Left Coast Asylum Belgian-Style Tripel Ale

Brewed by Left Coast/Oggis Pizza and Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Del Mar, California USA

Draught at TND: Sweet aroma of Belgian yeast, light spices, light fruit, and honey. Poured amber/gold in color with a small, white head that diminished but lasted throughout as a film on top of the beer. Flavor is medium to heavily sweet. Tastes of Belgian yeast, spices, honey and light fruit. Light to medium body. Thin, lightly dry texture. Average carbonation. Sweet, Belgian yeast, honey, and fruit finish. 11%ABV is completely hidden throughout. A bit simple and thin, but still nice.

A nice medium-pale reddish-gold color & very clear appearance, with beautiful, long-clinging lace despite the sparse head. The appearance does little to prepare you for this taste sensation, surprisingly bold and rich for such a light colored ale. After having half a glass, I was surprised to see the alcohol content, the same as the Urthel Quadrium I had very recently but not nearly as pronounced in the taste, despite the Urthel’s substantially thicker texture & taste. A nice bit of sweetness & fruit, very refreshing with a smooth, solid finish that lingers light but long. At about two-thirds to one-half the price of a comparable ale either of Belgian or domestic origin, this is a great beer and a great value that I hope to enjoy many more times.

Draft. Pours honey golden with a very thin white head. Aroma of vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, barley, and hops. Medium bodied with a slow, smooth finish. Decent.

On tap at PP Strong Ale Fest 2009. Some yeasty banana aroma that is quite strong, and not exactly enjoyable. I suspect higher alcohols may be part of it. Kind of reduces drinkability.

Bottle 22fl.oz.
Clear light to medium amber orange color with a average, frothy, fair lacing, fully diminishing, off-white to white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, fruity, orange, moderate to heavy yeasty, alcohol. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a average to long duration, peppery. Body is medium, texture is oily - syrupy, carbonation is soft, finish feel is moderate alcoholic. [20090821]

22 oz bottle. Pours a clear dark gold body with a one finger foamy white head. The nose is perfume-like and spicy with a bit of acetone and pale malt. Minimal yeast noticeable. Very sweet and heavy pale malt flavor with a little too much alcohol. This is quite a boring Triple. Too heavy, thick, and cloying with light fizzy carbonation. No yeast character at all to this beer. I want a softer, more yeasty Triple. This just didn’t do it for me.

Bottle from COOP in Davis. This Tripel was rather sweet, but I tend to like that. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t quite the normal Belgian, but it’s a refreshing California Belgian. Good drinkable beer on a warm day.

Dilute iced tea color, small amounts of coarse head. Aroma of lilies, light cigarette ash, light doughiness, cloviness. Very sweet, doughy flavor, lots of instant tea notes. Light bitterness doesn’t do nearly enough to offset the extreme sweetness. Boring and overbearingly sweet.