“This complex strong Belgian ale is a marriage of spicy, fruity and alcohol flavours mixed with orange and peppery notes along with a low but distinctive floral hop character.”
This is the 2015 limited edition Tripel. Bottle 304/500 so it’s quite rare and we’re pretty damn happy about getting our hands on one. Served in a beer tulip. The somewhat bronze appearance caps off with a finger of beige foam that rapidly reduces to a halo with minimal lacing. Looks a lot darker than the standard Belgian Tripel. A light twirl of the glass evokes slightly complex aromas. Very multi-layered. Initially we get sweet scents of caramel and raisin with a kind of plummy juiciness. Delve deeper and a subtle liqueur-like quality is detected, not quite as sharp as sherry or port, more like a spiced rum character. Definitely a hint of pepper, a touch of candy and a somewhat stewed pear fruitiness to fill it out. Solid aroma! Good balance in the mouth. While the texture is smooth and velvety there is a subtle alcohol (9.2% ABV) warmth that stimulates the palate. The Co2 is mild and body is around the medium mark. Initially the sweet malts, raisin, caramel and alcohol burn combine on entry. Midway, fruits like banana and orange are introduced as a slightly peppery spice leads in to a dry and fruity finish. Our first crack at this breweries range was a bit of a disappointment but this Tripel has certainly won back our respect. Good complexity, true-to-style, tasty and above all it’s highly palatable. This is a decent version of a Belgian Tripel.