New Belgium Trippel
A tasty tripelWith the introduction of New Belgium into the Virginia area, I made sure that I grabbed a bottle of each offering that was available to me. I only purchased a single bottle of this Belgian-style tripel from the Colorado brewery, but am now kicking myself for not having had the intestinal fortitude to buy more of it when I had the opportunity.
Trippel is brewed with Saaz, Liberty, Target hops, as well as coriander. The resulting 7.8% ABV beer is delightfully crisp and flavorful. The Belgian yeast employed with this relatively dry tripel has a Saison-like character that gives this brew a fairly different vibe from most other American-brewed tripels I’ve had in the past.
Appearance
Crystal clear and gold in color, Tripel pours with a frothy white head that fell gently to patchy lacework.
Aroma
The brew smells clean and dry with hints of melon, orange peel, subtle hops, bready malts and spice. There’s a touch of barn yard funky hay in there, as well.
Taste
I was pleased to find this tripel not nearly as sweet as many made in the U.S. It’s relatively dry nature lends a refreshing quality that you don’t normally find in American made beers of this style. The coriander stands out well, but is far from a dominant characteristic as elements of melon fruits, hay, yeasty funk and light, biscuity malts come together nicely. The crsip mouthfeel makes for a vibrant and refreshing beer.
Overall
I’ve had a few domestically brewed tripels in my time and, though I’ve like many of them, they tend to be cloyingly sweet and overpowering. New Belgim’s Trippel however isn’t. The brew is crisp, light on the palate and refreshing with just a hint of spices and hops. I hope I can find more of it.
Rating: 4/5