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A frigid day in January made our group glad to be inside the Waterfront Alehouse in Brooklyn, but tallying up the entries gave rise to some trepidation: thirteen Belgian style Tripels is the kind of tasting that can hurt you.
But our intrepid tasting panel didn’t even blink, pros that they are. As always, the beers were blind tasted, and panelists had no information on any of the beers until the tasting was concluded.
Solstice, . 9%, organic, Pisgah Brewing Co., Black Mountain, NC: Straw color with some haze. A gentle pour resulted in a beautiful creamy head with nice lacing. Sweet/sour aroma, with allspice, nutmeg, yeasty and floral notes. “Spicy herbal hops up front, subtle malty sweetness in the center, dry, clean finish.” “What I expect in a great Tripel. Very well balanced. Great example of the style.” 4.5 stars
Merry Monks, 9.3%, Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Easton, PA: Light straw, hazy, poured with a big head. Very delicate lace. Clover, honey, pear, tropical fruit, very complex nose. “Carbonation is perfect! Well balanced, great finish.” “Sweetness up front followed by some sourness/astringency. Dry spiciness, alcohol apparent. Bit sour in finish.” 4 stars
Green Peppercorn Tripel, 9.2%, Brewer’s Art, Baltimore, MD: Poured a medium gold color with slight haze, nice medium head. Herbal, spicy nose with some Belgian yeast notes. “Sweetness up front, followed by some spices and pepper notes. Very smooth mouthfeel.” “Very nice — light bodied, spicy, dry finish. Nice carbonation.” 4 stars
Trippel Belgian Style Ale, 7.8%, New Belgium Brewing Inc., Fort Collins, CO: Poured a very clear golden hue, fine-bubbled lacy head. Coriander, orange peel, banana, bubble gum aromas. “Initial sweetness is followed quickly by dryness and some bitterness in finish. Pear fruitiness.” “Good example of style; crisp in front, lingering alcohol finish.” 3.5 stars
Golden Monkey, 9.5%, Victory Brewing Co., Downingtown, PA: Gold, slightly hazy color, head didn’t last long. Nose was biscuity malt, herbal spiciness, grapes, pears, and delicate hops in the background. “Quiet flavors — smooth malt with some sweetness followed by esters. Very smooth and drinkable, alcohol deceptive.” “Dry, little carbonation, good hop bite. Thin body. Alcohol in check. Straightforward, but I like it.” 3.5 stars
Tripel, 9.5%, Brouwerij Westmalle, Malle, Belgium: Poured a light gold color with a nice thick, long lasting head. Aromas of white grape juice, spicy hops, honey, orange blossom. “Spicy, effervescent, finish is a bit bitter with some alcohol burn. A bit hot, but has great potential.” “Sweetness quickly followed by dryness with contrasting hoppiness. Many different elements, but alcohol doesn’t blend. Needs age?” 3 stars
Tripel, 7.5%, from Huisbrouwerij Sint Canarus, East Flanders, Belgium: Clear golden, slightly hazy appearance. Nice rich, tight head dissipates quickly. Nose had lots of banana, along with green apples, bready notes, alcohol, and a slight sourness. “Malt upfront, good alcohol, nice finish. Butterscotch and pepper.” “Very malty, almost bock like breadiness. Tasty but not very complex.” 3 stars
Sawyer’s Tripel, 7.6%, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido CA: Deep gold color, low to medium carbonation. Clove, banana, pineapple esters in the nose. “Almost Hefeweizen in taste right up front due to clove and banana phenols. Quickly followed by malt sweetness. Spice in finish.” “Peppery finish, sweet up front, with coriander. Good balance.” 3 stars
Brother David’s Triple Abbey Style Ale, 9%, Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, CA: Clear, deep golden/copper color, not much head or lace. Spicy banana nose with some alcohol, honey and yeast undertones. “Huge alcohol, very sweet and strong.” “Nice carbonation. Sweet. Strong alcohol. Dry finish. Nice, but alcohol a bit hot.” 3 stars
Vertical Epic, 8.5%, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA: Clear, deep gold color with slight haze. Huge piney hop aroma with citrus and a slight banana undertone. “Minimal sweetness, dry hoppy finish. West Coast imperial IPA/Tripel?” “More like a Belgian double IPA. Really interesting beer, but in no way a Tripel.” 3 stars
Kerboros Tripel, 8.5%, Flying Dog Brewery, Aspen, CO: Hazy medium gold color, little/no head. Neutral nose with faint herbal and sweet notes. “Very sweet, needs more balance. Hardly any carbonation, odd for this style.” “Slight hoppiness in flavor, a bit underwhelming overall.” 2.5 stars
Belgian Style Triple Ale, a 3-way collaboration between the Mikkeller, Stone, and Alesmith breweries: Poured clear, deep gold color, not much head. Spicy, herbal hop aromas with sulphury, tropical fruit, mint, and spruce undertones. “Very bitter with lots of hops that don’t blend well with the malt. Odd juniper note. American, West Coast style tripel?” “Very hoppy, and a bit sweet. Hops a bit much for style.” 2.5 stars
2009 Annual Grand Cru, BJ’s Brewhouse, various locations, CA: Hazy golden color, low carbonation, not much head. Aromas of honey, clover, coriander, and orange. “Sweet and sour. Low effervescence and carbonation. Some hot alcohol. Too sweet for style.” “Very sweet, needs more balance. Needs to ferment more.” 2 stars
As we relaxed afterwards with some snacks provided by our host Sam Barbieri, the beers were unmasked and re-tasted. The final results were Pisgah Solstice — 1st place, Weyerbacher Merry Monks — 2nd place, and Brewer’s Art Green Peppercorn Tripel — 3rd place.
Key:
5 Stars – World Class
4 Stars – Excellent
3 Stars – Good
2 Stars – Average
1 Star – Not recommended
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