Tripel Tasting Thread (March 25-27, 2022)

Last one is the standout...


De Glazen Toren Ondineke
750mL bottled 26.08.2021 poured into a chalice at 53° Fahrenheit 8.5% ABV. The beer pours opaque orange amber in color with light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin cap and leaves a ring around the glass. The aroma is mild with semisweet pale malt, orchard fruit and light pepper / clove. The taste is semisweet pale malt with the pepper & clove notes of the yeast blending in nicely with the earthy medium bitter finish. There's a hint of apple and pear in the flavor as well. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with above average carbonation and a dry finish. No detectable alcohol. Overall, excellent. This beer is beautifully balanced and enjoyable to sip.

I can't tell you how excited I am to be enjoying this beer right now. I knew there had to be a tripel out I'd enjoy. I'm also pretty excited to have two different saisons from De Glazen Toren on hand for some upcoming NBW reviews.

Cheers all!

 

I seem to remember more prominent house yeast character from this ale when I first started drinking it almost 20 years ago, but memory is unreliable. Surprised I never reviewed this until now*

Best before 5/28/2024 - consumed on 3/27/2022. Poured from a caged-and-corked 750mL bottle into my Unibroue tulip.

Lightly cloudy sunglow body supports a lasting finger of baby powder crema. Fine, dense lacing; no legs; superior retention.

Sweet gentle aromatics suggest honey, ripe pear, and hints of spice (cinnamon/coriander/clove/white pepper?). A touch of banana as well.

Palate entry follows the nose, but is followed by a hefty malt note, more phenols/spice, and a low but lingering bitterness. Earthy/grassy/not-quite-floral hop flavors emerge once in a while. House yeast character is present, but by no means dominant. Medium finish with a hint of curaçao (orange), overripe banana, and alcohol.

Medium-bodied, well carbonated, and fairly warming.

While lacking the complexity of the better Belgian examples, this remains one of the best domestic/North American renditions available.

My rating: 4.27

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*This is the 23rd tripel I've reviewed. My top 3 are Ondineke Oilsjtersen (De Glazen Toren), Trappist (Westmalle), and Green Peppercorn Tripel (The Brewer's Art).

 

New Belgium Honey Orange Tripel, 10% ABV; 3.64 overall

Pours a bright effervescent gold with a sliver rapidly vanishing beige head. Traces of head retention & no lacing

S: Green banana & a little boozeyness

T: Rubber bands, orange, a touch of honey & dryness up front. Green banana, cloves, dryness & a little orange, treacle, & a little bit of phenol once this beer warms up. Finishes with boozeyness, a touch of orange sweetness, dryness & a little juicy fruit gum

MF: Medium body, lively carbonation up front, flattens out over time

Solid for the style, but little to sweet for my wheelhouse; I prefer my Tripels hoppier

 

Edit, bumping up my taste & mouthfeel, last 4 ounces closer to room temp were better; 3.88 overall

 

If by "years ago" you mean like 5 - 10 years ago you are correct here. I did not like Golden Monkey 'back in the day' because it was too syrupy sweet for my palate. At some point in time Victory hired a new brewer and he commented to the owners of that time (Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski) that Golden Monkey was 'out of balance' and that he wanted to 'fix' it. Luckily Ron and Bill gave their blessing and Golden Monkey is a much better beer now IMO (and I suspect yours as well).

Cheers to the brewer that 'fixed' Golden Monkey!!!!!!

 

Yeah, contemporary (i.e., the past few years) Golden Monkey is much more enjoyable to drink. One of my favorite local Tripels for me. And compared to the Belgian Trappist versions a GREAT deal!!

Cheers!

 

Yes, I was referring to 10+ years ago.

 

So glad to see the love shown for La Fin Du Monde! That was the berr that got me hooked into craft. Had a botyle this weekend and it was just as excellent as ever!

 

Brick Fireplace? You’re living that penthouse life, huh?!

 

First beer of the night is an obvious classic, one I haven’t had in 5 years or so, but showed up here in a Christmas/holiday pack with proper glassware.



Second beer of the night was a tripel from Grimross in Fredericton, NB. This is about two years old, from a 4-pack when the brewery released a single, dubbel, quad, and tripel. Nice beer that’s held up well. Cheers to a great thread that I thoroughly enjoyed following!

 

Westmalle Tripel.... it's been a minute since I've had a tripel, and I quite enjoy them, first time with this one.
Poured into a stemless total wine glass. Hazy gold body, huge soapy white head off a gentle pour. Loose, large bubbles, bone white, slowly fall back to a 1/4" thin head that persists through the life of the beer.
Nose? Banana, bubble gum, peppercorns, candi sugars, candied lemon peel. A lot going on, complex, no diacetyl or dms, phenols out the wazoo. No hops to speak of. Yeast driven nose, everything else is buried.
Taste, Bananas, bubble gum, alcohol, rock candy. Slight lemon on the aftertaste if I look hard. No hops, no grain, dry.
Mouthfeel- thin bodied and dry. Phenols give a suggestion of sweetness as does the alcohol. Effervescent. Each sip bursts into small bubbles as it hits the palate.
Overall. It's a well made beer, the yeast phenols push it into hefe territory for me. I much prefer Karmaleit when it comes to the style.

 

River Horse - Tripel Horse. I've had this in my fridge for a couple years, and this thread is my excuse to dispose of it. I think it was a gift from a friend. It might have been a gift for my wife. I can see where there was once a date stamp on the label, but none of the numbers are legible anymore.

It's not a great tripel, but it's pretty decent. Sweet, malty, yeasty banana goodness, an unsubtle nuzzle of cloves. Surprisingly light and dry for 10% abv. Somewhat boozy.

 

I would have given my left one for "subtle" banana. Mine was a banana bomb.
As it warms I am getting a vineous note like a sauvingnon blanc.

 

Hey folks! Sorry I'm late! I've had a busy weekend. Better late than never, I suppose. I was the one of the first (or maybe the first?) to suggest this tripel tasting thread, so I've been looking forward to it!



First up, I wanted to revisit a classic: Westmalle Tripel. It was one of the first tripels I ever drank but I wasn't as fond of the style back then as I am now, so I honestly haven't revisited it in years. I'm exciting to try it again with a fresh perspective. Anyhow, on to the review!

The beer is a hazy, translucent, bubbly yellow color, kind of straw but looks more burnt orange when held up to a light. Some yeast sediment is in it. Ample carbonation leaves a huge soapy white head that lingers.

The aroma is slightly sour and mildewy, some orange and lemon juice, big white wine/white grape must come to think of it, hay, toasty biscuit, slight sweetness, and white pepper.

The taste follows the nose pretty closely. The main flavors upfront are of dry white wine complimented by a nice tart citrus, (orange and lemon peel) and subtle barnyard funk, with hay, toasted cracker, and a white pepper floating in the background. The wheat and effervescent carbonation give this a fluffy and extremely pleasant mouthfeel. It closes out on a perfect balance of the sweet-dry spectrum. A hint of sweetness to tantalize the taste buds but dry enough to beg the next sip. This brew is wonderfully made. Holy mackerel. I see why many people consider this to be the quintessential Belgian tripel.