Bottleworks Tripel Krullekop

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Abbey Tripel
Lochristi, Belgium

11.2 oz bottle

This was a recent pickup from Friar Tucks in Bloomington, IL. This is my second Bottleworks beer (even though they are actually brewed elsewhere and then rebadged much like Trader Joes). I found it to be a nice enjoyable beer which if it actually has three years on it has aged very well. If there is a more recent release I would not mind trying it again to see if a fresh bottle is any different.

Aroma / Appearance - An amber colored pour left a nice offwhite half finger head. A creamy lacing with little chunks of sediment slid down the sides of the glass leaving behind thin layers of strata. Hints of orange peels, candy sugar, honey and semisweet Hershey’s chocolate created a sweet and airy nose.

Flavor / Palate - Honey, pears and cream form the initial impression. After that comes vanilla and a generally nutty taste. Overall it was sweet and chocolately. The mouthfeel was solid but not suffocating. I found it vey enjoyable and worth $1.50 though for more than that I might be staying away.

Bottle... This beer rocks!... Murky amber ale with a small, creamy, white head. Decent retention. The yeasty, fruity nose is all about bread (sourdough), honey and clementine. Sweet, breadsy, peppery flavor. Bittered to the point of decent balance. Light pungency. Medium-bodied and watery with lively carbonation. The finish isn’t extremely bitter, but it IS tongue-numbing in an analgesic way. Kudos to vyvvy for shipping this gem my way!

Bottle; 2004 Vintage. Hazy orange color with a large, rocky head. Strong bread and yeast aroma with various spices. A really dry malt blast towards the end. Lots of yeast in the flavor, but it seems very watery.

From Bottleworks itself, direct. Bottled - 2002. Aroma of Belgian yeast, apple, and something banana. Also candy, but that’s lite. Hazy peach color with decent, persisting white head. Starts with apple fruit, moves to bready malt, could be some citrus, substantial mouthfeel, lite development of candy flavor, really smooth transition to some hop. It’s complex. It ages well.

Thanks to hopdog for sharing this bottle from 2004. Pours a lightly hazy golden orange with a bubbly off white creamy lacing head with small floaties. Aroma of apples, apple juice, Belgian yeast and spices and some candi sugar. Flavor of sweet candi sugar, various fruits, Belgian yeast some spices and apple. Nice Tripel.

11.2oz bottle. 2004 vintage. Poured a medium golden color with an averaged sized lightly off white head. Lots of suspended floaters. Aromas of yeast, apples, bananas, and spices. Tastes of apples (tart and then lightly sweet), all around fruity, light spices and light yeast. Alcohol well hidden.

Bottle. Golden amber beer with a whitish head. Yeasty, spicy aroma with bready notes. Yeasty, spicy, earthy, lemon flavor with backing malts. Lingering malty, spice, yeast. Slight alcohol warming. Medium bodied.

What an appetizing appearing beer. It is orange tan in color with a small head but lots of carbonation. Aroma is sweet and malty but also features both dark and citrus fruit. Flavor is pleasantly balanced. While some hops are evident the first taste is mostly sweeter malt flavors. It is a delicious beer, too, with different flavors popping up with each sip. A hint of cinnamon one sip followed by raisin the next and tart apples after that. Throughout the glass a strong alcohol taste was noticeable. I expected more of a hop taste but it stayed in the background. Nevertheless, this was a delicious beer that kept me surprised.