Brewers Art Green Peppercorn Tripel

BCTC 06. Free Growler from the brewers of BA, but I forgot their names. The hooked me up with this at the very end of the fest. Thanks guys! Pours a hazy golden with lively carbonation and a beautiful sticky fluffy white head. Aroma is initially peppery and phenolic with some other green spices including clove, then goes into the traditional tripel mode of a spicy fresh belgian yeast character along with a nice touch of fruity esters. Flavor is lightly citrus, with hints of pepper (the pepper never really overpowers anything and is more of just a slight nuance) More fruits, lots of yeast, yet remains clean and very drinkable. Full mouthfeel- moslty sweet then finishes off a little bitter and has a citrus- light tart touch in the end. Finishes nice and dry like a great tripel. Reminds me a lot of westmalle which is saying a lot since westmalle is still one of the best and the icon for all tripels to be compared to. This is damn good.

BCTC - this beer and the Ommegeddon were pretty much tied for best of the fest IMHO - clear golden out of the tap, with minimal white head - hugely floral aroma, with a crisp spice/pepper quality that really makes those olfactory nerves stand at attention - sweet taste of white dessert wine and light fruit up front, with a biting spiciness swelling up behind it, just in time to keep the beer from becoming overly sweet - nearly saison-like, wildflower flavors throughout - a really wonderful beer.

Orange-blond with a thick, effervescent head that slowly recedes and leaves thick lacing on the glass. Aroma of yeast and bubblegum, a warm sugary scent as well. Hidden behind it all is a peppery spice that tickles the nose on a deep inhale. Flavor has an initial spice giving way to a belgian white sweetness but a clear and defined pepper kick in the back of the mouth in the finish and aftertaste. Wow, this is truly wonderful.

Pour is hazy golden yellow with a nice ricky white head...smell is spicy with lots of pepper and yeast...taste is slightly sweet at the begining with yeast and sugar, but turns more spicy, but back of the mouth spicy...delicious!!

Well carbonated, the beer pours with a frothy, billowing, initially four-finger thick, pale tan colored head that creates a structured, varied surface and nice lacing pattern on the sides of the glass as it slowly subsides. The head sits on top of a lightly chill hazed (it was & is reasonably clear when warmer), straw gold colored beer. Aromatic notes of lemon zest, herbal coriander as well as floral aromatics evoking thoughts of lavender, lemon thyme, honeysuckle and varied wild-flowers. Pale malt notes of crushed soda crackers, a honey like malt sweetness and grassy grain. The spice notes play a huge role here, though I wouldn’t necessarily guess that it is due to any actual spices used in the recipe. Aromatic notes of ginger, white pepper, fresh cut basil and clove are all noticeable. This has a very nice aroma to it; I really like the mix of spicy / herbal notes, ample lemon character and honey-like malt.

Still quite well carbonated, despite resting in my glass for ten minutes; the beer foams up into a froth as soon as it hits my mouth. Lightly sweet with honey notes as well as a touch of pear, some sweet grape notes, an undercurrent of apricot and some currant flavors. The carbonation adds a sharpness to this brew, even after I have swirled away the excess. The carbonation and ample spice notes provide a sharp piquancy to the finish; it is definitely spicy and very noticeable though if I hadn’t known beforehand I would not have guessed there were green peppercorns in this beer. The beer is very floral, it really reminds me of flower nectar and honey. A noticeable, simple sweetness does not keep this beer from being quite light in heft. This has an interesting flavor to it that reminds me particularly of young pickled ginger; the sweetness, spiciness and sharp piquancy all contribute to this. The spiciness, especially in the finish, has a slight tongue numbing effect to it, which is perhaps also accentuated a bit by a slightly hot, warming, higher alcohol note.

A very spicy brew, but the spice character is well integrated and it is hard to even tell that it is just not a product of the fermentation process. This is perhaps, no definitely, a bit sweeter than I would like in a typical Tripel, but the floral / honey sweetness works here in combination with the piquant herbal / spice notes. While perhaps not perfection, you almost can’t ask for a better looking brew than this; textured, frothy, well carbonated and with a dynamic, structural master-piece of a head. I am really enjoying this brew, it is as good as I hoped, and better than I expected, and it is growing on me more and more as I work my way through the brew. A perfect appetizer to the meal of seafood Som Tam and sticky rice I am about to construct.