Tripel Tasting Thread (March 25-27, 2022)

Tripel Karmeliet
I’ll be completely honest: I sat down with headphones (Selling England by the Pound from Genesis) and slowly drank this masterpiece to soak in its flavor. No note taking - just focused on enjoyment. Wow, what a spectacular beer. There’s been so much said that there’s nothing I can add to the mix. Just go out and buy one. Cheers!

 

It sure looked nice at the pour and still had some head at the end. As soon as I opened it I thought, "oh well", banana & clove and that Belgian yeast. It just didn't work for me, by the time I finished it, it went from, "yuck, to well it wasn't that bad, but I'll never buy one again".

....one last thought, my lovely bride said, "that's not bad", she dislikes beer....

 

In the backwoods community of Ft Wayne, you have about three chances at a Trippel- Golden Monkey, New Belgium, or look over the "odds and strays" shelf. Golden Monkey it is, though I can't guarantee I might not supplement with a Busted Knuckle later. So go ahead, everybody, and make me jealous lol

 

This used to be a big favorite of my fathers, and mine as well, actually. Unfortunately, I don’t really like it as much with age on it, and for awhile I couldn’t get any fresh. I haven’t looked around recently, since this is (of course) a weekend my wife works, so participation is difficult. But, this peeks my curiosity.

 

So now a bit of a non-traditional offering here - a can of Victory's Naughty List from the holiday season - which they describe as a Rum Barrel aged Tripel with spices. 11% abv, so not sure if Golden Monkey was the base beer or something similar but a little higher gravity.

Aroma is mostly boozy rum and clove spiciness, some apple too, almost cidery. Similar flavor, fairly sweet, doesn't have the dryness of a normal Tripel. Medium bodied, sticky mouthfeel.

 

Dang. I posted a review twice on its page and neither one stuck. Weird.

I'll just say that it is nice and spicy, light fruitiness, yeasty, not much of a hoppy bitter presence. Alcohol is noticeable. Makes me glad that I have another bottle. Maybe I can add my review...tomorrow.

Prost!

 

Enjoyed a nice lazy day now time to open up some Chimay. This is a good Tripel but the Wetmalle and La Fin du Monde are better.
4.14/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by larryi86 from Delaware

330 ml bottle poured into a goblet

A- A fairly clear golden copper with a two white head.

S- Banana bread, touch of apples/pears, slightly earthy, nice yeast character, some sugary sweetness.

T- Sweet bread, apples/pears, touch of bananas, earthy spice, some yeast.

M- Smooth, light to medium body, dry.

O- A very nice Tripel with good balance. Easy to drink.

Cheers!

 

It was my understanding that the tripple style was meant to have pronounced spices but this one did not. That will be my sole knock on this beer.
The pour was dark cola colored with a pencil thick old ivory colored head. Interesting.
The aroma was lead by biscuit like malts and some dark fruits like figs and raisins. A little banana was detected, but didn't stay long.
Flavor followed. This is almost, but not quite, sweet. The fruits really shine and the bready malts play nicely with them. The balance is very, very good.
The feel was ideal, almost crushable but just enough body to remind you to savor.
I was unhappy when I finished this bottle, 12 oz just isn't enough. I'm going to have to go back and see if it's still at the store and get a 4 pack this time.

BTW, this is listed as a "Strong Ale - Belgian Dark" in the beers section, which it is, but it is further a trippel style.
Cheers all, All for me today, will try for 3 tomorrow - wish me luck!

 

Tröegs LaGrave



I really didn't have time to shop for tripels/trippels/triples (seriously, pick a spelling) so I dug out a few lurking in the cellar. This is the last from a 4-pack purchased last spring. I don't really have the vocabulary or experience to descibe this; clearly it's a style of which I should try more.

Tonight is some sort of turn-out-the-lights environmental thing, hence the weirdly romantic beer photo. It's supposed to be from 8:30 to 9:30, but I started early because I don't follow rules. Also, we don't have any unscented candles so I may already be high.

 

3rd time was a charm. Added my review.

 

Here's my review of it back in 2006. Perhaps it has changed over the years?

Poured from 750ml caged and corked bottle(room temp) a cloudy straw gold with a huge head of foam that shrank slowly leaving a solid layer with lots of lacing.

The smell is all yeasty and has strong notes of dark fruit like plum and fig as well as lemony citrus. A nice nose overall.

The taste has that sweet dark fruit and malt up front but the candi sugar mentioned on the label is what I'm noticing the most...that and a side note of banana that works its way in about midway through and adds some good depth. The finish is a nice mix of sweet and sour that leaves me smacking my mouth in an attempt to keep the flavours going. And..as far as the high abv goes, there's certainly a bit of warming but it's not present in the tasting at all. This is a Tripel that I'd buy again without hesitation!

Bottom line: This is a very good effort and worth trying if you see it in a store near you. My hat's off to Left Hand!

 

And this is quite weird since this beer is just a recent introduction to the US; I just saw it for the first time a week+ ago at my local Wegmans supermarket.

Why the heck would they export two year old beers for this new introduction?

Cheers!

 

Next up, Allagash Curieux! It's their Tripel aged in bourbon barrels.

The bourbon is right up front, and it plays well with the Tripel-ness. The bourbon and the ale take turns on the palate in a way that brings out the different notes of the bourbon flavor. A particularly nice coconut peeks out from time to time. Tripel per se was sweet, but here the ale is a lightly bitter contrast to the bourbon. The sweetness is present in the background, and it lingers after the swallow.

Unsurprisingly, the ABV is not hiding here. If anything, the bourbon aspect emphasizes the alcohol.

Light feel, carbonation present but not assertive.

I wasn't 100% sold on Allagash Tripel but I would absolutely drink Curieux again. Belgian + bourbon !

 

Seems like we were pretty close on the newer brew. The difference would seem to lie in that I actually pretty much enjoyed the IPA. I expected more triple and less bitterness and was happy to find more of an actual IPA vibe to it out if the gate. From there I worked back towards the tripel notes you seemed to pick out a little more clearly than I did.

As always, I agree it’s fun to compare notes, even after the fact. Cheers!

 

This is a very different Trippel. I remember having it on tap locally once and getting into an argument with the bartender swearing that the keg is mislabeled because this was an IPA, not a trippel. But a trippel it is, and a very good beer! In Coppetail's defense, they very clearly call it an "American Trippel Ale".

Once you get past the crisp hoppy citrus up front, there really is a nice bready backbone with a bit of spicy clove towards the end. Altogether a fantastic brew, but not at all representative of the standard trippel style. Totally worth picking up though.