Kasteelbier Tripel Blonde 11%

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck
Style: Abbey Tripel
Ingelmunster, Belgium

750 mL bottled 10/2005. Gold. Large, fluffy, white head. Nose of doughy, musty, yeast, light colored fruits, perfume, sweet malt, and alcohol. Flavor adds subtle toffee, some floral/herbal spiciness, heavy whole wheat bread. Very dry finish, alcoholic and yeasty. Full, well carbonated palate matches the charater nicely. Solid brew. Any reason it’s not a triple?

this big boy was tangled in some bob wire, he was down and thrashin’. i cooled him some and did that fancy horse-whisper shit so’ze i could get near and pull off that wire and ease back the cork. i done it gentle and then BOOM come that cork like a festered sore. well stuff my boots with sand burrs if’n that bronc didn’t rear back and bite me in mean mule-spirited dis-gratitude: i mean i got me straight-away a sucker punch in the nose of moonshine, dog blanket and wood glue. then i seen me sompthin wadn’t quite right with this here critter. he’s a lobin’ sideways to a real triple, he got no yeast, got a pale yaller color. t’aint right. he got him a sure nuff purdy mane, tho, a head set up thar flowin’ like an assateague pony’s locks in a head wind. spirit! he got that! well i tell ya friends i circled that stallion, feelin’ like a pork chop at a fat farm, generally outnumbered like a four foot dude facin’ a two ton bull. he barked all kinda unnecessary rattlesnake venom my way, i hollered back "whata you? huh? a banana daiquiri or a malt liquor?" i mean he tasted like a twinkie soaked in jet fuel. truth is, i knowed he was a good-hearted steed but he’d been a-handled brutal. t’wasn’t ol’ kasteels fault he’d turned out so onery. coulda been raised up with ripe barlet pear sweetness, meller an’ refined. but no, ’stead he smelt like all tore up pine boards-- a mixture of milk an vodka that cha drank until ya damn-near died with yer snout in the sod under some lemon-scented honeysuckle. well, i darn near shit me a t-bone that night but i think i come to understand this poor critter. an’ it’s a damn shame. a rich little tripel done got hisself all mixed up in meth-amphetamine. sigh. i seen me some little fairies and twinklies before i got my self home jes before dawn, but it remembers me: even out in belgium, boys-- y’all best watch yer backsides.

From a stubby capped 11.2 oz. brown bottle with a best before date on the lower right side of label, 03/2008, served in a chalice at cellar temperature. Made a decent appearance, poured a hazy orange hued pale golden with a foamy white head that settled into a thin lacing, good carbonation. Had a lemony, peppery, dry yeasty and spicy alcohol nose. A crisp, slick and carbonated smooth medium bodied mouth feel, good sipping drinkability. Pear fruity, clove and peppery taste, a sweet maltiness, solvent flavored alcohol warmth in the palate, and a sweet malty crisp, yeasty and solvent finish. A nice tripel, tasty and balanced overall, a good sipper on a warm midwest night.

Pours a dark yellow/golden liquid with a medium head disappearing very fast. Strong malty and sweet taste. Drink it along a melted cheese meal.

Pours clear medium yellow with a huge frothy head. Boring aroma, slightly yeasty. Burning mouthfeel from all the alcohol, tastes of little else besides. Another one for the sink from Honsebrouck.

Bottle. Pours hazy golden with a decent sized white head. Aroma of yeast, belgian spices, sweet malts, citrus, and alcohol. Flavor is surprisingly smooth, citrus, yeasty, spices are present. Good body, good brew.

Bottle. Slightly spicy aroma. Cloudy golden colour. Small white head. Malty, strong, spicy flavour. Very peppery aftertaste.

Light yellow color. very carobonated. Crisp complex flavor. A well hidden 11%. Very tasty.