Sawyers Triple

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Abbey Tripel
Escondido, California USA

Bottle: Poured a clear golden color ale with large foamy head with good retention and good lacing. Aroma of fruity ester is dominating and quite enjoyable. Taste is a nice mix between some fruity ester and light sweet Belgian style malt. Taste is really smooth and alcohol is well hidden as well as any peppery yeast notes usually associated with the style. Maybe a tad too sweet but very well done overall.

On tap at the brewery circa 2008. Aroma and taste are both quite soapy. Some banana and clove esters are present from the yeast. This beer was quite mediocre and disappointing. I’m just happy that my money went toward a good cause, or I would have felt entirely ripped-off.

Poured a cloudy gold with a small head. Aromas of banana and honey. Flavors of banana, caramel, honey, clove, and modest hops. Very easy to enjoy and drink.

Bomber from the original 2003 batch (or the only batch if it wasn’t re-brewed). Poured bright and vibrant lighter orange with a wispy dusting of white head. The aroma showed some age and deterioration, but in the grand scheme of things it held up very well.. paler malts and much less lighter fruit supported dry, dusty cracked pepper and plenty of yeast. The flavor was centered around tacky pale malts with peppery, banana, and spicy yeast overtones.. the hops broke down, leaving a bit of cardboard.. finished dry and spicy over the emergence of light vanilla. Medium-bodied and dry on the palate, unfortunately a little empty right on the back. This was undoubtedly better a few years back.

Bottle and damn good! Gold/orange color with a white head. Aroma is sweet and malty with a subtle note of hops. Spices, sugar and malt come through both on the nose and in the flavor. A slight bit of hops keeps this one balanced very well. I really enjoyed this.

22 oz. bottle. Pours a sparkling bronze with a short white head that dissipates quickly and doesn’t lace much. Aroma is typically Belgian, lots of banana and hints of pears, strawberries, tangerines, and other fresh fruits. The clove/spiciness doesn’t become apparent until it warms a bit. Flavor is clean and fruity with a bit of tanginess. A slight malt sweetness is present. Finish is very dry. Light bodied with well balanced smooth carbonation. Very drinkable and refreshing, but also very one-dimensional. I would suggest serving very cold as it tasted much better to me that way then when it warmed. I could almost session it if it wasn’t for the ABV.

22oz bottle thanks to Secret Santa 08. Pours a clear golden orange with near nonexistent head. Aromas of citrus fruits, cloves, and some spice. Flavors of sweet spice, yeast, light floral hops and malts. Palate is medium bodied.

Bottle. Poured a clear golden-orange color with a thin off-white head that faded to a ring. Spicy (pepper, clove) aroma with some moderate fruitiness (tangerine, orange rind, clementines), and some light floral hops, but there is a lack of traditional yeastiness present. Smooth, lightly sweet entry leads into a citric fruit explosion with some orange, tangerine, and light banana with some spicy undertones of pepper and clove that finishes with a lightly dry, floral hoppiness. Moderate carbonation, light bite on the palate. Overall, decent for an American tripel, but it seems to lack the distinct yeastiness in both the aroma and flavor that are typical of the style.