750 mL corked & caged from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA $11.99.
I’ve passed on this a few times at the store, finally took the plunge when the stock seemed to go down to the last bottle. Van Steenberge is solid, so thought I should go ahead.
Pour is very impressive. Firstly the beer pops with a healthy blast and the gunsmoke is good. The color is a deep orange with just the right amount of cloudiness. Even more impressive is the head. Bone white and fantastically sticky and persistent, especially on the surafce of the beer. Greaty spotty surface foam.
Nose is the weakest part for me, which gives some of that musty, old beer nose. Luckily this is not carried over to the taste in any significant way. Quite creamy in the mouth (perhaps not as profound as some in the style), but holds its own. Light alcohol, light sugar and spice too. Finishes strong by bringing all of those elements together. Mild prickle in the back end.
Classic Tripel? Perhaps not, a bit softer than many in the style but still drinks well.
Tasty and a nice beer to replace wine and could act as an aperitif.