 Ughsmash (2770), Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
Jun 26, 2005
Hazy orangish pour with lots of sediment. Aroma was bready with some dark fruits and a hint of bourbon. Belgian yeast, plums, and alcohol dominated the flavor, but it was lacking sufficient carbonation (may be b/c the liter bottle from the brewery was opened yesterday afternoon). Finish was slightly astringent, but carried through some good flavor.
BlackDonald (610), On a beer trip all over the USA, California, USA
Jun 4, 2008 Pretty tasty, kind of taste like Orval meets Golden Monkey in my opinion. Lots of spicy in the nose, with hints of coriander, and fruitcake, with some bready notes that follow through onto the palate. Very biscuity, with a malt sweetness, but the fruit character stick around and it remains dry throughout the finish. I really enjoyed drinking this.
sliffy (1930), Columbus, Ohio, USA
Mar 1, 2008 1 Liter bottle shared by moejuck: Pours a clear copper color with a small white head. Aroma, doughy, some fruits, spice, and yeast. Flavor, bready, spices, some fruits, some floral notes, finishes smooth and doughy. Very tasty.
MartinT (4241), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Jan 14, 2008 My Bottom Line:
Admirable Belgian yeast expressions colour the biscuity and honeyed maltiness, while orange peel fruitiness and noble hop subtleties ennoble this most classy and engaging Tripel.
Further Personal Perceptions:
-A healthy head of foam bobs atop the hazy deep golden.
-The mouthfeel is very comfortable and lush.
-The pop when taking the cork out was almost as loud as a gunshot! There was no gushing though.
-The yeast and base malts converge into a nourishing loaf of bread.
-The finish is nudged by alcohol, but is mostly comprised of healing yeast and spicy hoppiness.
Bottle; thx Dennis!
mkobes (2006), New York, USA
Nov 14, 2007 Deep orange in color with a nice head. Malty fruity aroma. Citrusy hoppy notes. Fruity malty yeasty flavor. Cherry apricot coriander notes. Finish is dry. Medium bodied. Decent beer.
FlacoAlto (2008), Tucson, Arizona, USA
Nov 6, 2007 One-liter bottle #158/180, March 2005 Bottle date; Sampled November 2007
When roused, the head forms a fat, one-finger thick, light tan colored head. The beer is quite hazy and forms an orange-tinted, almost pinkly hued, light reddish color when held up to the light, but is otherwise a drab, amber color. As I pour this I get quite a distinct aroma of fresh cut apples and this is quite persistent. As I go in for a deeper sniff of the aroma the apple notes remains the most prevalent aromatic note. Underneath this though is a touch of caramelized grain, touches of fruity, sherry-like oxidation, browned bread crust, a bit of brandy like fruit and alcohol warming, and in the finish a dry, toasted grain note reminiscent of soda crackers and fresh crushed pale malt.
Light feeling on the tongue and only lightly sweet. The carbonation, while not overwhelming, provides a persistent prickle that helps to lighten this beer a bit. Towards the early part of the finish some noticeable oxidation adds a touch of richness and sherry flavors. At this point though a green, almost herbal like, spiciness kicks in and this lingers on in the finish with a light bitterness and a mellowed / aged malt notes. The apple notes are also apparent in the flavor; I think that both the aroma and the flavor notes of apples have been contributed by the slight oxidation & age that this beer has picked up over time. Touches of malt character show up as a toasted grain flavor, hints of crushed soda crackers and of course a nice, lightly sweet malt character that at times, in combination with the yeast character, leans towards some sort of fruity honey-varietal.
Not a bad example of a Tripel; this is really an understatement as it is quite enjoyable and drinkable. I like that it remains fairly dry; it of course has a nice malt sweetness to it, like a good Tripel should. I could wish for a bit more spiciness & I am actually a little surprised that the oxidation / age is as noticeable as it is after only 2.5 years. Having said that though, the oxidation character, for the most part, only adds a complexity and depth; though I am sure the beer has lost some of its fresh piquancy from when it was first bottled.
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