Pisgah Solstice Tripel

Yellow fruits in the aroma. Rather tart / lightly sweet. Unripe pear. A bit simple.

Bottle thanks to bu11zeye. Gold in color with a decent off-white head. Aroma is of citrus, yeasy and corinder. taste is of spices, yeast and citrus.

A cloudy, yellow-gold haze rolls in as the Pisgah Solstice Belgian Tripel fills my awaiting glass and her bubbly head settles in dead center. Spice, yeast, and sourdough are exciting first impressions as her nose unravels before me. Pepper, sage, and green herbs mingle with feisty coriander and peppy orange peel. There is no doubt the Solstice Tripel is of proper Belgian inspiration. My first quaff is rich and rather thick; too thick, as heavy kneading dough weighs upon my senses and threatens to smother her compatriots. The spicy yeastiness in her nose is now piercingly rancid, biting the top of my tongue and sides of my mouth. I have a soft spot for Belgian beers in general, Tripels being one of them of course, but the Solstice Tripel from Pisgah Brewing is nowhere near my soft spot. The last few quaffs are just more of the same.

No matter how celebrated and sacred the solstice may be, this one in particular falls short. Her aroma was delightful, but the final product was a less than enjoyable Belgian-style Tripel. The potential was there, so maybe Pisgah will turn a new leaf and upon the next gracious solstice, try their hands at a new batch. After all, if you brew it, I will try it. Whether or not I will like it though, that is the question.

Bottle. Poured hazy orangish gold, lots of head and lace. Aroma of yeast, spice, citrus, light malt. Taste is similar with some soapy characteristics as well. Mouth is light and carbonated, very drinkable. Finish is a little boozey, but not bad. Overall, a decent trip.

Bottle from Bruisin’. Split it with Chris out by the pool. Good tripel, notably a little more tart than usual. Not my favorite, because of the tart, but still tasty.

Bottle from Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville purchased May 2009. Pours somewhat hazy orange with light head. Gentle aroma and flavors of citrus, spices, and malt. First few drinks were the best.

Draft @ the brewery. Pours a pale golden, fairly fizzy white head leaves some lacing on the glass. Aroma of bananas, cloves, bready yeast and sweet malt. The phenols are nice in the flavor as well, just a bit too sweet overall. The alcohol was hidden nicely. The carbonation was little harsh, not the softer carb I’m looking for in a Belgian style.

Bottle thanks to bu11zeye. The smell is honey, sweet, slight tart, spices, and yeast. The look is clear, golden in color, and not too much head. The taste is sweet, honey, spices, and yeast.