“According to folklore, the Elder (Sambucus Nigra) is a tree imbued with a deep magic. It was said to ward off evil and even that couples who drank an ale infused with the Elderflower would marry within the year. Brewed with malted barley and wheat infused with Elderflower sugar syrup, fresh Elderflowers and honey create a beer alive with the verdant joy of Spring. You need a bit of good luck to pull off a beer like this – so ‘touch wood’.”
Served in a tulip glass. From the pour a short, fizzy head gradually reduces to a ring and reveals the slightly hazy golden amber body underneath. Lacing is minimal. The nose displays the feature elderflower and honey quite conservatively, although a few more deep whiffs does help to uncover a lovely floral sweetness. We also detect a dry bretty sourness, probably more tart than sour, which imparts hints of pomegranate and lemon as undertones of peppery spice, champagne and fresh herbs act as the more traditional Tripel characters. Good depth and complexity on show here. The mouth feel has a lovely crisp texture to it. The 9% ABV is extremely well hidden. Just a touch of that saliva inducing tartness coming through. Light feel, medium body and good Co2. We get more of the sweet honey and floral elderflower on entry – they’re more pronounced than they were on the nose. A delicious cameo of vanilla creeps in before a mild alcohol warmth couples with a subtle citric tartness through the mid. A slightly cloying malt sweetness in turn delivers a dry, floral finish that provides some good length to the rear palate. Quite a nice release here from Garage Project. Of late they’ve been a bit up and down (our thoughts anyway) so it’s good to see them hitting back with this highly drinkable Tripel. Props for the packaging too, very artistic and labour-heavy with the red string tying the wrapping paper off at the neck. We liked it, nice traditional Tripel base with the elderflower and honey accents worked through beautifully. Decent offering.