatsoever. The beer poured a weird bright red copper color and had soda pop fizz for a head with about five seconds of head retention. Reading on the side of the can it says it pairs well with turkey dinner and it had me thinking they used turkey stock or something to make this swill. The taste of it tasted like someone got a roll of dirty used pennies and soaked them for a long time and was making beer for idiots who buy something they think might be good at the grocery store and don’t know anything about good beer. I have never contemplated taking beer back to a store for a refund but with Around the Bends Pretty Lights I had this thought flash across my mind almost instantly. In some senses I’m impressed how in this day and age a modern day brewery could make a beer this bad. Do not buy this beer. It tastes awful. In fact it is so bad it inspired me to make a profile just so I could warn people who happen to come across this stuff and warn them. I use beer advocate quite a bit when researching a new beer I haven’t tried so I guess it’s about time but this stuff put me over the edge and made me do it. If you want to try it just to see how bad a beer can be then this is the beer for you. In full disclosure I haven’t tried any other Around the Bend beers but after this one I don’t think I will. Now I’m left with beer I won’t drink and don’t know what to do with for the first time in my life, really wishing the grocery store took returns.

Taste: a unique, very tangy, fermented cranberry, yeast bread, subtle, almonds, boozy kick at finish. Same with the nose. Amber/Peach hue, super clear, with a smaller head and some ringed lace. Medium body. Lighter feel than some tripels. 20 IBUs