Ondineke Oilsjtersen Tripel
A lovely surprise of a beer.Before randomly happening across this particular bottle on the shelf of my local shop, I had never heard of the beer, nor the brewery. As I’m always open to try a new product I and the beer had a ridiculously low price ($6.99 if memory serves), I picked up one to enjoy this past weekend.
Ondineke Oilsjtersen Tripel is brewed by KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren out of Belgium. The brewery has only been brewing since 2004 and if this brew is any indication, there’s a bright future for the company. The Tripel has a Saison like character and isn’t quite as sweet as many other examples of the style I’ve had in the past.
Appearance
The beer pours a bright, golden amber in color with a full, frothy white head.
Aroma
Not very sweet on the nose with a strong Saison like character. It smells crisp and clean with a touch of Belgian yeasty funk. There’s a lemony tartness on the nose that plays well with the grassy hop character and peppery notes.
Taste
Again, it’s quite like a Saison in that it’s not overly sweet and carries a grassy, barnyard character. There’s a latent tartness that’s mild in its presence and lingers nicely in the clean finish. A light sweetness is present and seems to grow in strength as the beer warms in the glass. The yeast brings a peppery bite, as well. At 8.5%, the beer isn’t the strongest Tripel I’ve ever had, but I would expect there to still be some alcohol notes — the brewery, however, does a nice job in masking the alcohol through the life of the beer.
Overall
For the price, you can’t beat this beer. It’s a unique approach to a Belgian Tripel that is tasty, refreshing and, hopefully, still on the shelf waiting for my next trip. I found it to be the perfect beverage for a warm Summer afternoon full of relaxation.
Rating: 4.25/5