Bison Organic Belgian Ale

Brewed by Bison Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Berkeley, California USA

(22oz bottle) Campled at DumDum’s Belgian Sendoff on August 25, 2005. Pours a thin, white, frothy head with a cloudy, golden body. Nose is very marshmellow malt. Flavour is mildly thin, sweet with rubbing alcohol in the finish. Thanks Lubiere!

I really need to get an Allagash or a Westmalle to re-orient my palate to this style because I’ve had so many bad examples recently. This was on the good side of the bad examples in my opinion. Or maybe my expectations were just that low. Clear gold, slight head. Sweet aroma, also had a touch of coriander and apricot. Flavor matched, it even had a bit of spiciness to go with the apricot fruit flavors. Too sweet, yes, but not awful, it wasn’t one dimensional and it kept me interested.

Straw yellow body with a very thick white, cottony looking head. Looks more like a lager than it does a tripel. Smell is average belgian, fresh coriander seed and clove, dusty basement, pear and apple. Taste is sweet and watery, with dust, clove and apple. Buttery finish, with a random assortment of spice. Far too unbalanced. Horrible beer, the wateriest belgians I’ve ever tasted. Crap!

Pours golden with a touch of amber, fine head and well carbonated. Smells lightly of bannana and clove. Tastes very smooth, a little alcoholic but mostly yeast and citrus. Maybe I had an older bottle then most but I found it quite nice.

Bottle. Translucent gold with a small fizzy white head. Nose is spicy and yeasty with light candyish notes and some hay and grassy notes. Nice fruity notes in the mix as well. It almost started out smelling like a pale lager but the aroma is developing nicely. Taste is more bitter than expected. Light fruit, big spice and yeast and some grainy notes. Body is medium with some chalky dryness and a moderate carbonation fizziness. Light alcohol notes in the finish along with more spices, yeast, bitter hops and dried fruit notes. More grains as well. Average.

Maybe I’m just not into the organic stuff but I really didn’t enjoy this one. In fact, I can’t remember ever having an organic beer that I did enjoy. Anyways... Pours crystal clear yellow with nonexistent head. Grassy aromas and a bit of chalkboard dust. Flavors, a little bit grainy,dry, and nutty. Beer is a bit flat for a belgian. No alcohol apparent. Pretty mild.

22 oz bomber, Habersham Beverage Warehouse, Savannah, Ga. Pours a light champagne-like golden with a light spritzy head. Sweet, cotton candy like aroma - not very complex. Flavor has some candied sugar sweetness, some biscuity malty notes with a slighly fruity undertone, reminding me of pears. Mouthfeel is slighlty spritzy - about on par for a Tripel. Overall, not bad.

Pours a golden to light amber with decent white head. Bready, malty aroma. Well carbonated. Flavor is very nice, but too much on the sweet side for this style. An enjoyable beer.