Sawyer's Triple - Stone Brewing Co.

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice looking amber orange color. A small white head adorns the surface and has good enough retention. Lacing is sparse. Great nose. Bready and yeasty. Spicy and peppery. Musty and minty. The flavors of this beer really follow suit with the nose. Bread and yeasty dough tones are very nice. The spice is subdued, but apparant. Minty tones are very delicate. And there's some fruitiness to go around as well. Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated. Body about medium. This special brew has a pretty special taste.

As a father of 3 little ones, I found that drinking this beer brought out some emotions. The Sherwood (and Stone) family are in my thoughts.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2003 03:51:26 | More by Bighuge

Boolshot

California

4.47/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Looking back on my rating notes from a while back: A friend and I split a case of this to help the cause. Truly sad circumstances that made this beer come about. Excellent spice and fruit scent. Tastes of banana, apple, citrus, alcohol, hops and something else which I can't put my finger on. When Stone does a Belgian, they do a great job.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2006 04:48:43 | More by Boolshot

Floydster

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

8 ounce glass at the Stone Winter Storm for eight dollars, all proceeds went to charity for
ALD, always willing to give some money for a good cause

Color was golden yellow with a slight orange tint, head was about 1/2 inch and had a soapy white appearance, some pretty impressive retention and lacing for a beer that is about four years old

Smell was missing something, lots of sugary aromas, different scents of fruit consisted of raisins, cherries, tangerine, and grapefruit, some bready malt aromas but none of these smells were substantial or stuck out much

Taste was calm and inviting that I could have probably drank a gallon of this stuff, well that might have been an exaggeration, taste was sweet all the way around, citrus at first with oranges and tangerine, later dark fruit surfaced with raisins and prunes leading the way, sugar hit the tongue each sip, aftertaste was super smooth and relaxed, not much hops left in this one if there was much to begin with when it was fresh, it was still well balanced regardless, some candy-like tastes came about when it continued to get warm, awesome beer overall

Body was nice with a medium body, thicker than most tripels I have seen, mellow level of carbonation, taste lasted a long time, sweet and creamy mouthfeel

Could have drink this all day, it went down so easy because of its unparalleled smoothness, alcohol percentage is not too bad, under eight percent, light on the stomach even though it is sweet, it had a subtle and light flavor with great drinkability

Have been wanting to try this for a few years now, finally was able to take this off my wants list, deserved to be the most expensive beer on the day, super good tripel, wish Stone made beers like this more often, highly recommended for anyone who is lucky enough to try it, would drink again in the future if possible with no questions asked, one of the best beers I have ever had from Stone Brewing

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2008 07:59:10 | More by Floydster

beerguy101

California

4.58/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Light orange gold color. Small head. Aroma is fruity and spicy (coriander and pepper?) Orange and apricots. Bready. A medium bodied Belgian Style Ale. Not sure if it really a triple but its definitely has pure Belgian roots. Malts are very fruity and spicy. Carbonation is bright and lively. Its hoppy for a Belgian ale, but what else would you expect from Stone? Very nicely balanced. Extremely drinkable. I realize that this was a special brew, but do you think you could make more of this beer? Maybe sort of an annual thing. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet. Thanks to jcalabre for this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2003 06:24:49 | More by beerguy101

Sephiroth

Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Sampled courtesy of sprinkle. Pours a dark, golden yellow, good head, and good lacing. Aroma is grainy, juicy, and fruity.

Tastes nice and malty, with apple and pearish fruits. Mouthfeel is very light for the style, but good for this particular beer. Slightly creamy texture. I wish I could get more of this, wish Stone still made it, etc.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2006 06:53:55 | More by Sephiroth

GRG1313

California

4.6/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bright hazy orange color with a short white head and light lacing. Nose of orange and light malt and lemon peel.

The hit here is in the flavor and balance. Wonderful malt and fruit (stone fruit and banana) in the front palate and nice subtle but bitter grapefruit hops on the back palate and finish.

The balance of this beer just may be perfect. The mouth feel is big but not too thick. The balance of fruit, malt, yeast, hops and citrus is perfect, as is the carbonation which is "just right." Rich and bold flavors that seem to be great for anything. Simply put, it just tastes good and you want more! What could be better?

The finish is a light fruit that goes to grapefruit and is long lasting and pleasant. '

This is a beer to quench thirst, consume with all kinds of food; and you could even sip as a delicious strong ale.

I waited too long to try this one! This is one of the best all around quality beers I've tried. When evaluating the perfect beer (whatever that is...) this would be in the running. I will definitely add more of this to my home stock the next time I'm at Stone.

As always, just my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2009 04:16:28 | More by GRG1313

jcalabre

California

4.63/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I drove from my house in Mission Viejo down to Stone in San Marcos today to buy beer. And I've never been so depressed buying a beer. You can all look at Stone's website and read for yourself about the tragedy involving Sawyer Sherwood and his loss in his battle against ALD. Since all the proceeds from the sale of Stone Sawyer are going to be used in helping fight ALD, hopefully the money being raised will save some other child from this horrible fate.
As far as the beer, it pours a beautiful clear golden color with a quickly diminishing white head. The effervesence is continual. I poured this into a Chimay goblet and it looks great sitting there.
The aroma is wonderfully spicey with yeastiness to it. There's a sweet aspect to the nose. too.
The flavor is slightly sweet on the tongue. You can put this up against any comparable Belgian Trippel and Stone would win in many people's views.
The texture and mouthfeel are great. It has a medium feel and it is so easy to drink.
It's another world class beer from Stone. It's ashame that the circumstances are so tragic.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2003 23:36:53 | More by jcalabre

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.63/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Normally, the beers I review are full samples, fully sampled by yours truly, but this time I dug into my generous nature and shared the bomber with fellow BA Steorn, who'd never had anything from Stone! What better way to change that sad status than to treat him with a rare, limited bottling! And, as for the beer?
I shelved sentimentality, not that it's easy, but merely to judge the brew on the brew, and, wouldn't you know, that ain't all so hard...
Appearance: golden hue, with a pure, milky whitewhead...lovely!
Aroma: sweetness and spice, a perfect tripel feel, highly sugared, overwhelmingly pleasant, light, and. oh, so, nice.
Taste: sublime. Just perfect. Throws me back, thrusts me into a sublime state, utterly out-of-this-world, that sort of brew that sends you into something other -than-the-norm, did I say, perfect? With an abundant fruitiness, peach, apricot, citrus, and more, ...the finish is swift, but thirsty, in that it mouake you ache for more," where's my Sawyer's Tripel", you scream! Honestly, it's like that, not too big, not too small, just so-right, damn, but they made a perfect tripel, sweet, but not too much so, tasty, but just enough, refreshingly simple, but thoroughly complex...Great job, Stone, once again!!!
Enormous, effervescent gratitude to Mr. BeachBum hisself, Sir Darren of Nightengale!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2003 06:36:03 | More by feloniousmonk

sweetbrew82

California

4.63/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bottle into a snifter/ No freshness date

Big thanks go out to Joe for this!

P: Pours yellow from the bottle, and sits apricot in the glass. Barely a 1/2 inch head of off-white foam that disappeared immediately. Not much lacing.

A: Citrus-flavored bubblegum, ripe bananas & pears, light malts, dash of pepper, and a slight alcohol presence. Smells good!

T: Bubblegum flavors burst onto the scene from the opening sip, accompanied by floral (and slightly citrusy) hops, bruised bananas, apples, pears, and cloves all tied together by a light malt presence. Sweet for the first second, then leans toward being a bit more bitter & spicy from the pepper & alcohol. Finishes dry with a much more pronounced malt, and a kiss of yeast to balance things out. This is damn tasty!

M: Medium-bodied, smooth, clean, moderately carbonated for a good bite.

D: Very drinkable. I sit here writing this wishing that I had another to enjoy.

Notes: I sure am glad that I was able to get my hands on one of these puppies. I enjoyed it immensely! Complex, full-flavored, and downright satisfying. What else would you expect from Stone. Outstanding!

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2009 03:48:39 | More by sweetbrew82

RoyalT

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance – Bright orange body, almost florescent, with a decent head that laced the glass well. This one looks the part.

Smell – This has a nice malt base complimented by a sweet orange syrup and balancing hops. There’s some subtle yet effective spicing in there as well, mostly pepper and coriander.

Taste – This is not a heavy hitter like the HOTD Rose or Westmalle Trappist Trippel. It is definitely more balanced to the extent that it goes down like silk.

The orange flavor is good but not overpowering. It is mixed with a fresh melon taste followed by a hint of banana and cherry. The fruits are light here and unspiced, which is my preference for the style.

The hop profile balances nicely. It’s difficult to actually pick out the hops, but the offsetting nature of the taste establishes their presence.

Mouthfeel – Lightly carbonated and refreshing. No hint of alcohol to this medium-bodied ale.

Drinkability – This went down like a light lunch. It was excellent.

Comments – We all know the sad history as to the advent of this bottle. I picked this up at the brewery in a solemn crowd.

The CEO was on hand (the supposed “Arrogant Bastard” himself who was anything but) thanking everyone who came by. The proceeds of the beer sales, along with a percentage of all purchases in the gift shop (I loaded up on Stone paraphernalia that day) went to help research for the deadly disease that stole little Sawyer’s life just days before.

Update: I cellared this for six months and popped it at a tasting over at skyhand’s house. I thought it was perfect at this point. The flavors were fully mixed yet nothing was breaking down. The mouthfeel especially was incredible, so I changed the rating from 4.5 to 5.0.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2003 03:16:47 | More by RoyalT

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.8/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: The quality of Stones’ Bottles continues with another screen printed Bomber. Because of the circumstances, the design is a little more restrained, and I have to say that I like the simple classic looks. The usual description on the back of the bottle, which always raises a laugh or two, in this instance makes for a very sobering read. As I read it again, it has an even greater, more poignant, significance as little Sawyer lost his battle to the awful disease ALD, only a few days earlier.

Appearance: A massive ‘Belgium’ off-white head when first poured, which slowly settles to a smooth covering. The head fizzes with a lively effervescence which is very audible. The body is a very lucid dark golden color, with some amber hints at times when back-lit. Sadly, the head breaks to reveal just a collar like halo head.

Nose: A fantastic spicy hop aroma intermingled with yeast, and freshly kneaded dough. Effortlessly ‘Belgium’ in character.

Taste: Slightly sweet beginning, spicy hops invade the mouth. The black-pepper, spices, yeast and hops continually battle with each other. Orange peel and coriander enter the affray but only as Referees. No-one gains from this flavorsome fight – except the Imbiber. Towards the ending, & in the finish, there are small hints of cloves & banana’s at times.

Mouthfeel: A bold mouthfeel that leaves a nice tingle of the tongue and a spicy-clove aftertaste. The aftertaste of ones burps & belches are marvelous. The 7.6% is well masked.

Drinkability: I love Belgium beer & I love Stone beers – so to have both, is quite the treat. A very easy ‘5’. Gorgeously quaffable.

Overall: I am sure I am not the only one who did not really want to write this Review. Well, I have no fancy words to finish with, and I never knew little Sawyer, but I will say this - I happened to look at the Photograph of Sawyer on the wall of the Brewery’s Gift Shop, just as I was ordering some of this beer on Friday. His cheerful looking bespectacled face, his right arm raised with a clenched fist, somehow says everything I cannot. Maybe Stone could release this once a year in memory of Sawyer, raise much needed funds for the fight against ALD, and remind us all - just how damn lucky we are.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2003 07:14:54 | More by TheLongBeachBum

hyuga

North Carolina

4.97/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Just had this at the Stone Anniversary Ale tasting event at Sun Devil Liquors. Stone's brewmaster, Steve Wagner, bought a case himself and brought it for the tasting. Thanks a lot, Steve. We Stone fans in Arizona really appreciate it, and I'm sure the Sherwood family does too. We all send our heartfelt condolences to the family of Sawyer Sherwood, who this beer was brewed for, and who we learned passed away this past Tuesday.

This was a cloudy orange brew with a good-sized white head. Very well presented. Aroma of coconut and fruity esters with spicy Belgian yeast. As for the flavor, the first thing I noticed was the peppery character, from what seemed to be the alligator pepper that was used in brewing the 03.03.03 Vertical Epic, which I loved in that beer, and which I now like even better in this beer. The sweet malt and spicy yeasty flavors really come through after that. They blend quite well and balance perfectly with the hops. To me, that makes the best tripel. A wonderful beer brewed for a wonderful cause. I only wish I could have contributed myself and bought bottles of this at the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2003 05:58:50 | More by hyuga