MacTarnahans Gran Luxe Tripel Ale

Formerly brewed at Portland Brewing Company (Pyramid)
Style: Abbey Tripel
Portland, Oregon USA

Hazy golden amber. Nicely phenolic aroma, hints of clove and pepper. Light malt. Fully sweet with a light fluffy body, phenolic tones floating all over. Very nice tripel, outstanding really. Westmalle yeast?

Just recieved it today.Nice golden amber color,small white foamy head that faded quickly.Appears to be very carbonated.Very sweet aroma,malty some wheat,spicy and fruity,almost a bubble gum like aroma juicy fruit comes to mind.The taste was spicy,bubble gum as above,alcohol comes through in the beginning but fades quickly to a some what spicy fruity flavor,there is also a slight ho presence mainly detected in the back of the pallate and after taste as a mild bitterness.The after taste is pretty decent orange fruity taste with a nice spice content and the mild hop bitterness.the feel is kind of low on the medium scale IMO.very nice and very drinkable.I have to agrre with the portlanddrunk that this is by far one of there better brews,considering a lot of let downs on there other styles.

Pours a clear gold with very little head, suprisingly, and not much lace. I should say here that I'm not drinking it in a "proper" glass, which may account for the shortcomings, if any. The bottle (nearly $7) is a bomber with a golden triangle surounding the beer's name, style, and a nice rendition of some hops. Rather classy looking, I must say. Smells light and fruity with a hint of cloves. Tastes really fruity: apples and apricots are noticable. It is quite sweet and a tad spicy. A friend who tried it said it tasted like "Juicy-Fruit" and he has a point there as much as I hate to admit it. Mouthfeel is very creamy and full. Drinkability is very good, much better than most tripels I've had. I could easily enjoy several of these. Bottom line: Very nice beer and definately worth a try, but for nearly $7 for 22oz, I won't be having many of these for a while.

A nice Tripel Ale, the balance is almost perfect. The hidden 9.3% alc/vol is so smooth.

Deep gold color. Medium head. Aroma is bubble gum, Belgian yeasts, spices and a touch fruity. A medium bodied triple. Malts are fruity and spicy. Banana, clove, coriander, and orange peel plus all the other spices and flavors one expects from a Belgian Ale. Very bright yeast, spicy with a touch of hop bitterness. Well balanced. Smooth taste. Hides the 9.3 % alcohol very well, only noticeable as a slight peppery aftertaste. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and right. Aftertaste is slightly sweet, with a touch of alcohol bite. Nice beer.

Ok after days, weeks even, of indecsision I purchased this today ..last one in the store too. Comes in a plain brown bomber with gold screen printed label..nice and simple yet classy. Lot of carbonation released when bottle is opened..nice looking beer in the Chimay chalice..light chesnut/honey brown, small pure white head..great swirls of small carbonation bubbles. Lovelly smooth yet spicy aroma..very aromatic..also great malt scents too..blackberrys and other wild fruits come to mind..nice Lovelly smooth tasting brew to start..then the spices heat up the middle of the taste..alcohol warmth takes over at the end..but very pleasant smooth alcohol. Nice and creamy smooth on the palte//alcohol is balanced just right. Very drinkable tripel ..with 9.3% its never going to be a session beer..but I can drink this very easily.

Bottle. A cloudy golden orange color with a light foamy white head. The aroma is yeasty with corriander, clove, banana, pepper, and citrus. I thought the flavors were more impressive than the expected aroma. There was a nice sweetness to compliment the dry, smooth, spicy flavors. The orange peel and citrus elements played well on the palate. Appropriately delicate but swings with a punch.

Pours an orangish amber with a small delicate white head. It seems to dissolve fairly quickly. Aroma is rich alcohol soaked fruits, honey, candy sugar, and spices. Taste is magnificent! Definite alcohol and fruit. The candy sugar is there on the tongue as well. The spice is evident on the tongue as well but not as dominant. The palate is smoother than expected. Most Belgian style tripels tend to have a sharp carbonated body. This was very smooth for the style. The carbonation only seemed to show up during the finish and even then is subdued. Otherwise definite sweetness and more fruit in the finish. Damn good beer!