Kameleon Tripel

Brewed by Brouwerij den Hopperd
Style: Abbey Tripel
Westmeerbeek, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip

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UPDATED: JAN 29, 2008 33cl bottle, vintage unknown
Consumed at Bier Circus, Brussels, May 2006
After having this at the cafe and putting down my rating, I had it a few more times around Brussels, but it never was as good as my first rating. There were different ages on the bottles, so I suspect I either had one that was damn near perfect (age, conditions, storage, temp), or the one I had, for some reason, had really dried out. Regardless, the dryness found in the first bottle is what makes me like this one so much. First taste is intensely dry, almost perfectly dry for a tripel... juicy, dry alcoholic string on the tongue. Fresh tasting, perfectly crafted, perfectly balanced between sweetness and dryness. Dry, dusty nose, raw, airy juicy scented. Great beer all around. Subsequent bottles have been more sweet, less dry, and had more of an old orange flavor, but I’m not letting that affect my rating so much.

Photograph of Bottle & Glass:
http://www.youforgotpoland.org/beer/KameleonTrip

Bottle, Bier Circus, Brussels, Nov 04. Head is initially huge, frothy, rocky, white, fully lasting. Body is hazy dark yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain), moderately hoppy (herbs, lemon), moderately yeasty (barnyard, horseblanket), with notes of clove, licorice, and band-aid. Flavor is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation., lightly alcoholic. Whew, this was one of the best beers I had on my Nov ’04 trip to Belgium, and I hadn’t ever heard of den Hopperd before (my friend ordered it, and I stole it after catching a whiff!). Total surprise. Lots of wild yeast character, with a fresh bright hop nose, nice phenols, balanced very well, and overall just a joy to behold, smell, and drink.

Bottle 33 cl (bio Planet). This is the second time ill taste this beer. Dark golden color. Tall, full, frothy and white head unclean. Hoppy, dry with a bitterness. Moderately sweet finish. Very well balanced beer. I even love it more then the first time I tasted it.

33 cl bottle, bottled on? Pale blond, very hazy with a lot of yeast particles and an abundant and rather stable head. Sweet alcohol aroma with hops and apricot. Yet very dry in the mouth, hop, citrus fruits clearly present in the flavour; some resemblance to lambiek is also there. Very refreshing and enlivening. Those Dutch guys must have drunk a spoiled batch.

Somewhat spicy/ fruit malt. Incredible finish, smooths out and lingers with flavor. Could have more complexity in the flavor, but a pleasant surprise as it was recommended to me by the bartender in a local bar in Brussels--Le Bier Circus (quite possible my new favorite place on earth).

There seems to be big discrepancies in the few reviews this beer has gathered. I knew Chameleons changed colors but I didn’t know Kameleons changed taste. It’s either a love/hate thing or big variations from bottle to bottle. Worth taking a chance, mine was a top class tripel. Cloudy blonde body with an enormous white head that keeps growing and growing. Sweet and yeasty palate with pineapples and apples flavours. pleasant mouthfeel. Some acidity to balance off the sweetness. Leaves you with dusty dry mouth. Excellent.

Lovely fruity aroma. Golden appearance. Creamy texture. A very good Belgian triple. Bio as well. 33cl bottle conditioned, picked up from the brewery itself. I look forward to enjyoying the other 23 this summer. The brewery is part time, the brewers main job being at Moortgat!

UPDATED: JAN 22, 2006 Rerate - Bottle BBE July, 2008 Hazy, yellow body. White, rocky head, mostly diminishing. Aroma of hops (herbs, grass, orange, grapefruit), cheese, light malts (grain). Moderately bitter, lightly sweet initial flavour. Lightly bitter, moderately sweet finish. Very well balanced beer. I even love it more then the first time I tasted it.

Bottle Lightly orange, murky body. (Small particles) Frothy, white head with a good lace. The head lasts mostly. Fruits and hops in the nose. Lightly bitter initial flavour, heavily bitter finish. (Powder)-dry finish. Medium to fully bodied. I do like this tripel. Points: 7/3/8/4/16

UPDATED: OCT 19, 2004 At de Bierkamer in Kluizen (Ertvelde).Very nice beer with a lively caracter. It has a orange-blond color and good fluffy head. Good aromatic beer with fine hints of fruit, lemonpeel, fine malts, fresh ginger, good touch of vegetal hops and madeleine cakes. The taste is also very good. It has hints of fresh milkbread, Kellogg’s Frosty’s, sweet cakes, ginger,orangezest some unripe white stone fruit and and also a vegetal touch of hops. This beer has a nice mouthfeel with a touch of yeast and with a light sweetness in it; In the afthertaste there is a well balanced hoppyness. To me this is an outstanding brew.

UPDATED: NOV 1, 2005 A golden coloured beer with a nice white head. Aroma is hoppy and yeasty. Taste is the same but a bit bitter. Nice beer, like everything of this brewery. (bottle 33cl, tap at the brewery)