De Proef Lunatique (Cuvee Diabolique)

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Abbey Tripel
Lochristi, Belgium

(Bottle 75 cl) Rather pale golden, typical blond ale, slightly hazy. Decent head. Yeast in both nose and flavour with a very subdued bitterness. Pronounced carbonization - way too much actually. A rather dull Belgian ale. Brewed for a Pacific NW import company. 070505

Hazy beige with orangey accents. Very apricotty nose with yeast and breadcrust. Flavour is well-balanced, fruity-yeasty with good malt character but it finishes dry. Simple tripel, but quite pleasant.

(750ml bottle) Hazy golden body topped by a big, rocky white head. Aroma is medium sweet, yeasty, herbal, some lemon, light floral, paint thinner. Taste is medium sweet, yeasty, lemon peel, some herbal, alcohol/thinner. Medium body.

A frothy white foam of moderate dimension is eternal thanks to champaigny carbonation activating among the sedimented gold. Gently estery nose that feels clean, fresh and spicy, more doughy than very characterful. The first mouth contact surprises with its higher than expected sweetness, though it does dry-out in the finish, which revolves around fresh bread and exotic fruitiness. At 8.5% alcohol, this remains quite drinkable. Its mouthfeel is, not surprisingly, influenced by biting, rather small-bubbled carbonation which accentuate the dry-out effect, but do not feel fluffy or pillowy like top examples. Rather straightforward, sweetish tripel, but sometimes, this is what you’re craving for.

Bottle... Lightly hazy yellow beer with a mid-sized, creamy, white head. Fantastic retention. Phenolic, yeasty nose... lots of clove aside heavy helpings of biscuit, cookie and white bread. Full-bodied and just short of syrupy with soft carbonation. Heavily sweet and lightly fruity with gentle breadsy notes. Fortunately, moderate bitterness makes a last second, shoestring tackle to prevent a total, sickly sweet blowout. Subtle, spicy phenols. Lengthy, bittersweet, almost tongue-numbing finish. An odd bird, this one; but not at all unpleasant.

(750ml bottle) Pours a lightly cloudy yellow body with an average white head. Aroma of florals, lemon, and mustiness. Flavor of hops, buttery, and a twist of lemon.

Pours a transparent deep golden bronze with a well-lacing frothy white head. Aroma of sweet biscuity, sugary caramel malt with lots of light fruity notes and yeasty esters. Starts with lots of carbonation and sugary sweetness with some light caramel and lemon notes before a slightly drier, but still sweet finish. Pretty one dimensional with a lot of candi sugar sweetness and not enough underlying complexity.

My Bottom Line:
Omnipresent bready yeast cooks up a few plantanes in this nourishing and well-carbonated Tripel. Simple and straightforward, it might quench your hankering for the style.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-Foam recedes quickly into the hazy golden which arbors a striking aurora yeastialis.
-Alcohol heats up the back end, but doesn’t bother the flavor profile.
-Yeast is the most expressive flavor in here, as its esters and its basic bread/dough character take a lot of room.
-Body is healthily filling, while not feeling polished.
-Some citrusy background fails to balance the finish.

Bottle; no date.