Redhook Tripel

Brewed by Redhook Brewery
Style: Abbey Tripel
Woodinville, Washington USA

I picked up a bunch of these for $1.99 apiece at the local bottle shop on sale, regular price $6.99. This is a nice ale. Very malty and rich in flavor. A tad sweet for my taste, but not too bad. The aroma betrays this one a bit, the taste is much more complex than the aroma hints at. Carbonation is about perfect. Nice dark bottle to keep the light out and the flavor in. All in all a great value at the price I paid, though I would not buy one for $6.99. There is also a bit of a smokey aftertaste, though it’s not apparent immediately.

Strong aroma is malty with a fruity undertone and hints of hops as well as a good alcohol bite. It pours a nice clear amber with some bubbles and a decent, if not persistent, white head. Rich, mouth-filling flavor is malty, fruity and just slightly smoky with a hoppy hint and a bit of alcohol zing. Lively, sassy texture dances on the tongue and all the way down the pipes.

Enjoyed from a 750ml bottle in a whiskey snifter. The beer pours a medium to full-golden color with a surprisingly small white head. The nose gives hints of Belgian/Westmalle esters, along with some very perceptible Munich/Cara-Munich malt character. The palate shows a lot more malt character than many other American examples of the style; a pleasant surprise, as many examples seem to be all pilsner and sugar and are lacking on overall character and drinkability. A slight hop spice is evident. The palate is a really nice melange of malt character (almost pale- or strong ale-like), combined with the traditional Belgian yeast character. Overall, nicely done.

THOUGHTS: Nice beer, but not the best tripel. Not super Belgian. It wasn’t even bottle conditioned. Hid alcohol incredibly well for the ABV. Much better when warmer, but then the alcohol also showed up more. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, light orange with a slightly melon-like tint with nice carbonation and a very small head that fully diminished and left virtually no lacing. The aroma was moderate candy sugar, very light hops, apple, Pear, Pineapple, honey, vanilla, spice and slight alcohol. The initial flavor was slightly sweet, slightly acidic and lightly sour; while the finish was sweet, slightly bitter, sour and acidic with an average to long duration. There was candy sugar, citrus fruit, melon, vanilla, pears, pineapple, slight alcohol, some spice, slight yeast and some grain. The light to medium body, leaning toward medium, was oily and then fairly dry with tingly carbonation and a light to moderately alcoholic finish.

Bomber, thanks to a couple fine folks! Poured fairly clear medium orange with a slim cap of white head that didn’t stick around for too long. The aroma picked up pale and fruity malts topped by coriander, rye, and peppery yeast.. a little too much sweetness evident, but it did mask the alcohol. The flavor found fruit and biscuity sweetness at the core, again with lots of spices around (coriander, orange zest, and vanilla come to mind).. dry white peppery alcohol dominated the finish over scratchy, almost cardboardey pale malts and honey. Medium-bodied and hot overall with just too much spicage going on.. not bad, but I just couldn’t get into it.

Clear burnt orange color. Ooo nice smell. Some sweet spice such as nutmeg on the nose. Taste has lots of crazy flavors. Vanilla and pumpkin stand out. Also has notes of spice with a yeasty kick.

Bottle from Cavie. Pours a hazy yellow with a small white head. Aroma of alcoholic bananas. Tastes like alcohol. And bananas and cinnamon, but mostly alcohol.

Bottle. Pours clear dark yellow-orange with a small, fizzy white head, mostly diminishing with spare lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (cookie, hay, straw), average hop (flowers, perfume, grass), heavy yeast (dough, horse blanket) with notes of banana, clove, pear, and ginger. Medium bodied, sticky texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, acidity, and bitterness.