Great Divide Tripel

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Denver, Colorado USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip

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Bottle purchased at Chuck’s in Chagrin Falls. Nice simple golden color. Hint of banana and clove in the nose. Flavor is sweet and malty, with a crisp grassy finish.

hazy gold color, aroma of apples, banana, spices, yeast, flavors of apple, banana, yeast, spices, yeast, lemon, orange, a style i like but this beer didnt do it for me

Bottle. Probably my least favorite style of beer other than heavy smoked beers. Pale yellow color with a white head. Nose is pretty heavy in alcohol with some straw and hops noted too. Taste smooth and kind of bitter with a big alcohol burn. The alcohol burn is the reason I do not like tripels, and this one has plenty of it. Not my favorite GD beer.

22 ounce bottle into chalice; bottled 08/12/2010. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice 1 finger dense white head with good retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of lemon, pear, apple, orange, pepper, biscuit, grass, yeasty spices, and light tart grains. Nice and well balanced aromas. Quite standard for a tripel as expected. Taste of big lemon, apple, orange, pepper, grass, biscuit, tart grains, and spicy yeast. Lingering notes of citrus, pepper, grains, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Very smooth drinking for 9.3% but is still a bit of a sipper. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is an excellent American made Tripel. Great flavor balance and complexity; with good drinkability for the level of alcohol.

Clear yellow color. Nice head. Spicy nutty nose. Clean but spicy taste. Good triple just not my style.

Bottle @ home. Cloudy, yellow orange appearance with a big, fluffy white head. Nice lemon, citrusy, belgian yeasty, sweet golden ale nose. A little spicy, peppery, Belgian yeasty, citrusy, tangy, light belgian ale flavor. Pretty tasty but I’m not a huge fan of their belgian yeast strain.

The pour was a cloudy almost murky medium yellow-orange that had an average sized (1-2 fingers) white creamy head that lasted a little while leaving behind some nice foamy residue creating a decent amount of lacing that lasted throughout. The aroma was nice and enticing with a mild grain malt, a nice flowery hop and a sweet moldy yeast with obvious notes of banana, honey, orange and a mild peppery spiciness with just a tinge of alcohol. The first sip tasted ever so lightly sweet with a nice dose of honey and a hint of citrus. Although as the flavor progressed it became quite a bit more appealing with a little bit of sour setting in and a nice strong yeasty flavor. Towards the end I noticed notes of banana, some spiciness and a nice alcohol warming sensation that allowed the flavor to stay with you for a decent amount of time. Mouthfeel was light to medium in body with the texture starting out rather creamy but shifting to a dry finish with a mild carbonation. Overall a smooth aromatic blending of malts, yeast and spices giving this beer a tremendous flavor.

Poured hazy yellow with a smallish head for a tripel. Nice aroma with some spice, but then a sour finish. A disappointing tripel, probably my least favorite one I’ve tried.

Considering how good Great Divide’s other beers are I have to say that I was a little disappointed with this beer. It had a weird taste to it that I found unpleasant. Besides the weird flavor everything else was weak this beer. This was not one of the better Tripels I’ve had, though it was still decent I guess.

The aroma is odd, theres is an overly bready notes in it, and a little milky. The taste is solid however. They pretty much nail the style. Good Belgian notes of fruit. slight to moderate bitter hop bite at end of taste into finish. Finish is rather short however.

Appearance: hazy oranges with a touch of baled hay. Soft bready white head fades into a bubbly collar surrounding a thin middle film. Swirls thicker along the edges.
Nose: orangey, doughy, yeasty. Zip of orange and tangerine zest in the back. Hint of banana peel. Aloe and green grass and cactus. Whole peppercorns. A pinch of sage in with the greenness. Playful and lively.
Palate: doughy, yeasty, and banana peels. Whole peppercorns, green aloe, and banana skins. Sage and spice. Bready, doughy, and yeasty underneath. Dry along the sides with straw and grass. Spice atop the tongue – whole peppercorns, sage, rosemary, and coconut husks.
Final Thoughts: another solid hit from Great Divide. While not the greatest Tripel a solid offering for anyone who enjoys this style. Good stuff.