What's your favorite Tripel?

I haven't had many, but Chimay comes to mind...

 

Belgian would be Westmalle. American would be Boulevard Long Strange Tripel.

 

Of course La Fin Du Monde

It seriously is one of my favorites, but also:
St Bernardus(who also has a world class dubbel)
Karmeliet
Westmalle
Unibroue Eau Benite(aka mini La Fin, at least to me)
Val Dieu Tripel

 

I was asking myself the same question a few months ago and rated more or less every tripel available in my area:

#1. Westmalle
#2. De Dolle Dulle Teve
#3. Tripel Karmeliet
#4. Chimay
#5. Anchorage Tide and its Takers
#6. De Ranke Guldenberg

I drank them all blind and ranked the rest under 4.00, including La Fin du Monde and St. Bernardus.

For standard tripels, Achel received my lowest score. For unconventional ones, New Belgium's Heavenly Feijoa ran away with the clunker score.

 

Allagash Tripel and Curieux are pretty tasty.

 

#1. Curieux
#2. Val Dieu
#3. De Dolle Dulle Teve
#4. Westmalle
#5. Chimay
Lots of others are wonderful - maybe my favorite style.

 

I didn't have either of these on hand at the time, but for the record, these are two of the best.

 

In order...chimay, karmeliet, st bernardus....also enjoyed la fin du monde but i dont feel it really competes with the belgians..least favorite would be sam adams new world...too heavy on the spices...golden monkey and allagash tripel are good but again arent as good as the belgians

 

The usual Belgian suspects already listed above, as well as La Fin Du Monde and Long Strange Tripel

 

For me, its a toss up between Victory's Golden Monkey, Allagash's Tripel, and Pike's Tripel, however I have to admit, I'm not a true fan of the style, besides they're the Americanized versions, right? If anyone put all three of these in front of me in a blind test taste, I think I would have no clue which is which.

 

The best unconventional Tripel that I've had has to be Tropical Tripel which is a De Proef/Wayne Wambles(of Cigar City) collaboration.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3521/95928/

 

aside from some of the ones already mentioned, the homer in me has to mention Fluffy White Rabbits from Pretty Things. good stuff.

 

Don't have one. Will drink any of them. Haven't had a bad one yet, although they do serve different functions. Had a problem with a Cisco one on tap, but it's still fine when coming out of a bottle (it was a heavily yeasted keg that needed some rest time it was not given).

 

One thing I've always wondered is why Ommegang does not include a tripel in their regular lineup?

 

Ah! A favorite style!

As far as traditional, Belgian-style tripels go:
Compared these three head-to-head back in January...

Forgive the glassware - I wanted to have them all in the same glasses, but I didn't have three tulips or the like at the time...

I kinda knew how it was gonna go (Westmalle has always been my lead dog), 'cuz I really like tripels (i.e., I drink them with some regularity), but I did it anyway - just to keep my palate honest...

Failed to include the Chimay at that time, but I came back to it a while later...


And recently stumbled upon this gem, Belgian-true, but of American origin:

Adelbert's (out of Texas!) Tripel B

My ranking:

1. Westmalle
2. Karmeliet
3. Chimay (by just a hair over...)
4. Adelbert's Tripel B (by a fair margin over...)
5. La Fin Du Monde

But I must confess, taste-preferences aside, when in doubt, I give the nod to genuine Belgian craftsmanship and brewing history.

In terms of non-traditional/"tweaked" tripels, this one has always held first-place:

Curieux (bourbon barrel-aged)
...Recently challenged by this amazing brew, which I would rank as a very close second (note that these are very different tasting tripels):

Tropical Tripel (collaborative work featuring peaches, coconut, oak chips, and brett)
And in third (again, very different tasting):

Golden Delicious (an "American" tripel aged in apple brandy barrels)

I'd imagine the experimental tripels are going to be more taste-particular than the traditional Belgian-types, depending on what flavors you like and don't like, naturally.

Cheers!

 

I'm not sure I have a favorite style, but if I do, it's probably Tripels. My favorite is Chimay White, but I think La Fin du Monde is a better beer.

 

The first two are great.... I have not had the third.... the Monkey is great since the first in 98