t Smisje Tripel

33cl, from De Hopduvel Gent, complex, balanced, cloudy, rocky head, good brew

Courtesy of and shared with heavy (thanks!). Different, old looking label (three dogs? with beers)... probably 2004
Opaque apricot juice body, small slightly off white head that went away at a medium pace. Pungent malty nose, oranges covered by an overly thick layer of dust. Soft, qzute sweet taste, chocolate hm. Dust, light orange, as with the Abdis we’ve had earlier, no real Tripel characteristics. Somewhat stale apricot juice. Bit chalky, some honey. Expected better. Will rerate if I find it fresher.

0.33 l bottle from belgianshop.com, produced in 2004. It poured very murky orange body with medium head that went down soon. Big amount of yeast left in the bottle no matter of swirling it. Beer had yeasty spiced and orange aroma, mild rounded and quite nicely cloying. Flavor is bittersweet, fruity, with sugar candy, caramel beside other, herbal spices. Not so complex as it might seem from my description, rather simple. Alcohol is very well hidden in its medium thick body. Quite long bittersweet candy and fruity finish. Pretty good, typical tripel, although I’ve seen better for sure.

A hazy orange colored beer, with a small white head. The aroma is floral, with coriander and lychee. In the taste are notes of citrus, banana and apricote. Also tones of overripe fruit. There is yeast with a light bitterness. This is getting stronger in the aftertaste. There is some sweet too. A good lovely tripel.

RB2008# 2000: 33 cL bottle. Pours hazy orange with a huge creamy and white head slowly diminishing and leaving a nice lacing on the glass. Mild fruity and yeasty aroma with a mild acidic to citric touch, mild spiced too. Smooth caramel malt mixed with a nice mellow yeasty note. A mild set of spices lurking through. Mix of caramel, yeast and spices into the finish with a light bite from alcohol and yeast spice notes. Nice one.