Orabelle - Great Divide Brewing Company

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

2.79/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

12oz bottle served in a Tripel Karmeliet

A - Pours a glowing amber orange with zero head. Light specks of lacing when swirled.

S - Orange, pineapple, bready and sweet malts, musty hay, kind of a flat aroma, maybe due to the low carbonation.

T - Fruity off the top, orange, pear, banana, apples, spice, boozy fruit, musty grains, sweet pale malts, honey, coriander,

M - Low carbonation, almost flat, surprisingly soft feel though. Medium to full bodied.

Not as good as I wanted it to be. Ok flavors but every thing seemed dull. The very low carbonation didn't help either. Hades was the last Belgian style that this brewery did well.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 00:50:51 | More by StaveHooks

blakelive784

Colorado

2.8/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

12 fl oz brown glass bottle served in a pilsner glass, reviewed live:

A - pours a lemon gold color with a cloudy yeast presence and two fingers of frothy white head. Retention is average. Lively carbonation. Unremarkable.

S - light bready yeast, sweet lemony esters, honey, and a pale malt body. Light alcohol on the nose. Incredibly mild, especially for the style. Not what I look for in a tripel.

T - muted, dull fruit esters and bland yeast. A touch of floral hops midway through. The alcohol is far too noticeable for how light the body. Warms a bit on the way down. It's missing the pleasant fruit esters and spice I associate with a great tripel.

M - light bodied and well carbonated. A touch thick.

D - a poor example of the style. I expect more from Great Divide. Takes a hit on drinkabiity due to the excessive alcohol presence. I'll pass on this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 22:44:50 | More by blakelive784

pants678

California

2.91/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Golden yellow, fits the style, not much of a head, though.

Orange, coriander make a great nose. Not subtle at all.

Sweet, maybe too much so. The rye doesn't jive so well with the orange. I enjoy tripels and I'm not looking for subdued but I think this suffers from too many additives. The honey, spices and yeast are all dominant and frankly come off too rich. I'm not looking for a tripel or any summer beer, really, that I have to approach this timid.

The carbonation should be upped.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 20:57:59 | More by pants678

shand

Florida

2.96/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.5

Orabelle pours a hazy orange color with a tiny head. The aroma has a strong citrus component over spices and yeast. The taste is a bit odd - I was excited when I saw rye on the label, but the rye here just doesn't work that well with the strong citrus, clashing and making the middle to finish section of the beer rather awkward. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side and gently carbonated. The drinkability is alright, all things considered. Overall, Orabelle isn't that good a beer. It has promise, but falls apart pretty quickly.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 19:39:30 | More by shand

BB1313

Ohio

3.16/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

Bottled on Jan. 2, 2013. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a slightly hazy, but transparent golden on the lighter side. Small white head which fades pretty quickly and leaves decent lacing. Lots of apple and pear in the nose. Slightly malty with yeasty bread notes. The flavors are clean, but slightly syrupy. There's an earthy bitterness to this one, but still remains sweet. I wish the carbonation was more active, but it's still does it thing making this is an easy drinker. Medium-bodied. Alcohol goes unnoticed.

This is your typical American attempt at the style. It doesn't come close to the examples from overseas, but it's still an alright beer for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 22:59:56 | More by BB1313

rawfish

California

3.34/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a deep gold, very hazy. It takes a vigorous pour to stir enough bubbles to make a white cap of half a finger. Lacing barely sticks.

Fruity layers of apricot and oranges. Thin malt bill with lemony wheat and coriander, pepper, perfume, musty hay and a touch of alcohol. Complex yet heavy and a bit dank.

Wheat, pale grains and lightly honeyed bread. Fruit aspects are subtle imparting a earthy orange and apricot puree flavor. Spices are there with powder, coriander and hay. Falls apart near the finish as alcohol creeps in coupled with an astringent metallic note that stays through the finish as this one dries.

Undercarbonated, clashes with the uplifting ingredients pumped into this beer. Body is settled and a bit heavy. Dries well enough.

Inviting beer, terrific aroma, complex and bright but really doesn't do well after. Astringent finish and lack of substantial carbonation really make this beer sluggish. Good attempt, I don't know if they have the right yeast to pull this one off. I really wanted to like this one as Great Divide is usually solid, leave it on the shelf .

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 01:40:20 | More by rawfish

hosehead83

Ohio

3.36/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a wine goblet.
Orange/apricot in color, with a rather short, thin head of white foam.
Aroma-Fruity, faint Belgian spices
Taste-Pear, peach,faint coriander, orange peel. Dryish finish, a bit under-carbonated, flavor flattens out after sitting for a bit. A decent American offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 20:58:29 | More by hosehead83

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.41/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle poured into a tulip.

Appearance
Gold with 2-3 fingers of white, fluffy head. Great retention and clarity. Low carbonation.

Nose
Caramel drizzled grains, potpourri, rye and hay.

Taste
Rye, pear and dried hay. Notes of potpourri, raw grains, earth and spelt. Touches of lemongrass and apple skin. The rye lingers along with some peppercorn.

Mouthfeel
Light-medium bodied, smooth, spicy and dry.

Overall
This is a very spicy Tripel. A lot of rye. Not a good representation of the style but it hides the alcohol quite well.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 19:30:26 | More by justintcoons

vkv822

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12oz : Teku glass

Pours a lightly hazy, pale golden yellow with a foamy white head.

Coriander, faint citric and Belgian yeast.

Lightly sweet, citric notes, some coriander and yeast notes.

Medium-full body, smooth, mild foamy carbonation.

An enjoyable, fairly well done Tripel. Pleasant flavors, though nothing particularly exciting about it.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 08:46:12 | More by vkv822

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A: cloudy golden/yellow, trace white head, fine lacing

S: big lemon peel, floral, belgian yeast

T: same as nose, malt, mild spice, earthy finish

M: med body, mild oily body

O: Another gem from Great Divide! Love Tripels
and this American offering is rather good. Fine
intro for newbies.

RATHER NICE; SOLID SAMPLE!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 21:10:17 | More by BeerLover99

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured no head and is a slightly hazy golden yellow. No bubbles coming up through the glass. Looks pretty dull for a triple.

Smell: apples, vanilla, spices, boozy alcohol, yeasty esters, and bready notes.

Taste: Pretty much the same as above. The tastes are very minimal here and hard to decide. It should be blended more well together. The spices seem to dominate the whole taste.

Mouthfeel: Smooth boozy, low carbonation, light to medium bodied, a little chewy, and some lingering bitterness.

Overall: A nice attempt from the boys of Denver, but ill stick with other favorites. Still a decent beer though.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 07:42:32 | More by Flounder57

wedge

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Slightly foggy golden yellow color covered by a slim layer of milky suds. Spicy, fruity aroma...coriander, orange peel, banana, clove, flowers, and mild dough. Big, fruity esters burst forth in the mouth. Peppery phenols, citrus zest, some tart acidity, coriander spice, and a tangy-ness that I assume comes from the wheat. Only a little grain near the end, but all the bright, yeasty, spicy flavors overwhelm any malt (and I REALLY like to have some noticeable pale malt in my tripels to soften and balance things out). The finish is sweet, but nondescript. Medium bodied and low on carbonation, which hurts the drinkability, though a pleasant dryness helps. Not bad, far from the best.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 23:27:13 | More by wedge

chinchill

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 12oz bottle into a snifter. 2013 bottled date is just under 1 month ago.

Appearance: light golden-apricot hue with a light haze and a medium-light effervescence. Very little head but some spotty lacing is left on the glass. Head dissipated quickly.

Smell: fruity (mainly orange and apricot), wheaty, spicy, aroma.

Taste: sweet & tart more than bitter flavor with wheat, orange, rye and coriander. Hints of apricot and apple cider.

Mouthfeel: near medium body with good carbonation.

Overall: a nice Belgian-style beer, but with weak head and a style that is at most mid-way between a Belgian White and Belgian Tripel.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 23:25:25 | More by chinchill

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.51/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle pours a hazed gold color with a small cap of white head. Not much retention and lacing. The bottled on date is much appreciated (01/13/13).

Nose is bread dough, coriander and oranges....I didn’t know it when I bought it, but this is f**king spiced. What the hell man?! A major fopaux in my mind for a tripel.

The spicing is not over the top, but it is easily the most dominant combo of flavors and gives it a sweetness that the beer could have gotten by easily without. It tastes more like an imperial wit than a tripel with the orange peel and coriander. The mouthfeel is nice and creamy...fine carbonation feels great. I just don’t like it when the spice additions overpower the light grainy malt and Belgian yeast in a tripel...this one does it and it is definitely not subtle. I won’t be purchasing this one again...would rather grab a Golden Monkey if in the market for a $10 six pack tripel.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 02:16:51 | More by twiggamortis420

EORS

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass.

A: Honey colored and hazy with a quarter inch or so of white head, comes back when the beer is swirled and laces down the glass.

S: Wonderful. Lots of fruit (mostly orange with some banana), spice, little bit of mustiness and alcohol.

T: The first two categories were so good this was a bit of a let down. Very dry: musty tang from the yeast and very noticeable alcohol.

M: Slick, low-carbonation.

O: Good, but would have liked a bit more body in this beer, given the different grains listed in it (wheat, rye, oats) Wonder what would have happened if a less efficient yeast went to work on this, or if I drank it a bit younger. If it tasted more like it smelled, this would be a go-to.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 02:09:01 | More by EORS

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Orabelle was a cloudy blonde with about two fingers of fluffy head. The head retained pretty well, which released the belgian nose over a decent amount of time. Speaking of the nose, Orabelle had a pretty minimal bouquet. There is a touch of the belgian yeastiness and a little bit of spice (I think coriander).

The flavor on this beer is pretty simple. I pick up a little funk, some spice, and more of the belgian yeastiness. This mix of flavors had some pretty good balance, while working decent feel in the mouth.

This worked out to be an easy drinking tripel.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2013 03:07:26 | More by ummswimmin

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.66/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

-bot. 12-13-12. Consumed 3-13-13.

A: Bright tangerine orange is translucent filled with a good showering of visible effervesce. The head is washy, slightly bubbly, peanut shell colored, leaving a speckled spacious lacing that was weakly visual.

S: Tart funky oranges, yeasty, musky grains, barnyard scents upfront. A bit of spicy golden hops. The wheat follows through along with some fruity notes of honey dew. Aroma seems to increase in interest deeper into the experience.

T: Flavor is fruity, cantelope, melon, and white grapes meeting a yeasty and musky grain backing. Some apple-citrusy notes, wheat, and hay, with a hint of banana from the yeast and semi-dry oranges.

M: light bodied, medium sense carbonation. Fairly crisp and yeasty feel.

O: Overall you can easily warm up to this, spicy, yeasty, and fruity while the 8.3% abv is easy to handle making this go down fairly easy inticing another. Mouthful could be a bit crisper. Flavor is respectable and the weak visual can be overlooked.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 22:35:53 | More by beerthulhu

Beaver13

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle, bottled on 12/31/12. Pours slightly hazy straw yellow with a medium creamy white head that goes to a thin film that laces the glass.

The aroma is sweet and tart fruit with corriander and a bit of funk.

The flavor is bready malts with some fruit and corriander and a bit of a funky bitter finish. The mouthfeel is pretty full bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, a solid beer. Kind of a cross between a tripel and a wit. Easy drinking but with a bang.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 04:29:33 | More by Beaver13

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Orabelle has a hazy golden honey color. The head is thin and white and never really gott started.
The aroma has a very pronouned corrinder nose. A spicy nose from yeast esters and perhaps sutle orange peel.
The taste follows the nose. Lots of spice and corrinder in this sweet tasting beer. Throw in some yeasty funk too. There is a pretty healthy dose of alcohol in the taste too.
The feel wasn't as crisp as I would like.
A good tripel that leans alittle too much into the wit side for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 15:15:10 | More by micromaniac129

flagmantho

Washington

3.74/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into a tulip. Bottled on 12/12/12 ... woo!

Appearance: light golden hue with a moderate haze and a medium-to-strong effervescence. Head poured one finger of frothy white foam which dissipated quickly, leaving little lace. Not bad, but part of the tripel experience I like is a huge, inconvenient head.

Smell: wheaty, spicy, witbier-like aroma, attributable to the orange peel and coriander found in this brew. It's also got a hint of pear and cider aromas which bring out the tripel character. I like it.

Taste: sweet flavor with wheat, bitter orange and coriander; the flavor here is more of a double white or imperial witbier or something. Maybe not what I'm looking for in a tripel, but not bad overall.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and a pretty good creaminess. Not too bad.

Overall: this is not a bad beer, but I was a little disappointed. The label claims this is a tripel, but they've gone a lot further into witbier territory than I like to have in a tripel.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 20:08:28 | More by flagmantho

Halcyondays

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a deep opaque goldenrod to a light yellow-orange with a medium white head, some spotty lace.

S: Definite notes of creamy orange, lots of pepper and yeast.

T: Heavy doses of coriander, peppery yeasty and orange peel hit initially with a nice play from the malt. Some good hopping on the back end, but dominated by the yeast flavour,

M: Medium to full-bodied, a tad cloying, never alcoholic, medium long aftertaste, biting carbonation all the way.

O: A well made American Tripel. The flavours are good, the mouthfeel could use a little work, but it's a minor quibble. All and all I enjoyed this effort.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 07:27:30 | More by Halcyondays

homebrew311

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a light hazy yellow with white collar of he's an heavy lacing. Nose has wavy belgo yeast character with lemon, grass and bread along with spicy notes. Taste is light and fruity with lemon peel and coriander to follow. Light peppery notes as well. Mouthfeel is light and well carbonated. Overall, decent flavors here, plenty of Belgian character.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2013 20:22:43 | More by homebrew311

chugalug06

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Foggy, yellow-orange, thin white foamy head.

Orange, wheaty, banana, medicinal, nice blend.

Dry, light-medium carbonation, very wheaty, orange, coriander, light menthal, inital flavor is dynamite while after taste is a weird mix of flavors.

Recommended, but I think GD could blend this one out better. I'm anxious to see if it changes next spring...

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 02:19:43 | More by chugalug06

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz.

Pours a light, slightly hazy lemon gold. Thin white film for a head.

Smells of coriander, lemon zest, grassy malts, and semi-sweet citrus.

Flavor is of light grassy malts, hints of wheat, and tart and sweet citrus fruitiness. A very mild hop bite comes through in the aftertaste.

Body is on the full side with light fizzy carbonation on the roof of the mouth.

Pretty decent Belgian-inspired ale, not quite in tune with the style to me, but that aside very enjoyable and refreshing. Has some saison-like elements. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 23:06:33 | More by Cylinsier

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

decent tripel style, but aside from the belgian yeti and maybe hades, i dont care for great divides forays into belgians. this one pours more clear than expected, but still with some suspended yeast, bright golden in color, more of a sexy blonde actually. a ton of bubbles build a tall white head. i smell corriander, and some bready floral yeast, like some kind of fruit muffin. theres some peppery element as well, more complex than i thought itd be, and less frilly than new belgiums tripel. flavor is yeast driven, without much citrus happening at all. its quite refreshing and its alcohol content is expertly disguised. erratic carbonation, like a sodapop, but a quick finish, feels like carbonated water. light body for a bigger brew alcohol wise, appropriate from early spring. not the best thing great divide has done, but i like it a whole lot better than that saison they did last year...

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 21:01:33 | More by StonedTrippin