Tripel

About eight months ago I decided I needed to drink more Tripels. I went on a bit of a shopping spree and brought home several bottles of Belgian and American Tripels. I drank about half of them that first month and decided to change gears before I got burnt out. One of the bottles I'd picked up back then had gotten misplaced somewhere along the lines and ended up in a box in the basement. Here we are, several months later, and I've found that missing bottle of Bornem Tripel. The bottle doesn't have a "best by" date on it, and at 9% ABV I figure it'd hold up for a few months but I should probably drink it ASAP...

The St. Vrain Tripel is one of Left Hand's bomber sized specialty beer that seems to be a little harder to track down in my neck of the woods. I was finally able to get my hands on a bottle last week and have eagerly awaited its opening. After throwing the football around on a nice early spring Sunday afternoon, I figured this is as good a time as any to crack open the St. Vrain. What awaited was a golden bodied Tripel that smelled a little like funky oranges and begged to be consumed.

I've overlooked this beer for far too long. I've heard stories about how great this "Dark Tripel" is, but I've never bothered to get a bottle for myself. Well, I picked up an assorted six pack of stubby little Belgian bottles about two months ago and it actually had a bottle of Gulden Draak packed in. Between packing, moving and unpacking I've been neglecting my beers so this has been sitting in the back of the fridge for quite some time now. In some ways I'm glad I saved it, a dark and sweet Tripel is sounding really really good right now...

So for the longest time I honestly thought the name of beer was "Golden Carolus" ...I can't tell you why, it's just one of those things. I've seen bottles of Gouden Carolus on the shelves next to other big Belgian names and I've largely glanced over them in favor of something a bit more rare or interesting. A couple of weeks ago I started the process of moving into my first house, knowing that I'd be insanely busy for the next few weeks, I stocked up on beer so I could try and squeeze in a few reviews whenever I had time. I decided to pick up some "familiar" beers that would make this new house feel like "home" ...and it's hard to have a bad time while drinking a Belgian Tripel.

What do you mean Redhook isn't a Colorado craft brewery? Oh, after staring real close at there logo I see those are Pine trees, not Rocky Mountains.... honest mistake. I've seen plenty of Redhook beers floating around but this is the first bottle I've decided to pick up and take home. Tripels are one of my favorite styles of beer so this probably wasn't the best beer to start with since my expectations were pretty high. I'd heard good things about this beer and figured it would hold up well under scrutiny, so here we are...

This bottle of Augustijn Ale is a smallish stubby dark bottle with a curious label on it. On the label is a scene of a bald(ing) fat monk stirring a barrel of what I assume is barley. The label is drawn in a way that reminds me of Disney's animated Robin Hood movie from the 1970s. There are no anthropomorphized animals in this monk's cellar but there are a couple of curious medieval banner with animals on them. One banner has three lions in silhouette and the other has three deer or elk... It seems a little out of place but maybe that's because I'm not part of this beer's target audience... I'm not a 14th century monk that looks like he just stepped out of a Disney animated movie.

Westmalle ranks right up there with Orval and Chimay as far as Trappist mindshare in the average craft beer drinker goes. Trappist beers are held in high regard, and for good reason. They're high quality beers with unique characteristics. Westmalle's Tripel is a spicier take on the Tripel style that packs a lot of alcohol and yeasty funk into an outwardly modest looking beer. I poured this Tripel into a tulip glass and noticed a couple things that were worth mentioning right off the bat. The color of this beer is a little lighter than I was expecting, this made sense when I went in and got a good whiff...

Boulevard's Long Strange Tripel is one of those beers that I've wanted to drink for the longest time but never got around to it for one reason or another. The Long Strange Tripel is one of Boulevard's original Smokestack Series beers. I love Belgian style ales and I've wanted to pick up a bottle of the Long Strange many times but it seems like I've always overlooked it in favor of more exotic beers when I'm at the store. I finally got a sample of the Long Strange at the Kansas City Beerfest last fall. I'm not sure if it was the quality of the beer or the fact that it was poured by Mr. Harold "Trip" Hogue himself, but this was definitely the highlight of the day.

Chimay is one of those brands that carries a bit of cachet. The name exemplifies Belgian beer for a lot of people. For many, Chimay's Dubbel defines the genre. For the most part there is good reason Chimay is held in such high regard. They do make some fabulous beers... but no one is perfect. Not all Chimay beers are home runs, and the White is more of a grounder to 2nd base. I was a bit disappointed in the Chimay White, I was hoping for a more balanced Tripel that showcased it's sourness. The White is more bitter than I was expecting. There is still a bit of good Belgian sour in this beer, just not as much as the aroma would suggest. This beer smells like a Wit that has just been loaded up with Brettanomyces. The flavor really falls short...