Witkap Pater Tripel

Brewed by Brouwerij Slaghmuylder
Style: Abbey Tripel
Ninove, Belgium

Had this one on the patio of Poechenellekelder in full view and just a few meters away from the Brussels famous Manneken Piss so I won’t copy word for word what I wrote in my notes about its appearance but I guess it means cloudy yellow-blonde body with a thin layer of big bubbles. Very nice tripel. Lemon pie flavour. Full of hay, citrus and some salty spices. Some hops at the end. Very well balanced without any alcohol flavour. Refreshing and superior tripel.

(33cl) Large white head atop hazy lemon yellow body Aroma is medium sweet, floral/orange, lemon, yeasty, some cookie. Taste is medium sweet, orange/lemon, cookie, some herbal, light coriander. Medium body, some crispness, alcohol hardly noticeable.

Bottle, 33 cl. @ Bles beer festival. Tasted it also many times months and years ago. Golden colour. Medium body, white head that laced well. Lemons, pears and some honey. A very nice and drinkable Tripel.

Bottle sample at World Beer Fest in Durham, NC. All my notes say are "yummy" and "smooth" which are things I oftern say when I like a beer. Then again this was my first tasting of the festival and I was more than excited. From what I remember, this was a pretty basic tripel which had no flaws, but also nothing that really stood out. Hints-yummy, smooth. Duh.

Bottle sample at Union Beer Trade Tasting, NYC. Pale golden, small head. Aroma and flavour are both quite mild - some sweetness and yeastiness, but nothing really comes forward. Body is very effervescent, making it crisp and refreshing. OK, but unmemorable.

On tap at Monk’s Cafe... Appears a hazy, light gold with a small white cap that quickly fades out. Spotty lacing is left along the edges of the glass. Smell is of creamy wheat, bubblegum, and a lemony, citrus with a touch of coriander stands out. Taste is of the mentioned aromas but perhaps a bit more bland than anticipated. There are hints that this could be good but it’s just not giving me more than the nice little flashes that it teases me with. Mouthfeel is smooth, mildly sugary, yet lacking substance with a watery, thinness that isn’t very desirable for this style.

Hazy golden. Herby, yeasty and spicy. A bit thin. Milky yeastiness in the flavour. Some wormwood; a bit weiss-like.

Hazy yellow honey hue, with an off-white head, i’m quite surprise here, smelling brettanomyces of wild yeast, with leafy, coniferous flowery hops, with a hint of lemony fruitiness in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate, with a subtle brettanomyces wild yeast character, hint of barnyard, go figure! a flowery hops accent, with some piney and cedary notes, leading towards a mild hops dryness finish.