Ever since first hearing of this limited release back in February of this year, it’s been on my list to find. Unfortunately half a year passed before it finally started making appearances in my area. And even more unfortunate, I grabbed the only bottle on the shelf.
I’m a big fan of Redhook’s offerings — their Longhammer IPA can routinely be found in the fridge during the summer and I stocked up thoroughly on the company’s Double Black Stout last year. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked to get my hands on the Tripel.
Appearance
Redhook Tripel pours a clear, orange-tinted amber with a decent frothy head that faded pretty quickly.
Aroma
There’s quite a floral nose on this beer with plenty of sweetness, spices, light fruits (apple and pear) and a bit of alcohol heat. Like plenty of Belgian beers, there’s a nice yeasty punch in the nose, as well.
Taste
Spicy. Boozey. Tasty. There is a great combination of alcohol, pepper notes and yeastiness to this one. It’s sweet without being overly so. The beer comes across a little syrupy, which after half the bottle had disappeared, had finally convinced me that this would make for a great after dinner sipper. And at 10.2% ABV, that’s probably what I should have done.
Overall
Is this the best American version of a Tripel I’ve had? Probably not, but I’ll be damned if I won’t be buying more of this one if/when I see it on the shelves. I love the light fruit and peppery combination that mixes really well with the kick the alcohol content provides.
Rating:4/5
October 9th, 2009
Simply Beer said:
I tend to only see the Longhammer and ESB around here in NJ. I didn’t know they had started limited series. Used to drink the ESB all the time when I lived in Oakland in the 90′s. Nice to see a good review of an American triple, great style of beer which I think is hard to do well.