 MrBendo (974), Swedesboro, New Jersey, USA
Jul 1, 2008 750ml bottle. Clear amber color with a huge, foamy head. Aroma of light malts, biscuits with a big peppery spice overtone. But the spice blends very nicely with the taste, which means the peppercorns aren’t overpowering. It’s got a nice tangy/biting spiciness, but it is very drinkable.
brewandbbq (201), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
Jun 23, 2008 Pours hazy gold, with a massive four-inch head. The porous head of white fell quickly leaving behing zero lacework and a bare surface.
Aromatics lead off with honey-laced malt, cloves and citrus, and a peppery spicyness.
Plenty phenolic and slightly medicinal.
A hint of mint bubblegum follows through.
Medium bodied with a spritzy mouthfeel. Lightly tacky and slick.
A blast of peppery spicyness starts the pallet, along with some sweet malt and citrus zest. Bitter cloves and warming ground pepper step forward, as well as orange peel, cumin, and cinnamon bark.
The alcohol warms in tandem with the pepper, and a honey-like sweetness lingers.
Finishes with drying, bitter spice, and fairly sharp on the pallet.
I really wanted to dig this beer, but the spicing just adds a bite that detracts.
guzzler67 (1121), Hanover, Maryland, USA
Jun 1, 2008 Cloudy, orange/amber appearance with a large, off white head and good lacing. Yeasty, spicy, fruity aroma. Sweet, malty taste; some ripe fruit; turns a little drier as it finishes. Peppercorns more pronounced in the aftertaste. Smooth, medium-to-full bodied. well carbonated mouthfeel
kkearn (596), philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
May 19, 2008 750mL bottle, from State Line Liquors (Elkton, MD). Poured hazy gold, with a huge off-white head. Aroma of yeast, wheat and white pepper. Flavor begins with yeast, wheat, some spice; the peppercorn notes gradually builds up towards the finish. The peppercorn flavor nicely compliments the tripel and adds complexity.
Old_Mr_Crow (976), Seattle, Washington, USA
May 6, 2008 750 ml 2008 bottle courtesy of acrdz -- thanks! Opened May ’08.
Pours a lightly hazy yellow, small amounts of floating particulate matter, a nice white head. Splendid aroma with lots and lots going on. Serious bready malts and Belgian-esque yeasts, honey, a hint of banana, not much on the citrus end, light pepper, light spice. Rich and complex and earthy. Immediately upon inhaling I’m reminded just why and just how much I love tripels. The flavor is quite nice as well, modest honey sweetness on the uptake, pleasingly dry into the close without any heavy hop bitterness, green peppercorns becoming prominent especially in the last pour of the night. Alcohol listed at 9.1% but quite forward in the flavor and mouthfeel, not so far as to be offensive but far enough to make it very obvious this is a high-ABV beer (I’d guessed 11% before finding it on the label).
Very nice beer. A really enjoyable tripel that is neither over-sweet nor powerfully citrus-hopped, and quite interesting to boot. Right on!
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