Westmalle Tripel

Brewed by Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle
Style: Abbey Tripel
Malle, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip

75cl bottle. Hazy golden with a foamy white head. Floreal aroma with hints of yeast. Taste is dry, spicy, but complex. It starts with alcohol, flowers and ends very dry because of the remaining yeast. A good beer

Poured from a bottle into a trappist glass. Appearance is a hazy copper to gold with a thin head of white foam. Nice carbonation bubbles constantly flowing up from the bottom of the glass. The thin white cap of foam just sits atop the beer refusing to budge. Aroma consists of sweet esters, banana, cloves, bubblegum, cinnamon, and a light, floral alcohol note shows itself when you dig deep. All of these aromas are just faint whispers, none really announce themselves for the oblivious onlooker. The taste comes next. The first thing to touch my tongue says orange peel pierced with cloves. As this flavor washes over the tongue it gives way to bubblegum and an earthy, spicy alcohol, almost like a rum. As this layer diminishes, bananas make an appearance and seem as though they have been rolled in cinnamon perhaps in preparation of a bananas foster. The finale is abrupt yet subtle. There’s not really any sort of lingering aftertaste, but more a pleasant "have a nice day" and then it is gone. Mouthfeel is smooth with just a faint tickling of carbonation on the front of the tongue.

One of my personal favorite trappist ales, although truthfully I haven’t had all that many. Pours a nice golden-orange shade with an off white head.

Bottle in Westlvleteren glass. Cloudy orange colour. Can definitely smell the alcohol here, some dried fruit, slight banana. Taste is sweet banana and alcohol with ample bitter hoppy flavour, dry aftertaste. Warming. I actually like the dubbel better. Still, a pretty good trappist.

Bottle served in a large tulip. The billowing head quickly fills the glass on a soft pour. Has a pale orange color, a clear body, and champagne bubbles. After waiting for the massive white head to subside to a sea foam island. Aroma is dry and spicy with distant stone fruit. Light bitter, light sweet flavor that has noticeable heat. Medium body, thick-creamy texture, lively carbonation, and a long dry, bitter finish. A good beer, but I was expecting more.

Underwhelming... there are much better trappist ales such as La Trappe and Rochefort. Slight flavor, typical belgian malts. ABV 9.5, IBU 36.

330mL bottle poured a golden hazy ale with huge off-white head with good retention and lacing. Aromas of caramel, fruit and yeast. Taste is mildly sweet with strong yeast notes and a dry bitter finish. Good mouthfeel provided by adequate carbonation and medium body.

Bottle in a Trappist glass - pours cloudy and golden with off-white head. Has sediment in it. Aroma is yeast and earthy. Bitter aftertaste. So much flavor, but it is unfortunate the aftertaste is a little unpleasant. Overall a great beer.