Southern Tier Tripel

Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Lakewood, New York USA

Pours clear golden with a medium dissipating white head. Looks pretty meh. Aroma seems very spiced, yet too clean for a Belgian. Some alcohol on the nose, coriander pepper, maybe some honey and cheap white wine (without the sweetness). There’s something really dusty or chalky smelling on the nose too. Tastes, of honey, grass, wheat, pepper, coriander and slightly soured grapes. Boozy. Finishes slightly dry and bitter, with a lingering pepper flavor. I liked the mouthfeel at first, but as it warms the beer feels way too light and empty. I’m surprised this is 9%, as it doesn’t seem like it should be above 7 for what it is. Not an offensive beer, but really weak for the style.

22oz/650ml bottle -pours a disappearing white head and gold color. Aroma is medium malt-sweet, fruit, secondary spicy/perfumy hops. Taste is medium malt-sweet, fruit, secondary spicy/perfumy/pepper (coriander)-hops, yeasty. OK effervescence.

LIghtly hazed straw color with a moderate white head. Dusty pale grain and malt with hints of citrus and clover honey. Flavors of sweet wheat, light malt, candi and floral attributes. Finish is slightly bitter with a touch of alcohol and pepper. I also seem to catch a bit of metal. Not a bad Belgian ale, just not much of a tripel.

22 oz bomber. Pours a clear golden color with a modest short lived head. Aroma is not very strong. Sweet maltiness and hints of spices. Mouth feel is slightly sticky. Flavor is not complex. Sweet,slightly spiced fruit and a medium alcohol appearance. I’d call this a strong ale. Really doesn’t have that triple quality ,taste,mouth feel or anything else. Not bad for $4.99 but I won’t be buying again.

Good looking beer, a clear golden amber with a decently sized head. The aroma is a bit light, citrus juices, pale malt, lively spices. Medium bodied, the citrus from the nose is more clearly tart oranges and tangerines, the spicing gets a little peppery, and a mild floral bitterness is added. Sweet, spicy finish with a low alcohol burn. Not earthshaking, but tasty enough.
U.S.A. Rating #2345 (out of 3730)...at least for a while longer today...

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Wine & Spirits, Chicago, IL<font size=-1>

Rated while drinking: Pours a similar golden color to the label, with a decent-sized fluffy white head and a bit of lacing. Very faint aroma of yeast, malts, and maybe alcohol. Really hard to tell. Not as aromatic as all the other tripels I’ve had. Flavor is unexpectedly quite malty, with a rip of alcohol at the end. Yeast pops up in the middle. Finish is almost chocolaty? Starts off smooth, alcohol burns and leaves a chalky sensation in the mouth at the swallow. Very odd kind of tripel, but drinkable. Don’t know if I’d personally come back to this, but it’s forced upon me since it’s in the variety pack. Definitely not up to Southern Tier’s other beers.

Date: 02/08/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

clear dark amber, whispy head, sweet spicy aroma, big body, rich malt flavor well balanced by the spices, slight hot alcoholic bite,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Very chocolaty, tastes darker than it looks. But a very good beer none the less