Nov 3, 2015

Lickinghole Creek Darjeeling Three Chopt Tripel

I’m a big fan of Lickinghole Creek’s Three Chopt Tripel and even a more biggerest fan of their Bourbon Barrel Three Chopt. So it would only make sense that I would blindly pick up a bottle of this latest variation of the brew — Darjeeling Three Chopt Tripel. As you might expect, this version of the brew utilizes authentic Darjeeling Tea to mix things up a bit.

Now, I wouldn’t call myself a tea drinker by any stretch of the imagination. I like coffee — black. And obviously beer. Tea is a foreign entity to me, but I’ve had plenty of brews that have incorporated it in one fashion or another. Here in Lickinhole Creek’s beer, I’m not particularly a fan. I’m not insinuating that the beer is bad — it’s not. It’s also not better. Just different.

Appearance

Darjeeling Three Chopt Tripel pours a hazy, muted amber in color with a cap of dense, white foam.

Lickinghole Creek Darjeeling Three Chopt Tripel photo

Aroma

Plenty of tea notes up front with yeast, stone fruits, soft pine and a touch of alcohol.

Taste

The tea certainly changes this beer as it leads the way for everything else. Herbal notes persist throughout while yeast, stone fruits and earthy, grassy hops linger in the background. The beer is appropriately warming with the same body and mouthfeel as the baseline product.

Overall

I’m not sure how I feel about this version of Three Chopt Tripel. The base beer is so good on its own that I’m not sure it needs anything else — well, except for that bourbon barrel aging, of course. The team definitely changes the beer’s character. Like I said, it’s not necessarily bad, but the influence, I don’t believe, helps any already good beer become better.

Rating: 3.75/5

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