“A monster of a beer. Huge yeast, hop and alcohol combine in an intimidatingly sublime version of a classic Belgian Tripel. This is a collaboration beer between The Australian Brewery, Chur Brewing Co (aka Behemoth Brewing Co in NZ) and Beer & Brewer magazine.”
Served in a Trappist chalice. We’re met with a cloudy mustard yellow hue that sports a short white crest on top. Rapid reduction, scaling back to a ring with minimal lace as we imbibe.
Our first thoughts of the nose are pretty good, it presents a lovely yeasty sweetness with suggestions of funk, barnyard, spice and mild sourness. Not getting a great deal of banana and clove (or bubblegum) and it’s a little heavy on the herbs with a pronounced citrus tang. Very action packed aroma just a little askew in terms of execution.
The mouth feel is nice and accommodating which is excellent considering the hefty ABV (10.5%). It offers a lifted Co2 with medium body. Nothing aggressive just a smooth fluency over the tongue.
The front palate is driven by a blend of citrus and supported by hints of fresh pear and apple, subtle earthy hops and spice. Maybe a bit more bitterness in comparison to its Belgian counterparts as a certain dryness kicks in through the mid. More of a traditional finish with spice, fruity esters, candied lemons and hints of banana seal it all up while a decent length is shown in the tail.
Maybe not the best representation of a traditional Belgian tripel but it certainly has the potential to be one. There’s just a few minor things that subtract from it but it can be excused as most would know how difficult this style of brewing can be. Not bad.