Pater Lieven Tripel

Brewed by Van Den Bossche
Style: Abbey Tripel
St. Lievens-Esse/Herzele, Belgium

Bottled sample via lubiere. Pale copper in colour with strong and spritzy carbonation. Aromas are of dried apricot, pilsner malts, preserved wood and a bit of peat smoke(?). In the mouth the malts are soft and semi-sweet and complimented by spicy Belgian yeast, more dried apricot, and rock candy. Very mellow mouthfeel without any harsh alcohol heat or over the top spicing. Consumed past it’s drink-by date, but this has aged in a unique (ie: the somewhat bizzare smoke aroma) yet tasty way.

33cl bottle, with label as shown (fairly futuristic for a Belgian beer, don’t you think?). Bottle-conditioned tripel pours a familiar, slightly hazy yellow with a big, very frothy off-white head that has little staying power but leaves generous lacing. Aroma of yeast, grapefruit and alcohol, some .- mildly - spicy herbs - no surprises there either. Light- to medium-bodied beer with a smooth, but earthy mouth feel. Moderate carbonation. There’s more than a hint of aniseed in the taste, again, not uncommon in a tripel. Yeasty, of course, and the fruit in there appears to me as pear. Fairly sweet in the beginning. Medium-bitter finish and lingering sour, alcoholic after taste. The sweet start puts me off a bit, I don’t like my beers to be sweet. But the brew makes up for it in the finish, so the score is even, or, in other words, the result is: so-so.

Dark orange colored with hazy appearance. Medium sized yellow head. Hopped and lemony aroma with yeast, some sweet sugary notes also here. Medium bodied. Flavor is also sugary with some cardboardy note, aftertaste turns to hopped, grainy and lemony with sweetness still.

33cl. bottle, pours dark yellow, almost golden. Medium head, fades away rather quick. Good taste, some citrus hints, nice ending. Good beer!

gold blond coloured sparkling body with a white head a spicy yeasty fruity aroma a spicy yeasty fruity sweet taste with a sweet spicy bitter finish

Clear goldblond coloured beer wih medium diminishing white head and lots of carbonation. Bit sour yeasty and fruity aroma mixed with some spices. Full palate bit sparkling and creamy. Finish is spicy ending bitter and rather dry.

33cl bottle from Dranken Geers. Gold/orange slight haze, thinnish beige head. Slightly perfumed on aroma. Some decent citrus orange/satsuma/tangerine flavours in the mouth, some hop too on the finish. Kind of a sub Karmeliet type tripel. Bit over carbonated. It’s ok, but not great.

The bottle looks good, the beer in the glass also. Starts strong, also sweet, a bit malty. Modest alcoholic in the background. Well balanced, warming finish. Good beer!