Emelisse Triple IPA - Bierbrouwerij Grand-Café Emelisse

beerdrifter

Germany

3.88/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up at the beer store at the De Molen Brewery. Hazy amber-orange pour with one and a half finger head with decent retention and great lacing. Somewhat subdued nose with initial perfumey, citrus notes that fade and give way to earthy, sweet caramel malts and more of a barley wine character for me. The taste is all barley wine as well. Tropical fruits, specifically pineapple and mango account for the up front sweetness, with resiny, bitter hops adding balance. The mouthfeel is slightly thick and syrupy with a tangy, bitter hop finish. Pretty drinkable for a 10% ABV, but definitely a sipper that warms as you go.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 18:08:00 | More by beerdrifter

Chrily

Norway

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-16-2013 12:33:14 | More by Chrily

BuddyE

Louisiana

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%

05-14-2013 15:00:37 | More by BuddyE

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.79/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours muddy orange-amber with white head that dissipates pretty quickly.

Lots of caramel with hints of tangerine in the nose.

Taste is very malty with caramel and lots of chocolate. Moderate bitterness very late. Dark chocolate bitterness lingers on the palate as the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is medium-heavy bodied. Pretty thick feeling for an IPA.

Overall this was interesting and definitely worth a try. Much maltier than anticipated.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:24:27 | More by TrappistJohnMD

TallSaint

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3/5  rDev -20%

04-08-2013 09:03:22 | More by TallSaint

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

03-27-2013 02:16:57 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

aztraz

Sweden

3.75/5  rDev 0%

03-25-2013 23:04:00 | More by aztraz

Joel12

Illinois

4/5  rDev +6.7%

03-07-2013 04:55:55 | More by Joel12

popery

California

3.75/5  rDev 0%

02-27-2013 03:09:44 | More by popery

weonfire

Kentucky

3.86/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this on tap at the Local Option in Chicago, IL - poured into a 10oz snifter.

First off....wow do they play EXTREMELY loud 'Death' metal at the Local Option. It is just about unbearable. But enough of that...

short review

A - great white head. Solid golden color. Looks thick. Hazy.

S - the normal citrus. nothing up and beyond. hoping for more sweetness.

T - Very bitter. that is sharp. triple hops and 10ABVs will do that i suppose.

M - no notes on this.

O - I really like it. Great for the hop heads. Not as sweet as you would hope tho.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2013 01:32:39 | More by weonfire

sansho

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev 0%

02-03-2013 01:14:21 | More by sansho

bluetrevian

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%

01-23-2013 01:16:23 | More by bluetrevian

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out as a nice clear golden color with a foamy white head on top. The lacing was scattered with a thin retention. The smell of the beer was hoppy with some sweet grains in there as well as some boozy ethanol. The taste of the beer is sweet upfront with a good amount of malts that transitions over to the hoppy finish. The flavors of grain and bready with some powerful citrus in the finish balance nicely. The mouthfeel has some heat on it. For being 10% it's hotter than some beers I've had with higher ABV's. It's got a thick oily feel to it though and a decent carbonation. Overall this beer is pretty good, worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 03:25:11 | More by Knapp85

Evan47

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +26.7%

12-11-2012 23:59:16 | More by Evan47

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

On tap at In de Wildeman in Amsterdam.

Cloudy orange with a bubbly white head. Leaves some lacing on this tiny 25cl glass.

Lots of caramel malt in the aroma. Light citrus and grassy hops. Some herbal tea as well.

The 10% is apparent as is the bitterness and malts. It's tasting like an American barleywine. Lots of caramel maltiness with some lighter fruit and grassy herbal hopping.

Fairly big bodied and smooth with mild carbonation. My favorite thing about this beer.

I had to try a Netherlands brewery doing big American things but I wish I had not done this as the first beer of the night. It will destroy your palette.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2012 22:46:31 | More by MattSweatshirt

kojevergas

California

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on-draught into 't Arendsnest stemware. Reviewed from notes taken in July 2010.

A: Pours a two finger head of fair cream, nice thickness, and good retention. Colour is a textbook copper.

Sm: Bittering hops, heavy floral character, and malt. A mild strength aroma.

T: Bittering hops on the climax help add a special element to the simple body - which is itself comprised of caramelized malt, full barley, and assorted diverse hops. Hides its 10.00% quite well. Complex enough and nicely balanced. Very well built for the style.

Mf: Lovely coarseness to bring out the flavours, nice wetness, and good carbonation. Suits the style and flavours nicely.

Dr: Very drinkable for its high ABV as well as the style, without too much coarseness or bitterness. Affordable and enjoyable. I'd have it again.

B-

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2012 20:05:51 | More by kojevergas

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Round two of my Emelisse triple-play at Cafe Frape on 06OCT12. A 0.33l bottle set me back €5.50.

The small tulip brimmed with a deep chestnut/amber bier, which was lightly cloudy. Head was rocky and tan, stuck around a while, and put up some good lace. Aroma was mostly rindy but did have a touch of tangerine and apricot. Pretty smooth on the tongue, it also possessed a medium body.

Started off with some fruity sweetness, tangerine, orange and apricot being present. Then it turned resiny and piney, with solid bitterness through to the finish. Better balanced than the DIPA I started with, and quite satisfying! Prosit!!

4/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1526

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 17:07:28 | More by Bierman9

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got a fresh batch of this stuff at the liquor store down the road. Great to see these guys become available locally.

From a bottle into a snifter
Best Before June 2014
Lot A
EBU: 103

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, medium looking, off-white head with decent retention. Head quickly fades to a faint wisp and ring. Opaque burnt orange with no carbonation evident. Some touches of wisp remain until the end and leave some light dots of lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Pale malts and caramel, with some fruity mango, pineapple and oranges as well. Plenty of tropical fruits on this one, which make it quite the pleasure to sniff. Nice stuff.

TASTE: Pale malts, with some nice caramel and toffee sweetness, then piles of bitter hops after the swallow. Mango sweetness, honeydew melon, as well as lots of bitter piney and floral hops linger nicely on the palate. Very flavorful and plenty of complex bitter-sweetness lingering after the swallow. Good stuff.

PALATE: Fuller body, oily, with lots of weight, and modest levels of carbonation. A big and heavy feel on this one. Creamy on the palate, goes down fine and finishes quite sticky. Full, thick, creamy and oily body here, then a touch of heat lingers. A little too sticky perhaps, but otherwise, this is my style for sure.

OVERALL: This was definitely my favorite of the three hoppy Emelisse offerings tonight. The palate was big, full and slick, which really supported the solid flavors this one had to offer. It's a shame this is over 4 euro a bottle, but it's also nice to know that a Dutch brewery can pull off a big American style IPA if they want to. Solid, solid beer. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 18:53:56 | More by Jeffo

danthehopslamman

4/5  rDev +6.7%

09-19-2012 15:58:58 | More by danthehopslamman

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

07-12-2012 16:51:26 | More by Rickythejeweler

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

2.95/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle received in CanBIF 2012. Thanks phyl21ca! 12 oz bottle date notched BB end of 06/12. Poured into a wine glass at 7C. Sampled July 1, from notes.

Lighter copper body than their DiPA with a nicer head that laces wonderfully. For a beer that is a single day past its best before date it should be much better than this. It lacks any hop character, save bitterness. When warmed it gets hot. A better barley wine than IIPA, but really not a very good barley wine either.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 02:30:19 | More by kjyost

GPHarris

Alabama

3.23/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a - poured a one finger thick creamy tan head into an snifter that settled into a thin ring of lace. the body was a dark copper color.
s - sweet caramel and toffee with a hint of pine.
t - same as the aroma but a little more balanced with the hops.
m - creamy, medium mouthfeel.
o - very drinkable and balanced DIPA especially at the hefty ABV.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 18:55:40 | More by GPHarris

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is copper in color with little foam head on top of it. Lots of floaties in there. The aroma is dominated by the hops. Tropical fruits with pines in the back. A good dose of malts in there, which makes this beer very thick in the mouth. The beer is bitter on the finish and the bitterness install itself quite strongly... slowly but certainly. The alcohol is well hidden. This is a complex beer. Chewy too. As the beer warms up, I notice some roasted bread or even more french toasts notes in the aroma.

A very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 18:44:04 | More by ZorPrime

twelveinches

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-26-2012 06:00:04 | More by twelveinches

AlexM

California

4/5  rDev +6.7%

04-18-2012 21:40:56 | More by AlexM