Notes on beers in the style
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Brewery De Meester has been making a lot of noise in recent years, but mostly for reasons that I'm not interested in. They seem to have a large American influence that I don't care for, and people have been excited about the kind of beer that I...
330 mL bottle, Belgian Style Ales. New one for me. Best Before End 08/13/27. Deep golden pour but oddly very little pop on opening. The head is OK and retention and lace alright, but the lack of carbonation when the bottle opened had me thinking...
Various sources describe this a a BSPA and a Tripel, but for me it sits in the former category despite the brewery offering this description; "Filou is a strong blonde, top-fermented beer. Its subtle spicy aromas and nuanced sweet flavour profile...
Well it's not "Belgian" so that might be a trade description problem, but it is allegedly a Belgian Style Tripel. This beer is flat. I know the picture suggests decent carbonation, but that's horribly misleading. The beer dies in the glass very...
Annoying glass, annoying beer. Is this any different to the regular that I rate quite low? No. Big pop on opening. Good. Too dark for my liking for the style, and the beer is a little musty at two years old. That's not the fault of the beer per se,...
I've been waiting on this beer. Well-carbonated, by not overly so. Thick, billowy head with some excellent retention. Lace works nicely close to the body of the beer. There's quite a lot of sweetness here, and that's entirely appropriate if this is...
"Collaboration with Pig Destroyer. Belgian Triple in celebration of Pig Destroyer triumphant return to Decibel Magazine’s Metal and Beer Fest" - no idea what that's about, I suppose Pig Destroyer is a band ... or an abattoir ... Anyway, back to the...
A feature of the Wipers beers appears to be these thick, dense, sumptuous heads. This is no exception. Retention and lace both good. It's a gold body, darker than many a Tripel. Atypical in many respects. The nose is surprisingly nondescript. A...
375 mL corked and caged. GREAT to find a new, American beer that I might give a shit about, and that's not in a can, and in an traditional style. Hooray for Tröegs! Not surprised that it's taken a old-school brewer to pull us back toward normality....
Way, way darker than one might expect for a Tripel. the beer pours a curious honey brown. Got to admit, I don't much care for the color in the context of the style. Head is good, with some very nice lace. Decent film on the surface. This beer is...
Bottled 23JUN23 BBD 23JUN27. #9 in a series that has not been easily available in the US, or via shipping beer in from Belgium directly. These beers have been experimental series since 2014, taking on various guises with various collaborators and...
Etre. Unusually for them, slightly out of date - not that it matters much I feel. Bottled: 12SEP23 BBD: 12JUN24 Some deep, deep cuts here. Even if you ARE up to speed with some US brewing history, and even if you're old enough and experienced...
33cl bottle. 05/03/2025. Tripel on the label, but this is often categorized as a BSPA, but this has all the characteristics of a high ABV Tripel, and I think that's a better descriptor. Lightly hazed, golden body with a decent head considering the...
12.7oz, over-presented bottle. weird label. WTF happened to beer labels? There's just no easy way to tell what might be in the damn bottle. Stupid. Not sweet enough for a Tripel, the beer is way too dry for the style IMO. There is some decent white...
An old acquaintance, never formally noted on the site, about 20 years overdue! Classic golden, utterly clear body, with a resplendent, bone-white ice-cream like head. Perfect appearance, the etched Kasteel glass works beautifully here. Head...
Second bottle of this. L1 061022, 06/04/24 Not to be confused with the US brewery of the same name. Classic, golden Tripel pour with a lovely pillow-like head that hangs around nicely. All of the requisite attributes for the style are here, both...
I first came across this beer back in April/May of 2020. I had seen it at an online retailer in Belgium and I didn't recognize it. I am assuming that it was relatively new at the time. In a style that I generally love, obviously it was a no-brainer...
If I'm brutally honest, not a beer for the purist. To be fair, the label does describe it as a 'Hoppy Tripel'. Again if I'm honest, this isn't a great start for me. I'm a big Tripel fan, but mostly for the reason that they offer a sweetness that is...
Bottle No: 1845 (out of 11,000) Never thought I would get a chance to try this, as very little probably made it to the USA and it sold out online pretty quickly too. This is not a gentle Tripel. It's aggressive, and has a drying, warming feel about...
I *think* this is the former Abbaye D'aulne, Christmas Triple Ale rebranded, but I'm not 100% sure. The pour is fine, but the initially nice head fades to not much. No significant lace, although the color is pretty. A clear, garnet hue with a real...
This must be a collaboration, right? But no mention of New Belgium being involved other than the obvious text across the front of the bottle. Best before 26 JAN 2024. Honey orange pour with a great head, nice retention and some lace. A little...
Apparently I've had this before today but I have no notes, and I was somewhat surprised to find out that Brouwerij Oud Beersel made a Tripel given their sour-laden portfolio. The pour is an astonishing color - deep, deep golden, great hues Head is...
11.2 oz bottle, Best before end of 2019. Greens, Buford location, Atlanta, GA in late 2022. Pour is well-carbonated (considering the age) initially, that fades quickly to give no lace but a semi-decent film across the beer. A surprisingly rich...
A beer that is called Noël in Belgium, but named Winter Ale in the USA. However, about 20 years there was also an apparently now retired, completely different Val-Dieu Winter Ale available in the US that can lead to confusion. This beer is...
Lot: n°1 - 2022. Dot-matrixed on top of cage 24/11/24 GBO, 24KU13:36 I got really lucky in acquiring this beer, so rather than dwelling upon that too much I'm determined to enjoy it and savor it. One thing that a lifetime of buying, sampling,...
Additional notes from Oct 2025 on same older bottles As much as I adore de Garre Tripel - and I do, and it’s well-documented - I have a few bottles that are probably around 2-3 years old that are changing in a way I didn’t expect. There seems to be...
I'm a bit curious about the age of this bottle. Difficult to know, and other than "L17 40" printed on the label there's nothing else to go by. I'm hoping this is not a reference to 2017, but TBH with no other information to hand, who knows? Various...
11 oz pour, attractive tulip glass. It has taken me a little while to warm to The Landing Beer Co. in downtown Fort Wayne. If I’m honest that’s not really a big knock on them, it’s just the typical situation for a legacy drinker these days. Fake...
Purchased in Columbus, OH at Perfect Pour. 750 mL, corked and caged affair. Reserved pop on opening, no drama. Pour is a yellowish-golden rather than a distinctly golden-golden. A little chill-haze. Head is bone-white and above average. Decent...
I first got this shipped to me in June 2021 directly from Belgium and before it was available in the US, but have had probably about 6-10 bottles of it since. Let’s get this out of the way immediately - this definitely doesn’t drink like a typical...
Arguments abound over which beers constitute the quintessential examples of many styles, but perhaps Tripels attract the largest amount of such attention. Westmalle is of course the first beer out of people’s mouths when Tripels are the subject of...
Orange clouded pour. Nice head with some sticky lace. Color is a little too orange for the style IMO. This is odd, and well outside any Tripel parameters even with generous interpretations of style (something I seldom have much truck with)....
Another beer that I enjoy, but also one that many purists frown upon. Is it a classic Tripel? Some would say no, and perhaps prefer to categorize this a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, but for me it has enough Tripel character to carry the beer through,...
750 mL corked & caged. Expensive at around $21+. I’ve become much more discerning in terms of the beer I buy these days. Brooklyn is a brewery that I generally trust, but at these prices some bottles might be purchased, others might not...
Bright copper body with a wispy, white head. Looks great. Nose has good levels of clean orange that reflects the color. Light viscosity and alcohol are certainly present and forceful. The beer seems a little clean and bitter for a real Tripel....
Corked & Caged, nice presentation. Promising, and then ... ... 'Belgian style' Tripel? As opposed to what? I supposed that's supposed to tell us that it's not actually Belgian. OK Errr ... why does a Tripel, trigger a 'Hopped Up' badge on...
22 oz bottle. Great Divide has been a great disappointment to me of late and the old Aged Anniversary Series has been a real feature of that disappointment. Glad things get back on track with this one. 'Belgian Style Ale' (whatever THAT means,...
I hold my hand up here and admit that I screwed up. The thought of Golden Monkey aged in white wine barrels was definitely something that I would be very interested in. I tend to gravitate toward some of the white wine options for barrel aging, and...
The pour here is a two part affair. Before the bottle-conditioning element comes into play, we have a frankly, weak looking, light straw colored beer. It gets more golden, but we never get a nice, cloudy affair with the bottle conditioning added....
Advertised as a 'Belgian Style Ale' this is clearly a Tripel despite the fact that untappd originally had this listed as something else. The pour offers exactly what one would expect with a golden body with a high, fluffy white head, but the heads...
OK, an American brewed, Belgian-style Tripel, from a brewery with Scottish connections? We'll see! Nice golden hue with some decent carbonation. Small head, fades quickly to give very little lace. Head retention is not great, and the thin film is...
12 oz single from Highland Beverage, Birmingham, AL, USA. $2.19. I simply really, really enjoy virtually everything that Sprecher does; I hope this is no exception. Pour is a nice, dark golden body with a small, white head. Retention and lace are...
Never thought I would see this on shelves in GA. Love the presentation in the corked and caged, unique bottle. Pour is pretty impressive. After the huge pop when the cork leaves the bottle, the beer pours with a massive, and impressive fluffy head...
A beer, which on the one or two other occasions I have drunk it, I enjoyed it so much that I never got around to reviewing. I just didn't want the experience of drinking it to be interrupted by note taking. Boulevard really has made some excellent...
The usual Bruery presentation in the 750 mL bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. The latest Bruery offering to arrive in GA. Beautiful pour with plenty of fluffy white head that comes with good lace and retention. The color is interesting...
750 mL corked and caged bottle. Thanks to lackenhauser as part of Veterans BIF. Clouded orange body with plenty of thick, yeast sediment coming from the depths of the bottle. Head is initially a high, white affair but it fades quickly to leave a...
The usual, 750 mL presentation with cork & cage from Ommegang. Purchased from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Decent pop on opening with some gun smoke. Body is quite a dark orange considering the style. Head is decent, but fades to a...
Fantastic ice-cream-like head over the clouded yellow body with some haze. Lace, retention and general appearance of the head are second to none. Light tangerine color. Nose has some light floral notes with a touch of white pepper and a little...
22oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. So far I've been pretty unimpressed with the recent Heavy Seas/Clipper City bomber offerings, with the DIPA being especially poor and the Pumpkin and Märzen not really setting the house on fire either,...
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...
Delighted and surprised to find this on tap at Taco Mac in Douglasville, GA, USA. 16 oz pour. Pours with a bright, bright golden body, a decent head and amazingly clarity. Normally I'm a huge fan of such clarity but to be honest I expect my Tripels...
11 oz pour at Taco Mac on the East West Connector, Austell, GA, USA. Pour gives a classic, hazed yellow body but a rather disappointing lack of head (at least in terms of size). Lace is good. Very strong, even "artificially" so; plenty of bubblegum...
500 mL bottle, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour yields a really quite yellow, slightly chill-hazed body with some nice white head. Wispy, light lace. Color changes to a darker he when the final yeast sediment is added from the last pour of the...
11.2 oz bottle from Tower on Piedmont, Atlanta, GA, USA. Probably an older bottle but it should hold up OK. We'll see. The pour is an attractive golden body with some decent lace and retention. The carbonation is rather good. Somewhat sweet nose,...
22oz bottle. One of my favorite styles from a brewer that usually does a great job, this looks promising. Pour is odd. Lots of large bubbles in the carbonation, but this leads to virtually no head, no retention and obviously no lace. It looks a bit...
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a wheat, colored, light yellow hazed body. Head is disappointingly thin and lacks presence. Unfortunately this is a feature of the beer - a lack of depth and presence. Lots of banana notes more...
12 oz bottle from a recent trade. OK, essentially this is a Quad. Right from the appearance, the ABV, through to the nose, the taste and the way it drinks. Much darker that a standard tripel, the beer pours out a really dark orange. There is a very...
22 oz bottle from Jim - cheers. ST is a bit hit and miss to say the least with me, so it's always an interesting experience to open up a beer of theirs that I've no had before. Pour yields a clear golden body with a frothy head. The whole thing...
Interesting to say the least. OK, here's my take; 22 oz bottle that on opening creates a small spew of foamy discharge. Poured into the Gouden Carolus chalice, the beer has a very deep, rich butterscotch hue, thin film of head that is produced...
Red plastic covers the capped, 750 mL bottle. On opening there is a touch of gun-smoke but not much other signs of life. The words "American Trippel" on the label. I'm not keen on the spelling, nor on the word American coupled with the word Trippel...
Thanks go out to my BA secret bunny 2009, mday. 12 oz bottle. The usual screen-printed, Stone style. One of my favorite styles from a combination of three (generally) superb breweries looks like a winning combo! Pour is a slightly hazy, golden body...
$11.75 for the corked and caged affair via mail from Bruisin' Ales, Asheville, NC, USA. Bottle says 9.5% ABV and has the text, "January 2009 +". Possibly the most tightly wound cage that I have ever come across, a bit of a pain to get off. Follow...
On tap at Brugge Brasserie and on tap downtown at Buffalo Wild Wings. This review reflects my experience at the source. Served in a goblet/chalice, the beer pour a typical bright golden hue with a significant amount of clouding. Head was a little...
Advertised on their beer board as 7^3 (i.e. seven raised to the power of 3), the waitress called this beer "Triple Seven" (obviously the niceties of mathematics are not a strong point at The Ram) and told me it was 8.00% ABV. It drank pretty well...
On-tap at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. #1 in the Dank Tank series. Golden pour with an impressive head and some nice lace. Nice carbonation. Would definitely categorize this as a hoppy tripel rather than a Belgian IPA. The sweetness is...
A Dutch Tripel? I have my doubts, let's see ... $3.95 for the 11.2 oz bottle form Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. Nasty looking pour - dirty brown Dubbel appearance. Looks like dirty, ditch/dish water. Head is short lived and no lace in the...
From notes: Thanks go out to Robet for a chance to try this at a recent Brick Store gathering. A lighter than expected golden pour with a nose that reflects the oak. Robert said that chips were used rather than the barrel but to me it's difficult...
12 oz bottle for a $7.99 four pack from Tower on Piedmont. I've been putting off trying this for a while, not sure why. Dark orange almost amber pour into the Duvel tulip. Head is scant and short lived, to leave a few bubbles and some spotty head...
Purchased from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. 22oz bomber. 4th in the Zappa series from Lagunitas. Poured into the Ommegang chalice the beer has a classic dark orange/golden Tripel hue, and initially a good head. This fades quickly though and...
Additional notes 02/08/23 (Pictured) Bottled 18 Jun 2022. A small gusher. Lace is good again. Again, fifteen years later and this time out of the bottle and not on draft, plenty of alcohol is present. Nice, light burn. Not as fruity as some, muted...
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....
Additional Notes 07/28/22 I enjoy this beer a lot more than the notes below indicate, and 18 and 14 years on from those I have a true, and much deeper appreciation for the beer. However, I STILL maintain that the White is not necessarily a...
11.2oz bottle, with a new, updated label and a different shape from the picture in the BA database. Purchased at Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Typical golden, hazed orange body, light head with some lace in the Val Dieu Goblet. Fine...
22oz bottle, purchased at State Line Liquor, DE, USA. $5.79. Poured into the Val-Dieu chalice. Pour is a very nice, slightly cloudy classic orange body. Head is not very well retained, but is attractive, and very fluffy. Lace was impressive. It...
12oz bottle. Golden hazy pour with a thin film of "head" on the surface. Basically no lace. Strong bubblegum aroma. Sweet in the nose with some artifical (estery) pineapple and some alcohol. Prickly carbonation in the mouth that I don't much care...
Pictured 03/25/23 Original notes 12/01/07 Allagash Curieux, the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Tripel. Purchased on recent trip to Greensboro, NC, USA. A mistake because it arrived in GA while I was out of state! Corked & Caged 750 mL bottle. Poured into...
Additional notes 05/13/23 (Pictured) Bottle - Belgian Style Ales. Golden body, perfect head. Classic sweet Tripel with an excellent alcohol edge and clean lines. Perfect example of the style with white pepper and spice at an appropriate level. Some...
Additional notes (10/20/24) - pictured. Big, sweet hops are the order of the day with Guldenberg, and this bottle is no exception. Is this a Tripel? Well, it's forever cast as one but the De Ranke hop element is just absolutely impossibly to...
On-tap, the Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Small pour in the correct glassware (as ever). Has the appearance of a high quality Wit, but with a better head (rocky, dense and bone-white). The second beer that I have had in the last couple of weeks...
22 oz bomber, thanks to Solomon420 for the trade. 2007 version with a label rather than a screen printed bottle. Aggresive pour gives a nice head, but it is scant and short lived and there is a distinct lace of lace. Body has a true golden, tripel...
In English, Holy Water. Corked & Caged 750 mL bottle as a part of the Unibroue tasting at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Not currently available in the USA. Well, I'm running out of new things to say about the Unibroue range. So many of the...
Thanks to BEERchitect for the trade. Annoying carbonation on the opening of the impressive looking bottle. Wave afer wave of light bubbles waste a substantial amount of beer on the kitchen counter. Cloudy apple juice colored liquid (a lot of yeast...
22 oz bomber. Pale golden pour into the Duvel glass. Clear, golden pour with a somewhat thin and disappointing head. Watery lacing - not much of it. Very mild yeast and spice in the nose. Tastes are extremely mild too. This drinks like a Tripel...
11.2 oz Stubbie, different label to the one in the BA database - the new one has a more modern black and yellow look. Best Before 01/02/11 printed on the cap - plenty of time left to enjoy this! Into the Duvel tulip this has a huge head that...
$6.99, Michael's Beer and Wine, Marietta, GA, USA. Not sure about the age of this 4 pack, but at the same time this should be OK for some time. Quite what this is, or indeed is supposed to be, I'm not at all sure. The label says "British Style...
Notes Added 07/21/2022 Sixteen years later (pictured) and I'm still enjoying this. Definite honey notes, BUT the beauty of this Triple is that it's not sweet. Classically crafted, white pepper and lots of dry alcohol. The 9% is not punishing at...
Poured into the Val-Dieu chalice it presents itself as a very pale golden color. The head is big and lacks a real rocky appearance (rather ultra-fine bubbles predominate), but the slightly thinner nature means the best lacing I have seen for a very...
Pictured 10/16/22 Original notes 03/21/06 Part of the Kapittel mixed 4-pack. Authentic, with all the classic Tripel characteristics. High alcohol, golden color, slightly viscous, sweet and Belgian yeast characteristics. Good frothy head with good...
Simple pour into the goblet, with a peach colored hue, spotty head and a little bit of lacing. Rather odd taste, it has the the tripel sweetness but coming with it is some kind of milk chocolate taste. Some peppery alcohol in the taste. A dry...
Additional notes 01/28/23 (pictured) 18 years later the head on this beer is now magnificent, with huge ice-cream foam, great retention and lace (contrast with the notes below). The head is frankly, perfection in 2023. The color still disappoints...
Additional notes 01/08 New presentation with a black foiled neck and a new, updated label. Still in the corked & caged, dimple-bottomed, champagne style, heavy green glass bottle. Cork says bottled 06/2007. Beer seems a tad less aggressive....
Notes: 02/20/22 12 oz can (pictured). The alcohol is less apparent than it once was for me. Spice notes still present. I like this beer, and getting toward twenty years of drinking it proves that. Additional notes: 12/16/06 This is a bottle that is...
Orange/amber body with an ample head that fades quickly (high ABV causes this?) to leave some spotty, creamy film and a little lacing. Aroma is mainly spiced alcohol and some ripe bananas. Tastes reflect that mix, and this comes across as being...
Quite impressed. 750 mL bottle, corked and capped. Good value Tripel with all the classic attributes in place and solid. Lovely pour into my Chimay chalice with a generous head, excellent lacing and some super orange/gold color. Lots of spice and...
Additional notes and pictured from 06/04/23 Wow, my notes below are pretty scathing from almost exactly 18 years ago! I still don't think this beer is a great example of the style, and I still don't really love it, but it's better than that first...
Striking color, absolutely golden with a decent head and some lacing. Quite dry, with a little prickly carbonation in the mouthfeel. Definite spicy character with some fruit, but it was difficult to pin down the exact fruits and spices that were in...
Additional notes 11/21/23 Putting aside historical arguments regarding Westmalle, I generally think of Karmeliet as the quintessential Tripel. This is still true even after the InBev purchase of 2016. Still sweet, and still a little lighter than...
Pictured 05/05/23 Incredible clarity and still difficult to get a handle on the ABV which is 2023 is flagged at an even higher 8.5%! Still the same dry spices as ever, this beer really has stood the test of time. I've fallen out of love with New...
Updated notes 03/11/23 $14 for the corked and caged 750 from Blue Ridge Beer Hub, Waynesville, NC. I very much stand by my original notes from April of 2005. This 'tripel' is a dry one, but without being truly dry. It has some fruit and alcohol but...
Pale orange pour with loads of soft, ripe fruits in the nose. Not a huge head, but decent with some lacing in my very versatile and much beloved New Belgium glass. Sweet alcoholic pineapple is where this one sets out it's stall. Quite an acidic and...
Light golden pour with a small, frothy head that largely disappears fairly quickly. There is some persistent light film on the body, and some minor lacing as it sits in the New Belgium goblet. Tons of alcohol in the nose, with a sinus clearing...
Additional notes 04/19/24 (pictured) These days the "10" moniker in the name is missing, although the beer still comes in at 10%. The pour seems darker than in the past. Head is still as amazing as it ever was, and when it settles it forms a...
Additional notes 11/11/22 (pictured) It's so funny to look back at notes form twenty odd years previously. Not much has ever changed about the quinessential Tripel in the world for me. Drinkability, excellence and sheer pleasure rule, with all of...
Updated notes 06/12/2022 Been a long time since I’ve had this (not 18 years since my last notes, but still a while). A great, yeasty, bitterly sweet bite that delivers an alcohol punch. It’s all there for a Tripel with white pepper and sweet/bitter...
750 mL, Chapel Hill Package, Douglasville, GA, USA, $6.99. Quite disappointed. A watery experience was the overwhelming memory of this beer. All in all way too lightweight for the style. Light "lager" colored appearance, decent head but disappeared...
Notes added 10/02/2021 This is the beer pictured. Still that fat, billowing, impressive head. The nose has those apple, estery Belgian yeast notes that are so, so tempting on the nose. A perfectly smooth body leads to the simplicity of a beautiful...
Additional notes 11/27/22 (pictured): From the date of the original notes, this must have been one of the very first beers that I purchased in Atlanta after the cap was popped. Interestingly, the exact same beer, from the exactly the same store, 18...
Pictured 04/15/23 Notes added 06/29/2021 Looking back on the initial review, it's odd that the color was described that way in 2014. The latest bottle (and I've had this countless times), gives a lovely, typically golden body underneath that...