Roguer's Blind Tripel Tasting

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by Roguer, Aug 10, 2020.

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  1. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,271) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Merry Monks is a great one, I haven't had it in years though because it stopped being distributed to my area. I'm very picky when it comes to American made tripels but Allagash, Merry Monks and to a lesser extent Golden Monkey are perhaps the best examples that are widely available. New Belgium's Trippel is an alright choice for a widely available tripel as well
     
    #21 RochefortChris, Aug 10, 2020
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  2. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    That was the only detriment of this test: that, in my opinion, Golden Monkey was given away by appearance alone (and indeed, I suspected the impressive head retention of #2 may well be Tremens).

    A purely "blind" test would be more valid, to be sure. Still, this was a fun little way to spend the afternoon. :slight_smile:

    Edit: I didn't think of Merry Monks, but I get very little Weyerbacher locally. That's definitely another US Tripel worth considering!
     
    #22 Roguer, Aug 10, 2020
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  3. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    Funny enough, I totally expected the Allagash house yeast to give it away - and perhaps, if drinking 12 ounces at a time, instead of all three side-by-side as I did, it may well have. As it was conducted, the Allagash and Huyghe yeast didn't give anything away - and in fact, I think the spices Victory adds to Golden Monkey were probably the biggest point of departure for any of the beers, even though they were subtle and appropriate for the style.
     
    #23 Roguer, Aug 10, 2020
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  4. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    And about 4-5 years ago the Golden Monkey got notably better. Back in the day Golden Monkey was a syrupy mess for my palate and then some new brewer came into Victory Brewing and he really 'cleaned up' this beer. I now enjoy drinking Golden Monkey but I personally much prefer Merry Monks.

    Cheers!
     
    #24 JackHorzempa, Aug 10, 2020
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  5. meefmoff

    meefmoff Pooh-Bah (1,922) Jul 6, 2014 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thanks for the fantastic post. I always love reading blind taste tests and have often wished there were a dedicated thread on the main board that might encourage more people to engage in them.

    In the meantime I'll try and find something to post here soon.
     
    #25 meefmoff, Aug 10, 2020
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  6. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I have homebrewed a few batches of Tripel and FWIW I much preferred these beers young (less than a year old). These beers were still quite 'drinkable' at over a year old and even in the 2-3 year range but I much preferred this beers at less than a year old.

    I do not have similar experience with commercially brewed Tripels but I strongly suspect they would have a similar trend.

    Cheers!
     
    #26 JackHorzempa, Aug 10, 2020
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  7. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,271) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    That's an interesting experiment I may try as well, there is a lot of cross over between a tripel and Belgian strong golden and would be a great way to train your palate. I think throwing a few Belgian IPA's in there would be interesting as well. Non-American Belgian IPA's btw like Urthel Hop-It, Houblon Chouffe or Gouden Carolus Hopsenjoor
     
    #27 RochefortChris, Aug 10, 2020
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  8. Beer-A-Lot

    Beer-A-Lot Pooh-Bah (2,031) Oct 4, 2012 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    La Rulles is another good choice if you can find it.
     
    #28 Beer-A-Lot, Aug 10, 2020
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  9. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    I definitely prefer them under a year. Conventional wisdom suggests this is because Tripels are generally hoppier than their Dubbel, Quad, and BSDA brethren (relatively speaking).

    I have definitely found they are quite enjoyable aged, but that they don't improve with age, if that makes sense. Meaning: I feel much the same as you, in that they're entirely drinkable with age, but best fresher.

    If you hop your homebrew Tripels similarly, then it would make sense that the experience matches.

    Cheers, Jack!
     
    #29 Roguer, Aug 10, 2020
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  10. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,271) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I've had a fresh-ish one of those once and it was very good. I picked one up a few months ago and I'm pretty sure it was the same lot that was sitting on the shelf when I bought one from the same store back in 2013, it was super oxidized and showed no characteristics of a tripel at all. I could only take a few sips before I dumped it
     
    #30 RochefortChris, Aug 10, 2020
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  11. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    You posted above concerning beer #3: "sweet, more neutrally sweet than the other two. Apple, banana. Very little clove, if any."

    The descriptions of "more neutrally sweet" and "apple" and "very little clove" is what made the lightbulb go off for me and think Golden Monkey.

    Cheers!
     
    #31 JackHorzempa, Aug 10, 2020
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  12. Beer-A-Lot

    Beer-A-Lot Pooh-Bah (2,031) Oct 4, 2012 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    Some brews are better dank than others.
     
    #32 Beer-A-Lot, Aug 10, 2020
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  13. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,271) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    All this talk about tripels made me crack open one I made for National Homebrew Day this past May. It has shitty head retention and came out a little darker than I hoped (though not as dark as the picture suggests) but I'm very happy with the aroma and flavor. Kasteel makes a good tripel too btw
    [​IMG]
     
    #33 RochefortChris, Aug 10, 2020
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  14. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    That is an intriguing thought. I had to pull out my brewing logbook to see if my homebrewed beers ‘track’ here:

    Dubbel – brewed 3/31/20

    · 0.7 ounces German Magnum (11.9% AA) for bittering (60 minutes of boil)

    · 0.5 ounces Styrian Goldings (3% AA) for flavor (last 10 minutes of boil)

    · 0.5 ounces Styrian Goldings (3% AA) for aroma (end of boil)

    Tripel – brewed 8/29/17

    · 1.25 ounces Sterling (8% AA) for bittering (60 minutes of boil)

    · 0.5 ounces Saaz (3% AA) for flavor (last 10 minutes of boil)

    Quad – brewed 5/26/17

    · 0.5 ounces German Magnum (13.2% AA) for bittering (60 minutes of boil)

    · 1 ounce Spalt (3.2% AA) for flavor (last 5 minutes of boil)

    From just a bittering addition perspective the AAU (Alpha Acid Units) of the above three beers in order are: 8.33, 10 and 6.6. So the Tripel is a tad higher than the Dubbel and higher than the Quad as regards AAUs.

    But the difference in hopping is overall not too different. Maybe the fact that the Dubbel and Quad have a more complex malt ingredient list, including darker malts makes the difference? Hmm?

    Cheers!
     
    #34 JackHorzempa, Aug 10, 2020
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  15. Insomniac

    Insomniac Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2019 Canada (ON)

    Tripel is a favorite style of mine and for one reason or another I’ve had a fair amount of exposure to these beers, although I’ve never aged them over and above the time it took to drink what was acquired.

    A few random observations from my experience.

    My three favorites are La Fin Du Monde, Karmeliet and Westmalle in that order.

    Unibroue does two other excellent ones in Don De Dieu and Eau Benite.

    Another great one from Canada that might be relatively unknown abroad is Dominis Vobiscum Triple from Microbrasserie Charlevoix.

    Others from Europe I’ve really enjoyed include Gouden C, Chimay, Watou, Straffe Hendrik, St. Feuillien, Affligem, La Trappe and Steenbrugge.

    Most underrated is Kasteel by a mile.

    I’ve missed a few for sure, but that more or less sums it up for my personal preferences. Cheers.
     
    #35 Insomniac, Aug 10, 2020
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  16. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,271) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Add Abbaye de Val-Dieu to this list
     
    #36 RochefortChris, Aug 10, 2020
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  17. Insomniac

    Insomniac Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2019 Canada (ON)

    Have not had that one yet. Thanks.
     
    #37 Insomniac, Aug 10, 2020
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  18. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    It may well. I'm citing conventional wisdom from BA posts, but I can't personally attest to any noticeable hop degradation in an aged Tripel - nothing like what you'd experience with a Pilsner, IPA, etc. (I've also never tried a Tripel in the 5-10 year range, to my recollection, so I truly can't compare it to an aged Dubbel or Quad.)

    Certainly, the malt base - and perhaps the interplay/offset of the hops with that malt base - could play a role. I also think there's a general assumption (true or not) that "dark" beers age well, and pale beers do not. We are all invariably victims of bias, so perhaps the anecdote about Tripels being hoppier (and therefore aging less well) is a bit of a backsplanation?
     
    #38 Roguer, Aug 10, 2020
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  19. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,271) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
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    It's pretty easy to find. Seek out Corsendonk Agnus too
     
    #39 RochefortChris, Aug 10, 2020
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  20. Insomniac

    Insomniac Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2019 Canada (ON)

    Maybe easy to find in the States, but I live in Ontario. (Sad face inserted here). Cheers.
     
    #40 Insomniac, Aug 10, 2020
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