750 mL corked & caged bottle with that nasty synthetic cork. $8.99 from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA.
Opens with a healthy ‘pop’ and poured into the Duvel tulip. Mid orange body sits underneath a towering head with wonderful lace. Darker than many Tripels but with the lacing this looks VERY good. Lacing is some of the best I have seen in some time.
Nose has a big, musty Belgian candy note. VERY malty in the aroma too with lots of Brown sugar.
The beer drinks much less sweet than the nose would suggest. Some yeasty fruits up front and a slight bitterness in the background. It finishes with a hoppy, almost tobacco note. Lacks the typical sweetness associated with many Tripels. Alcohol is nowhere to be seen, but there are plenty of burned malts in there too.
Interesting beer in as much as it is not as sweet or as alcoholic as many Tripels and has a distinct bitterness (citrus rind or mixed peel; maybe even a little grapefruit). I’m not sure how old this bottle is (I suspect that it has some age on it) but it has been kind and the beer drinks very well.