“A tripel is light, strong with big, dense and creamy head. It´s balanced with a sweet finish. We at Nøgne Ø like to do things our own way. “How to make a signature flavor in a tripel?”, we asked ourselves at one point. We concluded that peat smoked malt of Scottish origin was the answer. Subtle yet present. Enjoy with cheeses, seafood or poultry. Recommended serving temperature 6°C/43°F.”
We have a huge respect for this Norwegian craft brewery and rarely do they disappoint. We served in a beer tulip. Pouring a light copper orange with golden hues, it’s boasting a champagne-like fizziness with a tonne of active bubbles rising up to the short white cap. Not a great show of head retention, reducing to a collar with minimal lacing. Belgian yeasty notes (banana, pear, spice) dough, stone fruits and subtle undertone of peat make up this classy aroma. Medium to high carbonation. Frothy mouth feel with light-medium weight on the tongue. Slightly hoppy, with fruity/spritzy hints of champagne, spice, honey, a hint of peat/smoke and citrus. Flavour leaves a sweet and sugary jaffa-like taste on the back palate. Considering the intricate flavours, the presence of smoke and high alcohol percentage (9%) it makes for a very enjoyable sipping beer. Quite a strange tripel this one, although we liked the addition of the Scottish smoked malt against the Belgian yeasts. Not bad at all.