De Graal Tripel

Brewed by De Graal
Style: Abbey Tripel
Brakel, Belgium

750mL bottle. Head is initially large, frothy, white, mostly lasting. Body is hazy dark yellow to light amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (toasted grain), lightly hoppy (herbs, flowers), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with strong notes of grains of paradise and coriander, notes of alcohol, clove, and pepper. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, watery/velvety texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Clearly and heavily spiced, which I don’t understand...why would you add spices to a tripel? It totally clobbers everything else here, which all but ruins the aroma. That really sucks because it seems like a pretty good beer otherwise. Sad, so sad.

Date: November 01, 2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Appearance: hazy yellow, wispy white head, drippy lace
Aroma: sweet malt aroma with lots of spicyness
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, lots of balancing spicyness, light bitterness follows the spicyness, candy sweetness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Bottled. hazy golden with a low white head. Dryish orangey aroma with light notes of yeast, grass and ginger. A typical tripel flavourvise; dryish peppery orangey notes with notes of banana and yeast. Well-hidden alcohol. Lively finish of speces, wheat and orange-peels.

Light hazy deep golden colour with a dense white head. Malty and yeasty aroma with a faint fruityness, a coriander spicyness and some sweet alcohol. Quite yeasty and peppery flavor with notes of fruit. Spicy and dry finish with a light alcohol sweetness.

(Bottle 33 cl) Pours orangey golden with a slight haze and a thick, creamy head leaving a neat lacework. Full-bodied with distinct notes of ginger - as if this was a wrong labelling of their Gember beer. Somewhat medicinal touch. Dry, hoppy finish. Spicy nose. 190506

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.

(Bottle at Kaunis Kampela, Helsinki, on 2008-09-23) Orange. Hazy. Very tiny white head. Floral and bit spicy nose. Medium bodied and dryish palate with medium carbonation. Bitterness, hops, floral flavours, frutiness and sweetness. Average.

Bottle 33CL. GOlden beer, white head, fruity aroma. A simple triple. Good to drink, not very special.