Bornem Triple

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Style: Abbey Tripel
Ertvelde, Belgium

Pours straw yellow with a huge white head. Aroma is fresh lemons and yeast. Flavor is very resiny with a little barnyard, pepper, and yeast. Not at all what I had expected from the aroma. Definately different than any other triple I’ve ever had.

The aroma is very fruity. The appearance is a hazy blond. The flavor has citrus, apple, with lots of malt and yeast. The finish is a lot like a white wine but with a hint of grass. This is not like any Belgian Triple I have had, but in a good way.

Part of the globalbeernetwork Belgian 6-pack. Poured a cloudy gold with a thick white head. Bready, spicy aroma. Flavors lean more to a Whit to me. Corriander, citrus undertones, yeasty and hoppy. Pleasant astringincy to the mouthfeel. All in all very light for a tripel, but still good.

Very fruity aroma. Apple like, maybe citrus. Distinct smell. Nice smooth body. The alcohol is not really making the beer strong. Nice brew. But not too special.

Thought after tasting the Dubbel I would serve this one up at room temperature. Poured into a chalice, a big inch and a half of white foam formed atop an opaque gold body and left a lot of lace. Strong spicy and zesty nose, toffee and candi sugar, pears and soft apples with a light vinous note that died off quickly. Initially strong, spicy and almost medicinal in the mouth, candi and toffee sweet upfront and quite dry in the back. High in carbonation and relatively light in body, it had a vinous white wine note in the back and a slightly bitter end before a long orange and lemon zest swallow that was fuelled by alcohol. Had a similar oxidised note to the Dubbel. Strong in alcohol presence (not too detrimental), sweet and reasonably balanced, this was actually quite a nice drop, but I had to take long breaks between mouthfuls. (33cL bottle, 11% ABV, 22JB)

Bottle. Aroma is very much like sweet white wine. Hazy golden colour, small unstable white head. Fruity flavour, nicely peppery and freshly citric. Tastes a little oxidized. Full mouthfeel. High carbonation. Not as bitter and harsh as many tripels. Nice for a tripel, but I think I would prefer it fresh (3 months past BB date).
Earlier Rating: 12/16/2004 Total Score: 2.9
1997 bottle. Light yellow colour. Big, very stable head. Citrusy aroma. Mild maltiness. Alcohol flavour not that prominent.

This beer is quite well carbonated, it starts to form a head as soon as I pop the cap off this 330ml bottle. The head is a pale cream color and is fairly thick and long lasting. The beer is a lightly hazy orange-gold color. Interesting the aroma is quite pungent, it is a mix of interesting notes that I can’t quite peg; musty, herbal, citrusy, grassy, notes of pear and apple, almost like a pungent wild flower that has some sweet nectar notes and a strong, almost funky, slightly sharp, piquant thing going on. The nose is quite complex, and I am not entirely sure if I really like it, or if it bothers me.

The taste is quite frothy, the carbonation fizzes up as the beer hits my tongue. That same interesting note that is in the aroma is found in the taste as well. The beer is sharp, and a bit herbal with notes of vanilla, a hint of bergamot, . The beer is quite light on the palate but has a sort of lingering, not quite astringent finish to it. There is a bit of hot alcohol in the finish (and the nose too), that starts to assert itself a bit more as the beer warms up. There are lots of interesting flavors and aromas in this beer, but it just does not quite seem to mesh for me.

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33cL bottle. Poured like ginger ale. Much clearer than I was expecting. Monster head at first, but it settled down quickly. At first whiff, you can tell this is a van Steenberge brew. Yeasty and spicey (corriander) with a little metal in the background. First sip ... ok, who switched my beer with a glass of metal filings?!? Very metallic at first. And very dry. The metallic taste subsides as it warms as the spices and banana take over. The dryness remains throughout. There’s really nothing to separate this from the other triples on the market.