Alesmith Mikkeller Stone Belgian Style Tripel Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Abbey Tripel
Escondido, California USA

12oz bottle 3/15/09 (Discount Liquor)-Pours a hazy goldenish orange with a nice small tight head. Aroma of yeast, citrus, hops, and grass. Taste is of the same with some coriander, hops, and orange. This medium to full bodied brew is rather tasty and well balanced but definitely an Americanized version.

On tap at Falling Rock for GABF 08. Clear copper pour with small head. Yeast, hops and grass on the nose. Flavor has orange, coriander, honey and lemons.

Bottle at Olympen, Oslo. Hazy golden with a small white head. Complex fruity aroma with hints of orange and alcohol. Sweetish orange flavours blending with yeast and a hint of marcipane. There is class over this tripel.

Bottle from Stan at Lone Hill. This delivers, in that it tastes like a beer from each of these guys: has the sharpness of Mikkeller, the clean texture of an AleSmith beer, and the mineral finish of a Stone. Problem is, none of these houses are synonymous with the subtle coconut, vanilla, flour notes that would come through in a Belgian Tripel like Maredsous 10 or a Chimay Cinq Cents. This beer is rather bold with sharp Begian hops and alcohol. Tastes rather US-ized.

Pours an unexpectedly clear, copper colour, almost a lager appearance. Small white head dissapears quickly. Smell is grassy herbal hops and yeast. Taste subtle blend of herbal hops, coriander, lemongrass, orange and pepper, and honey like sweetness, finishes quite light bitter hops with a hint of alcohol. Surprisingly lacking in punch for a strong beer but plenty of flavour. Enjoyable.

Rich, spicy sweet aroma conceals a drier complex flavor. Seems like another Belgian tripel meets IPA. While I’m not totally in love with the flavor, it is quite complex with a lot going on. I might have liked a tiny bit more sweetness to balance it out, but that’s just me.

Pours a semi hazy golden color with thin off-white head. Aroma is slightly yeasty and with some moderate spice and fruit flavors interwoven together. Taste is moderately sweet, some Belgian spice and pepper mix in for a semi-sweet enjoyable adventure. However, it finishes a bit brash for me. good, but nothing I’d pick up again.

Thanks for sharing, bro! Pours a crisp golden color with some haziness. Aroma is pear, lemon, and some spicy yeastiness.Taste is much the same. Finishes rather clean. Good stuff.