New Holland Black Tulip Trippel Ale

Brewed by New Holland Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Holland, Michigan USA

Pours a bright and clear orange copper color, moderately effervescent but next to no head - just flecks of foam here and there. These flecks (I’m assuming) contribute precious little blotchy lacing. Initial aroma was very much like a generic macrolager. Not complex, not distinct, and not really inviting. Subsequent sniffs yielded some mild sweet malt and a little bread yeast. The flavor is tart, no, make that bitter orange. Bitter orange peel, bitter orange juice (like those damned little cans - remember those?), and bitter orange liquer in the finish. A dry orange vodka with some pine, or perhaps its an orange flavored gin/juniper, persists in the aftertaste. Then (finally) there’s a mild honeymalt behind that. What can I say? This beer had potential to be quite interesting with the tart orange bitterness, but unfortunately it was way overdone, and the malt was nearly absent. A little thin in the body, mild carbonation, a little too alcoholic, and way out of balance. Bump up the terminal gravity to increase body, balance the bitterness, and cancel some residual alcohol, and it would be a really nice beer, however.

Pours a cloudy amber with a two finger head. Head disappears quickly, leaving good lacing. A few particulates. Aroma is sweet and peppery. Taste is sour lemon, musty yeast and white wine sweetness. Interesting. And not too bad.

Sampled on 1/14/2007 from a 22 oz bottle at Lance’s "Harvest Ale" homebrew day. Thank you to everybody that was there for the great conversation and great beer! I had a great time and look forward to future brew days... -- New Holland Black Tulip Trippel Ale cours a very bright copper orange color. It isn’t really clear, but it isn’t murky either. It is just a really nice color with a creamy ivory-colored head that collapses slowly. The aroma and flavor both contain a well balanced blend of sweetness (candy-like, but not overly sweet), fruitiness (hints of citrus and other fruit), and maltiness (brown sugar/caramel). None of these dominate, but they all work well together to create a wonderful Trippel that is both very enjoyeable to drink and fairly easy on the wallet. There is also a delicate, almost hidden floral quality in the aroma, but is most evident in the finish of the flavor. Maybe that is due to the tulips petals that are used in this brew. At any rate, I was quite impressed with this brew. The higher alcohol content is not noticeable at all in the flavor. The palate is slightly heavier than medium and this beer is smooth on the palate. The key to this beer is in its balance and well integrated flavors. Very good!

Trust your nose on this one. Very complext nose that brings out both sweet and spice. Good fruity flavors, dosen’t taste as strong ABV as you may think. A solid beer.

Poured a clear straw color with a fine lasting head. Aroma is of soft malt, bubble gum, and yeasty spice. Flavor is similar with some banana and an agressive and harsh hop bitterness and flavor. Mouthfeel is crisp with a light creaminess is ruined by the bitterness and an unpleasant aftertaste.

Pours a cloudy golden color with a thin white head. Ordinary and boring aroma and flavor of citrus and yeast. The body is light with a creamy texture and soft carbonation. Boring.

Pours sparkling medium yellow with tiny particles, rocky white head. Aroma is nice of cookies and bubblegum. Flavor is moderatly sweet and lightly bitter (bannanas) with an average finish and tasty, inline for style. Medium bodied, creamy, softly carbonated with a nice dry finish.

Clear golden colour with a tall white head and very nice lacing. The aroma is sweet and reminiscent of lemon grass with some flowery notes. Sweet flavour that is pretty one-sided and has a bit of honey in there. More foral hints make up a pretty nice and rich body overall.