Feb 6, 2009

The Session 24: Tripel Trifecta

The Session Logo

For this month’s Session, David at Musings Over a Pint, has selected the tasty topic of Tripels — a style of beer which can be found in my household on a consistent basis. Be it from one of the few designated Trappist breweries left in Belgium or a recipe of your favorite craft brewer, the Tripel is certainly a beer for any occasion.

I’ve got plans tonight and will not be able to participate in The Session in “real-time,” so I took advantage of a slow evening last night to take on a Tripel Trifecta.

I selected three brews that fit the bill perfectly and run the gamut. Starting off with a beer I hadn’t enjoyed before, a Koningshoeven (La Trappe) Tripel got things going nicely. I’ve had bottles of the Dubbel and Quadrupel from this company in the past, but hadn’t seen the Tripel on store shelves before.

Appearance

This Dutch beer pours a golden amber in color with a large, fluffy head that dissipated quickly to a thin, wispy lacing.

Aroma

I think this one was the more aromatic of the three bottles that I opened last night. It’s got a wonderful blend of fruitiness (pear, apple) along with the typical Belgian candy sweetness. It’s also got a nice level of yeastiness, as well as a subtle malt aroma.

Taste

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The fruits in the nose are a bit more subdued on the tongue, but are pushed around your mouth by an active carbonation. This one is lively and crisp without going overboard on the sweetness.

Overall

This is one tasty brew. As far as Tripels go, it’s a fine example of the style — well balanced, crisp and refreshing.

Rating: 3.5/5

Looking back on the evening, I think I should have saved this next beer as my final. Weighing in at 11% ABV, it was definitely the strongest of the beers I drank. The Kasteel Tripel, is one of those beers that routinely makes its way into my cellar. I’ve tried countless times to keep one for a longer duration, to see how it turns out with a little age under its belt, but for the life of me, I can’t seem to get one to last more than a week or two.

This one was no exception.

Appearance

The Kasteel Tripel pours a much brighter amber than the Koningshoeven. It’s active carbonation pushed bubbles to the surface at a rapid pace building a large head that faded very slowly. The retention was impressive as a clinging lacing was left all over the inside of that glass.

Aroma

Clean and crisp, the aroma has a wonderfully light citrus presence that’s backed by a solid boozy character. The alcohol is definitely there in the nose, but it’s far from intimidating.

Taste

I thought this one was the sweetest of the trio that I tasted. It was a fruity and lively beer that had a warming alcohol burn. It’s certainly crisp and refreshing, but a sipping beer all the way. I’m glad I took my time with it, otherwise I’d still be passed out right now.

Overall

I’ve never had a bottle of Kasteel Tripel that did me wrong. The consistency of the product is what makes it a favorite of mine and will continue to be a presence in my cellar for some time to come. For as beefy as the alcohol is, it’s still relatively light and crisp. I already know that I’ll be going out this weekend to replenish the stock.

Rating: 4/5

I was feeling pretty good at this point in the evening — warm and comfortable. So what better way to wrap up the evening than with my all-time favorite Tripel. I’ve written about the Gouden Carolus Tripel before and have only had the opportunity to try it on rare occasions since. Only able to find it so irregularly, I was beyond excited to have a bottle for The Session.

Unfortunately, this particular bottle did not live up to expectations.

Appearance

To start off with, the 12oz bottle opened with that tell tall “psst” of gases escaping, but was quickly followed by a never ending cascade of foam, spilling out of the bottle, into the glass and on the floor. When all was said and done, I think I had maybe half a bottle of beer to enjoy — one that was cloudy and had little to no evidence of the pour’s head.

Aroma

Luckily I was able to get a solid whiff of the aromas as I cleaned up all the foam. Pear, citrus and mild banana dominate the nose with candy sweetness and a subtle yeastiness settle in the background.

Taste

Light, lemony and crisp this particular bottle did it’s best to live up to my expectations, but fell a bit short. Perhaps I was just dismayed over the foam eruption, but it didn’t seem to have the characteristics that have made it my favorite Tripel in the past. There was a bit of a tanginess in the finish that particularly I enjoyed, but it wasn’t as I had remembered..

Overall

I’ll definitely be on the lookout for this one in the future. I can’t let one bottle sway my opinion of the brew overall, but I just couldn’t rate it as highly as I normally would have.

Rating: 3.5/5

So, there you have it. A trifecta of Tripels that brought in a different takes on the beer style. I think I enjoyed the Kasteel the most last night. It’s well balanced, refined nature made it the stand out of the crowd. I’m not sure I’m sold on the Koningshoeven just yet, but it was nice to sample something I hadn’t enjoyed in the past.

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