Defiant Tripel

Objectively speaking: Very pleasant Tripel with wholesome yeast character.
I like: Really authentic take on the style, yet with its own personality. Brightly hopped. Full carbonation supports the medium body. Biscuity and herbal palate with a zesty tang in the finish. Remarkably hidden alcohol.
I dislike: A bit overly citric if anything, but this was a lovely ale.

My Bottom Line:
Spicy, citrusy hoppiness swims throughout the humble cereals until a drying herbal hop bitterness clinches this amazingly authentic Belgian-style Tripel.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A sheet of foam covers the cloudy pale blond.
-The fluffy carbonation is perfectly calculated for the healthily slender body.
-The citrusy spiciness recalls lemongrass.
-Alcohol is not present in the flavor profile. This is very easy drinking.

Bottle.

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.

Tap at Spuyten Duyvil. Had a fresh batch, and like virtually every Defiant beer, these guys can brew... they just can’t keep their stuff from getting infected. This batch was newer and so is likely a better representation of what they were going for. Pale straw colour with a thick white head. Aroma is lightly clovey with a kiss of clove and banana. Also a fair bit of lemon and some light black pepper. Warming brings out some apricot and peachy fruitiness. It is quite dry and restrained with a nice crackery Belgian pale malt. It’s pretty clean and I like these with a bit more spice, but it’s not bad at all.

Tap at Spuyten Duyvil. Cloudy golden beer, aroma is quite spicy and lightly fruity. Some orange, lemon and apricot plus a fairly light tartness. Flavour shows some sweet fruity character, but also a lot of lactic/citric tartness. Belgian maltiness, but the sourness in here doesn’t really work for me.
6 3 6 2 11

2008-05-31. Hazy egg-yolk golden yellow, small white head. (3+) Light floral and spice notes in the aroma, muted malt. Similar flavour, muted floral, zippy lemon note, mild yeast character. Smooth average plus palate. Little or no alcohol is present in the flavour which is impressive. (3+) Pretty pleasant but just a touch too mild and subtle to score higher. Bottle, Mondial, Montreal, 5T?