Westmalle Tripel

Brewed by Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle
Style: Abbey Tripel
Malle, Belgium

upon oncapping the bottle it decided to explode for no reason that i can possibly think of, it had been sitting upright and motionless for about 2 hours and nothing spectacular had happened before. a thoroughly aggravating start as i’ve never seen beer do that before, and it wasted about half of the bottle. smell is woody, dry and alcoholic. it is cloudy golden with a head that was large but receded. taste is dry, spicy, winey, and a tiny bit of rubber taste at the end. astringent and dry. the palate is harsh but it fits with the flavour. it is something that i would enjoy in a very small amount on a special occasion; westmalle is somewhat pricey but always good.

Appearance: The Westmalle Tripel pours a slightly hazy golden color – very similar to what you’d see from a wheat beer. As with most of the other Trappist beers, this comes with about three to four solid fingers of light head with minimal lacing that disappears pretty quickly. You can tell this has a lot of effervescence by the onslaught of small bubbles swimming swiftly to the top of the glass. Smell: Just as I had imagined, there is a lot of spice going on in the glass. There is an immediate blast of beautiful honeycomb that hits you first, and then it is quickly followed by banana and clove components on the backend. For me, the real joy comes out of feeling like I’ve just stuck my nose in the middle of a fresh honeycomb. On top of what is immediately noticeable, there is a very faint amount of funk that sits way in the back of the nose. This becomes more evident as the beer begins to warm. Taste: I guess one of the best things a beer can do is taste like it smells, and this certainly does just that. Surprisingly enough the honeycomb component I get on the nose translates into the taste very well. I also taste the yeast along with the banana and cloves. In terms of the alcohol, I don’t taste it as much as I thought I would but I certainly feel it about halfway through the bottle. And it’s a small bottle. Mouthfeel: Overall this is an extremely well-balanced beer in the mouth. Because of the style, the Westmalle has a lot of bite due to the sparkling qualities and the enormous amount of head. There is a perfect amount of bitterness, too, which is paired with a vigorous amount of acidity. Normally a beer like this would lean more toward the lighter side, but this one is easily approaching medium body. Overall: Let’s be honest, this isn’t a mind-melting beer. However, it is classic in just about every way. I really love the honeycomb component the most and really like the way this baby smells. I am also a really big fan of the bitterness levels that I get from the Westmalle. It’s not as unique as the Orval (which is still my favorite Trappist ale), but it is definitely a staple and quite enjoyable. It’s proof that consistency is a very good thing.

12 oz bottle. Another trappist brew, second I’ve had by Westmalle. Pours a hazy orange/gold color with a finger high white head that disappates quickly. Smells of pear, some fresh hops, also possibly apples, and a light alcohol smell. Tastes of pear, apple, a bit of hops (though quite light), and a fairly strong alcohol bite. The alcohol makes the palate rating go down a bit, but it is still quite good, as the flavor is what does it.

11.2 oz bottle poured into a goblet. Hazy gold color with streaming columns of carbonation. Fluffy white head leaves quintessential Belgian lacing. Aromas of pears and apples with some coriander and a hint of alcohol. Flavor is lightly fruity with accents of pepper and coriander. Significant alcohol blends nicely behind the fruits and spices. Warming mouthfeel with delicate carbonation and medium body.

12oz bottle. Pours cloudy orange with a mammoth white frothy head. Aroma of bananas, cookies, and citrus zest. Flavor is earthy hops with some spice and sweetness. Alcohol is upfront and definitely noticeable. Fizzy and delicate on the palate. A nice beer overall.

creamy aroma, some bright yeast for added balance. hazy yellow, some largish chunks in the glass. sustained creamy head. back and forth between sweet and dry, little apricot and peach in the finish, dry finish.

2007 Bottle courtesy of PaulHegedus. Pours hazy golden with foamy white head. Yeasty aroma’s with peach and banana notes.Flavours of grapefruit, honey and coriander. Creamy mouthfeel with mild carbonation. Finish is smooth yet slightly brisk.

Sampled thanks to shawn at cool springs. Pours a near clear yellow with ample fluffy white head and small particulate. Sweet banana, yeast, light alcohol. Lots of alcohol on the flavor side, with a little bit of bitterness. Similar to some white wines i’ve had. Overated imo. Especially considering the price.