Steenbrugge Tripel

Brewed by Brouwerij Palm
Style: Abbey Tripel
Steenhuffel, Belgium

Clear gold in color with a small, bright white head. Lots of bubbles stream up the glass. Aroma of honey, graham cracker, and cloves with just a hint of alcohol near the tail end. Moderately sweet caramelized banana flavor, though I get just a bit of wet cardboard underneath the clean vanilla malt. Lightly yet sharply carbonated, very nice for the style.

Orange body with swirls of tiny carbonation bubbles feeding a lush head. Zesty, lemon-kissed yeast aroma segues intoa smooth bodied Tripel apportioned iwth a clean yeast profile that is mildly complex and makes for an incredibly drinkable brew. Mild evergreen essence, spicy hops, and estery inklings. Enjoyable Belgian malt backdrop, well-balanced.and absent any off-flavors. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Bottle. Pours a golden body with a white head. Fruity esters, fruit warming with a pear and honey tone. Sweet pine and a modest warming. A decent ale, not a great tripel.

Pours a light orange gold with a decent foamy white head. Aromas of pale fruits and Belgian yeast/spice. Near full body with creamy carbonation. Flavor is quite fruity, spicey and not very sweet. It tends to develop a fresh fruitiness with time. Excellent.

330 ml bottle (marked as 8,7%). Golden color, frothy off-white head. Spicy aroma. Spicy flavor with lemon peel and hops and a dry finish. Medium-full body, high carbonation. Similar to their blonde beer, but better.

Bottle … Clear, light golden ale with a small, dense, white head. Great retention. The bouquet offers banana, clove, coriander and gentle tinges of mint and smoke. Medium-bodied with a raspy mouthfeel and prickly carbonation. The flavor is sweet toffee, candy sugar and spicy clove up front; moderate to medium metallic bitterness follows. The finish provides lingering honey and toffee sweetness.

This wasn’t the big spice bomb that I usually associate with the tripel style, which made it unique and a touch novel. This beer is far maltier than any other tripels, and still has enough spice to keep things interesting. A little different than my previous experiences with tripels, but still good. Appearance was a golden color with a pretty minor amount of head for a tripel. Aroma was very faintly spicey - clove and all-spice. Flavor was a bit puckery and full of fruity overtones, with a sweet spice finish. Booze is evident in the flavor, but not unpleasant. Mouthfeel was dry and clean. Pretty good, and recommendable. I had this on-tap at the BXL Belgian cafe in midtown Manhattan.

Golden colour with a huge white head. Aroma is malt and heavy alcohol. Flavor is very spicy, too much for a tripel. Dry aftertaste, not the best tripel.