Allagash Tripel Reserve

Batch #134, poured an amber color with a foamy white head, fruity/yeasty aroma with a decent bitter finish.

Tasted at brewery. Hazy golden color, creamy head. Aroma is intoxicating, I want to say I smell lemon hops (instead of lemongrass, get it?). Malt/hops balance is slightly in favor of hops, like most of the Allagash beers. Alcohol bursts on my throat with the first mouthful, really the only indicator of the beer’s strength. Yay beer!

On draft at the Grey Lodge. Has a golden hue with a foamy white head. Flavour of passion fruit and herbal tea. Aroma has hints if banana and honey.

Gold, orange, and amber melt before my eyes while a fluffy cloud drifts and lingers atop a sunshine smile. White tufts fade lazily into a thick puddle centered in the middle of her glassy surface while an equally thick collar traces the edges of her confine. I tease her shimmering depths but receive no lace in thanks, just a thicker abundance of clumpy foam. What I do receive in spades though is a nose bursting with Belgian-style Tripel esters: yeast, spice, ripe fruits stewed and caramelized in a sweet mixture of honey, maple, brown sugar and cinnamon. Soft white bread offers gentle support while pungent cantaloupe, mango, star fruit, and kiwi teeter on the edge of over-ripeness. Flowers bloom and herbal essences drift by on a passing breeze while meringue toasts, piecrust is molded, and lemoncello cream fills someone’s aperitif glass. Abundantly aromatic and intense, all her esters and aromas mingle together in exquisite precision, drawing me into her beery embrace like a hapless seaman to the siren’s call. For such a rambunctious nose, her body and mouthfeel is super soft, so much so to make the finest cottons blush in envy. The freshest white breads still warm from the oven, steam rises from their brown skin. Starting off soft, she finishes with dry hops, dry lemon, orange, and mango skins replete with moisture-retardant lingering pith. A green, dry finish, her middle is also sweet, tropical, and grassy with damp dew, coconut, toasted flatbread, lemon zest, and floral essence. I find it intriguingly tasty how much her palate differs from her nose. The sweetness is subdued while my tongue tingles under a dry, toasty, green, dewy, tropical assault. I forgo the pen and paper for the rest of my bottle, choosing to just sit, sup, and savor.

Unique, but still a solid offering from Allagash. Their Tripel is not one of my more favored offerings in this particular style, but she is still a quality contribution none-the-less. I plan on quaffing future bottles of the Allagash Tripel in future dates, but not as frequently as their White.

Decent Tripel but not at the top of my list of styes. A bit of silt to watch out for, and the corresponding yeast flavor, but not over-powering or out-of-balance. Anyone who prefers Tripels will enjoy this beer a lot. Batch #137 at 55F from the 750ml bottle.

Beautiful pour into a bordeaux stem, great lace. Restrained nose shows some honeyed grain, fresh pineapple (not sweetened from can) and nice hop spice that compliments the dryness well. While the fruit continues on the palate, it never becomes cloying or tooti fruity. The esters never get to heady and balance is held to a level of seduction that many Belgians don’t achieve. Yes I just said that. A certain richness to the body does let the drinker know that this beer isn’t afraid to take the recliner in the living room without asking. Well planned carbonation level gives this beer a spring in its step without jumping to a gallop. Honeyed malt and hop spice finish cleanly. Very digestable. Had this with a fresh baquette, butter, and some mixed atipasto. Cheers to Mr. Tod. 94

Poured a golden color that had some has. Head is nice and tall and bright white as a tripel should be. Aroma is yeasty with hints of citrus and some mild spice. Taste is balanced and crisp with yeast and citrus over tones. A nice beer that can be picked up at the local grocery store.

750 ml bottle, from batch #134, served in a tulip glass. Poured a hazy golden color with about 3 inches of thick, pillowed white head. Nose is Belgian yeast, citrus rinds, and a light peppery spice. Taste is yeast and citrus peels that finishes with a peppery citrus bitter. A good beer and example of the style, but nothing that will make me remember this a few months down the road.