Defiant Tripel

Brewed by Defiant Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Pearl River, New York USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip

Thanks to Dickinsonbeer for this one, hand bottled. Hazy deep golden pour with 1-finger white head. Aroma of grainy pale malt, candi sugar, apricot, funky yeast, spice, and orange marmalade. Tastes pale malty and candi sugary, with hints of apricot, floral dryness, funky yeast, spices. The palate is medium heft, very carbonated, and it gets even more citrusy and apricotty as it warms, with the candi sugar coming out more as well as the florals. Very unique, as it tasted different with every sip.

Date: July 30, 2010
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Appearance: clear gold, wispy off white head, streaks of lace
Aroma: sweet malt candy aroma, light fruityness, touch of spicyness
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, touch of fruity sweetness, light phenolic spicyness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **+ /4

750 ml bottle shared by bsuedekum- thanks, Blake! Pours a semi-cloudy yellow gold with a finger of foamy white head that settles quickly. Aroma of lemon, pear, pepper, coriander, grapes, oak, bready malts, and a little bit of funk. The funk shows up in the flavor, too, along with sweet malts, wood chips, pears, grapes, lemon, and peppery spice. Medium-bodied, with medium carbonation and a crisp, bready, funky mouthfeel. I thought this might have had a slight brett addition, though subtle. 9% ABV is totally masked in what is an easy sipper. Excellent tripel.

Bottle purchased at Whole Foods Bowery. Hazy yellow with a big pillowey head. Nose is bretty lemon, banana, a little fruity urinal cake (this isn’t offensive - it just is), floral & sweet candi sugar. Flavor is sweet malt, banana, belgian yeast/floral character. There is some tartness that combines with the alcohol in the finish to almost balance the sweetness but doesn’t quite get there. If it was a little less sweet I would enjoy it a lot more, but its still very nice. Kind of a hybrid Tripel/Belgian Golden Strong/Saison.

750 thanks to Secret Santa Summer 11. Even if no brett, aroma gives off enough of a yeasty smell to make you think there’s brett. Banana. Spice. Definite sugar sweetness. Very dry. Very nice.

Clear yellow with an active and large head. Fruity, yeast, light earth, and a bit of funk in the nose. Bright fruit, sugary sweet, light yeast, a bit of earth, too. Medium dryness in the finish. Real nice beer.

Hazy straw orange with thin white head, and lots of bubbles, Aroma is a bit of orange , wheat, and some sulfur. Taste is the same, with a sharp acidity and residual sugar into the finish. Not as carbonated as expected. $10/750

Bottle from hopdog. Thanks! Nose is somewhat yeasty, dusty, hints of pears and apples with some lemony notes as well as some earthy. Pours golden, hazy, nice lasting rocky head. The flavor is quenching with notes of bread, lemon, green apple, pear, dry yeasty spice. Somewhat lemony acidic finish. Nicely carbonated, dry lasting almost quenching finish at 9%. Nice stuff.

A: The pour is a clear golden color with a short-lived white head. S: A very fruity aroma. Lots of pears, apples, bananas, and even some lemon zest. A nice sweet malt and sugar character and there is just a hint of tartness to it. T: Sweet for the most part, but there is a hint of tart fruit. Apple, banana, pear, orange peel, and lemon are again present and there is a light floral note to the beer. M: Somewhat light in body for such a big beer, but I’m not complaining. Medium in carbonation. O: Despite being a 9% beer, this was really easy to drink and fairly light.