Triple Diamond
Great Adirondack Brewing Company

 

 

 

Off the cask at the brewpub, this beer was a slightly hazy, deep gold with some amber highlights. The two fingers of Dijon-mustard-colored head displayed excellent retention and very good lacing too. The aroma was light and dry for the style, grainy and perhaps a touch sour with some malty sweetness like a complex Hefeweizen. The flavors were good, but not as well developed as their Abbey Ale (the in-house Dubbel). I tasted a semi-sweet and slightly tart blend of caramel malt, chocolate malt and cloves along with alcohol esters, citrus hops and some piney hops. The bitterness of the hops seemed to be competing with rather than complimenting (or balancing) the malts. The mouthfeel was smooth but watery, the body medium and the carbonation light. Too acidic and alcoholic to be a session beer, nor as deep as I prefer the style to be, I would rather have their (excellent) Dubbel any day.