De Graal Tripel

Brewed by De Graal
Style: Abbey Tripel
Brakel, Belgium

Bottle (Kaunis Kampela, Helsinki, Belgian Weeks)
Light orange, tight persistent head. Sweet yeasty hoppy classic belgian aroma. Lively carbonation, quite tingly, both from hops and from alcohol. Taste is a bit saccharinney. Pretty hoppy and soft malts. Not exceptional.

750 mL bottle purchased at Liquor Max in Loveland, CO. Pours clear yellow with an average, fizzy, white head, lasting with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (grain, hay, straw), average hops (herbs, grass), average yeast (earth, leaves) with notes of banana, pear, apple, pepper, and coriander. Medium bodied, sticky texture, lively carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, light sweetness, acidity, and bitterness.

Draft at Beer Circus, Brussels. Looks very blonde, but this one is certainly for sipping, the opposite end of the spectrum from a session beer. Flowers and hers, more like some kind of cordial spiked with vodka? Wut there is a wheat beer kind of softness at the bottom. Interesting, but not quite there!

Bottle with a best before date of 7/2009. Medium sized white fizzy head that mostly diminished, lots of floaties, very little carbonation, hazy, and a golden, yellow hue. The aroma was lightly malty, spicy, fruity, sweet, yeasty, and coriander. The flavor was sweet, fruity, spicy, lightly malty, slightly bitter, coriander, and a short dry finish. Spritzy, tingly mouthfeel and medium bodied. Okay for the style, but there are much better of this style IMO, ABV was well masked IMO, worthy of a try, and might be interested in drinking this one again.

Bottle courtesy of the fine bartenders at Max’s on Broadway at the end of the 72 Hour Belgian Festival. Murky gold with tons of flecks of suspended particles. Fading strong white head leaves a pretty lacing. Big spice and candied orange in the nose along with yeast notes and sweet malts. Hints of cut wild flowers as well. Taste is honey, sweet malts, candied fruits, spices, and yeast notes. Very tasty! Body is smooth with dense but creamy carbonation. Some light warmth as well. Finishes with more grains, candied fruits, peppery spices, honey and yeast notes. Rather tasty tripel!

Bottle. Dark golden beer with a very strong head. The aroma is deeply spiced, and the flavour is fruity and spiced with a lot of ginger. Overall a reasonable Belgian ale.

Cloudy orange golden color, short but lasting head. Aroma of sweet spices, some fruits like orange, wheat and grain. Taste is full bodied, spicy, some cookie, wheat, peppery. Nice beer.

Bottle, at GBBF 2005. Hazy gold, moderate white head and low condition. Pleasantly sweet and spicy in the nose with some maltiness, solid sweet and full bodied malt in the mouth with a touch of spiciness, lingering dry spicy finish with the alcohol finally becoming apparent. Hic.