Trade Winds Tripel - The Bruery

Crosling

Colorado

1.98/5  rDev -49.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Very Belgian appearance with a large head above a bright orange body. Spicing and fruit in the nose, with butter and popcorn as well. Flavor seems very incomplete and very sweet and it's just absolutely loaded with diacetyl. Has some nice elements to it, but sucks overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2008 03:53:20 | More by Crosling

charlzm

California

2.53/5  rDev -35.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Consumed 06/26/09 at Blue Palms, Hollywood.

An exceptionally clear pale yellow beer with plenty of active bubbles streaming upwards to replenish a white, one-finger head.

Aroma is not making my nostrils happy - solvent, rubber. A fleeting hint of basil (I think). Maybe coriander?

Flavor is unfortunately similar to aroma - chemical-y. Some sweetness in there as well with a slight bitterness at the end.

Mouthfeel is at least agreeable; this is a dry beer on the palate - tingly but not parching.

Think I'm going to have to pass on this one the next time I see it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2009 20:45:19 | More by charlzm

hardy008

Minnesota

2.68/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Clear gold color with a huge white head with good retention. The aroma has bread, sweet malt, coriander, yeast, pepper, and basil.

The taste is just like the aroma. Bread, sweet malt, coriander, yeast, pepper, and basil. The sweetness is balanced by some bitterness. Rice is used in place of candi sugar. The rice and the Thai Basil make for an interesting combination, but I prefer a more traditional Tripel.

Medium bodied, heavy carbonation, and the alcohol is pretty well hidden. Overall not a bad beer, but far from the best Tripel I have had.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 22:13:44 | More by hardy008

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

First had: on tap at TJ's, Paoli, PA

A huge cloud of head filled the glass from the tap, and it took at least five minutes for the beer to settle before I could get a full pour of this. Once it did settle, I was presented with a tulip glass of clear golden yellow liquid, with a delicate white head that almost completely disappeared. (What happened?) Aroma of subdued sweet malts, spicy yeast, funk, basil. Taste...started out okay, much like any typical tripel, with notes of sweet malts, fruity esters, and spicy yeast. Mid-palate brought on a huge wave of stale funk, basil, and overripe tomatoes. A softer pear-like flavor comes in near the end to take the edge off, but I had a whole glass of this stuff to get through, and that was just one sip. Whew. Medium body, pretty chewy, somewhat good at times, but overall, just not very drinkable at all.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2012 13:50:34 | More by Rifugium

peacehammer

California

3.03/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from memory.

An interesting beer, featuring a ton of unique ingredients (unusual for them I know)

The rice and thai basil give this beer an interesting complexion. An all around easy summer beer. I had my growler filled with it, it's likely a different experience entirely from a bottle.

Serving type: growler

11-22-2011 05:38:37 | More by peacehammer

kojevergas

California

3.05/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750ml bottle with standard branded presssure cap and generic label acquired at a local SoCal beer store and served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Purchased yesterday. Unfiltered. Self identifies as a Tripel; that's what I'll review it as. 8.1% ABV confirmed. Cost was $9 USD.

Served cold - straight from the fridge - and allowed to warm a bit over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger beige colour head of no real cream, average thickness, and average (~2 minute) retention for the high ABV. Body colour is a hazy murky copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Okay vibrance. Typical of the style; not unique or special. That said, no obvious flaws are detectable.

Sm: Pale malts, sugars, light floral hop character. Apple. Basil when I search for it. Fruit skin. Sweet biscuit malt. Apricot. Maybe some clove. Thin rice malt. Definitely on the sweeter end of the bitter/sweet scale. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable. An average strength aroma.

T: Pale, rice, light caramel, and biscuit malts form the body. Floral hop character rides atop. Clean and pleasant. The rice is interesting. I get a buried hint of basil spice when I really search for it. Lightly grainy. Apricot fruit; unnaturally sweet. Balance is off. Lacks the complexity and subtlety needed to make it a great beer in the style. Little yeast character comes through, if any. I don't get any alcohol. Decently layered but largely uninteresting.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Good carbonation. Decent thickness. Okay presence on the palate. Suits the flavour profile okay. Doesn't feel custom-tailored to its flavours.

Dr: I definitely wouldn't get this again, especially at its high price point. Another disappointment from The Bruery. Drinkable but forgettable. The rice and basil don't add enough to really set this one apart from the pack. I like it in a general sense, but it's not going to turn heads. Hides its ABV pretty well.

Low C+

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 22:56:48 | More by kojevergas

ikats

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours hazy, yellow in color with a large, lively head. Yeasty aroma. There is something off-putting about it. I can put my finger on it. I keep thinking it's rice - the more I smell the more the aroma seems to be a blend of Belgian and light lager. There is some bitterness in the taste. This beer seems a little unbalanced. It attacks you with high carbonation (too high in my opinion) and high alcohol (the label says 8.1%). I am not very well versed in the land of tripels, but this one is not what I am expecting. I am not sorry I have picked up this bottle, but I probably won't reach for it again any time soon.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2009 03:10:36 | More by ikats

bulletrain76

California

3.15/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

75cl bottle. Hazy dark gold-orange color with a big lasting white head. The aroma has sweet candy sugariness, spiciness (Thai basil?), and fruity yeast character that is somewhat reminiscent of kumquats and cantaloupe. The flavor is interesting but honestly a bit on the messy side; too much spicing and too candy-sweet in the finish. The basil seems to add a cool quality but might go a bit to far in the balance. Medium bodied, but sticky and watery in texture at the same time. I thought the all-brett version was much better.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 10:33:21 | More by bulletrain76

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.15/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Purchased at Ledger's Liquor in Berkeley, CA, and brought back to Australia to share with @LaitueGonflable, @tobeerornottobe and @FakeCousinAndrew.

Pours a hazed but bright golden colour, with a fill bodied, if large-bubbled and foamy head. Lacing is sudsy and thick. Minimal carbonation present - in fact, the body of the beer looks quite still and quite heavy. Looks very pleasant, particularly the colour.

Nose is pleasantly round with lots of Belgian esters coming off it. Light vinous acidity, and very slight hint of oak. Some apple cider vinegar character comes through as it warms, which doesn't really suit, although the other characters are nice.

Very thin on the palate, with some faint cidery nothingness on the front and a back laced with sharp Belgian phenols. The rice, I feel, is the attempt to lighten the body, but I fear it's what gives that straight fermented sugar sweetness, and a hint of the cider. The phenols on the back are true to style, but they stand out a little too harshly. Not a whiff of the basil.

Feel is light in feel, but heavy in body. As in, you can't feel the thickness in the mouth, but you can as you swallow.

Only an average brew as far as I'm concerned. Misses the mark for the style, and the extra "quirks" added to it don't do enough to make it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 04:14:37 | More by lacqueredmouse

Cavery

California

3.18/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Shared with SundaySour @ Bruery Provisions.

Flight #2 into tasters.

A: Pure early morning sunshine. Very luminous and soft. Looks like it could cure depression, or at least provide a fair amount of vitamin D. I could wake up to this. Light foam hovers over the beams with no lacing.

S: Forward flowery oils, hemp and other kinds. A fragrance with decent drinkability. Orange blossoms chill out with lemony teas, a late flavor of tangy green teas and garnishes.

T: Quite a spicy herbal bite with some lingering pepper. Green curry pizazz with flavorful greens; stems and all. Reasonably sweet, but dry. Rice has a noticeable presence in the taste of the alcohol.

M: An echo of small bubbles. Really a good mouth that remains noticeable throughout. This adds a bit of illusion to the strength of the drink. I thought the beer would be much lower than it was.

O: This brew really begs for a plate of food. I'd say go for the spicy food and deep bitter greens. The alcohol is perhaps a bit limiting, and the flavor profile make for a mouthful of garnishes. This is meant to compliment hearty foods, and would off set earthy foods very well.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2011 05:13:33 | More by Cavery

Buttermaker

California

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nice amber color with a rose hue. Big head with a citrusy nose that's reminiscent of The Bruery's outstanding Orchard White witbier. The initial taste is...unremarkable. In fact, there's a slightly numbing quality to the taste...that must be the Thai Basil. (If you've ever had a dish with Szechuan Peppercorns you'll know the taste/feeling.) Subsequent tastes reveal a little more character and a unique flavor profile. It's a tripel so it's definitely big on malt...but if they're using hops at all I can't tell. The bitterness is provided by the Thai Basil and possibly other Asian spices. It's definitely refreshing despite the high gravity. It makes a nice summer belquim.

They've definitely succeeded in their east meets west endeavor and I have to say I'm impressed with their ambition. However, this one has a hard time standing up to The Bruery's other outstanding offerings.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2009 06:05:22 | More by Buttermaker

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Sourbatchkid for opening up this bottle.

Trade Winds Triple is a beer that has escaped me for quite a bit. I had a sip at a tasting before, but im glad to have a nice snifter of it too chill with.

Trade Winds Triple(Nice name by the way) is a golden type color with some bright bronze color here and there. A nice foamy off white color, cream colored half inch of foam does not stick to the glass. Smell is off center for a triple, not your typical Belgian scent. Some spicy scent (thai basil) with big pale malt with some masked aroma hops with grassy appeal. Im not turned off by the flavor, it's just different for me, Im used to the Belgians. First off, I think the spice is a bit to pronounced, it's all I taste, that basil flavor. It sort of over takes the beer leaving no room for interpretation. Under that the light body brings forth alot of pale malt flavor. Some apple comes out in the end but the spice prevails. The body is a bit thin and watery IMO. Between light and medium, just falls short of carrying the beer further. Bright carb with bubbles, no problem there, alive like a good triple should be. A whole bottle of this would have been a chore and a half.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 02:46:07 | More by onix1agr

womencantsail

California

3.3/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A hazy golden color with a quickly settling white head.

S: Very...different. The basil is definitely making its presence known and I don't really think that's such a great thing. Very herbal overall.

T: Not surprisingly, the flavor is quite similar to the scent. So this is quite an herbal tasting beer as well. I don't find it that pleasing.

M: Lighter in body (possibly due to the rice they used to brew this) with good carbonation.

D: Personally, I did not find this beer all that enjoyable. However, if you are into the flavors that are present in this beer, I'm sure that you would find it very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2009 01:13:29 | More by womencantsail

BeerBelcher

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

I like sour, so I liked this, but this beer didn't have typical sour flavors and sure as hell wasn't a typical tripel. I found it to be tasty, but honestly a little difficult to drink.

Appearance was not like a tripel at all - it was dark and cloudy without much head. Aroma had a ton of fruit like sour cherry and cranberry. Despite the absence of candy sugar in the recipe, flavor is of candy sugar, fruit, and SOURNESS! Mouthfeel is dry. This is a pretty challenging beer to drink - tasty, but not all that drinkable.

Quite interesting - I'd be happy to try this again, as it is complex enough I am not sure I really got it all in this tasting. I had this on-tap at Shorty's in mid-town Manhattan.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2009 18:33:09 | More by BeerBelcher

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

An out-of-towner on tap at House of 1000 Beers -- gimme gimme!

Poured into a stemmed tulip: Clear, golden-brass body under a finger of cushiony white foam, very attractive.

Smells of baking spices, honey, pie crust. Sorry I can't be more specific, but a good smell.

Taste starts off strong with rich baking spice: nutmeg, a little cinnamon, orange zest. Some alcohol heat which, combined with the orange flavor, turns into a Triple Sec or bitters flavor. Hmm, not a big fan of that. Dry, flinty fruit character in afteraste, that really dominates after a while. Becomes unwieldy & kind of turns me off, ends up tasting like a worn-out pumpkin ale after a while. Some anise. Starts off strong, trips over itself & gets muddy.

Mouthfeel is crisp but full, dry in the middle.

Oy, this is kind of a mess, in my opinion. Starts strong, pretty compelling, but almost so complex that it becomes unwieldy & turns into a juggling act, & the drinker can't help but drop the ball.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2010 03:23:36 | More by OneDropSoup

snaotheus

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

750ml bottle poured into a large snifter

Pours cloudy yellow with a massive white head. Head fades fast (I'm watching it collapse right now). Smell is spicy yeasty, sweet, yeasty, yeasty. Funky.

Taste is sweet, banana and clove, strangely salty. Citrus.

Mouthfeel is thin and fizzy. Overall, it's pretty good. Certainly not my favorite Tripel, and for the price, probably not getting it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 22:01:21 | More by snaotheus

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.35/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I bought this bottle from South Bay D&L. Thanks Joey!

750ml capped bottle:

As soon as I popped the cap, the liquid started to slowly gush out of the bottle but I didn't lose a drop.

A hazy, then coudy, orange gold in colour, I got a 2 finger head of foam with some good lacing. Very nice looking brew.

The smell is very fruity and yeasty and spicy(corriander mostly) and yeah, I can smell the basil that they mention on the label. A good nose.

The taste is very fruity up front. I get notes of pear and some apple tartness but then the spices move in and take control. Corriander tops it along with some basil and there's an overall tartness that tastes lemony to me. It also has some sweetness that's very candy sugar like and overall, the flavours are pleasing but...and I've seen the comments about this and have to agree...this one is *way* over carbonated. Very prickly on the tongue and cuts down on the drinkability and enjoyment big time. Also, I don't think the alcohol is all that well hidden.

This is a light bodied brew, the carbonation, again, is over the top, and it finishes spicy and bitter.

Bottom line: This is my first sampling from The Bruery and well, I'm not very fond of this Tripel and I'm a big fan of well made Tripels. A step in the right direction would be to cut down on the carbonation. That's the one factor in this brew that really made it tough to drink never mind enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2008 15:55:23 | More by Bitterbill

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On cask at Max's yesterday.

Just a shade lighter than the tap version, this is light orange with great clarity. The nose is similar but a little different too. Basil is more noticeable, and it is less fruity. Slightly more citrus, though the sweetness is at the same level.
The palate opens spicier, fuller and less tropical, more citrus and unfortunately, fuller in body. Sweeter than the tap version, especially on the finish. Lower in carbonation, this is decent, I definitely prefer this on tap.

Serving type: cask

05-22-2010 14:39:00 | More by DefenCorps

billab914

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Russian River tulip. Poured a murky amber color with a thick and dense bright white head taking up nearly half of the glass. The head faded down to a thin covering but left some moderate lacing as it did.

The aroma has a sweet grainy, malty base to it. A bright citrusy hop aroma comes through but it is mixed with the herbal thai basil aromas. The basil comes through pretty well and mixes with the hoppy flavors much better then I expected. I'm getting what I think is the rice coming through in the background.

The taste mixes the citrusy, floral, hop flavor with the thai basil herbal flavor. It's an interesting flavor, not one I've had before in a beer. The malty, sweetness provides a pretty decent base for the beer, but the hops and basil flavoring really are the showcased flavor. A little yeast comes through in the finish. The hops and basil seem to balance each other pretty nicely, I'm just not sure how well it works overall as a beer flavor.

The mouthfeel is medium to light bodied with above average carbonation. Drinkability is OK, it's an interesting beer for sure but not something I would drink often or order another of anytime soon. I like the experimentation and interesting combination though. Basil and rice just might not make my list of favorite beer ingredients.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 22:23:45 | More by billab914

mexikrainian

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

750ml poured into a St. Bernardus Watou chalice.

Appearance: golden orange with creamy white head and silky lacing.

Aroma: citrus, herbs, apple, ginger and oak.

Taste: bland overall. basil predominates with slightly grassy and delicately hoppy taste.

Mouthfeel: smooth light-medium body with medium carbonation.

Overall impression: crisp yet soft, but tastes more like a saison. a one-timer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 23:33:33 | More by mexikrainian

Nickls

District of Columbia

3.43/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

(From notes)

A - Lightly hazy orange-yellow color; with barely a wisp of a head

S - Sour peachy aroma; yeasty; very ripened fruit aromas; touch sweet

T - Boozey apricot and peach flavors; a little too sweet for me, but finishes pretty dry. The flavors are a bit out-of-whack to my palate, or maybe it's just the brew on cask

M - Medium; virtually no carbonation and dryish

D - I could barely make it through a full pint of this on cask; just didn't work out well and the boozey-sweet tendencies really made this too medicinal

Overall, I really need to try this in bottle form as the cask just didn't work out. This was just not great stuff on cask, and it's a shame b/c I'm a huge fan of the Bruery overall.

Serving type: cask

08-18-2009 04:44:57 | More by Nickls

fragilemacabre

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

WOAH THAT'S A LOTTA HEAD! No seriously. Ridonculous amount of foam... which does settle down quickly and prettily leaving a very nice lacing and a dense, cloudy amber coloring.

It smells like a bar should smell, a happy/hoppy scent that is very obviously beer, with a bit of a croissant thrown in (sugary and yeasty smells).

This feels very nice on the tongue, but the immediate taste is a bit sweeter than some other Tripels I've had, though it has a good nectarine tartness as an end note.

I was recommended this beer by a Whole Foods employee/friend of mine who had nothing but rave reviews. Since he likes his women, I'd make this analogy: I wouldn't throw this beer out of bed, but it would be low on the list of my booty calls.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2009 05:22:40 | More by fragilemacabre

TheLiterati

California

3.43/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Beers from The Bruery tend to be "big" in every sense of the word - from the bottling to the composition and taste, they seem to do nothing "small."

This beer is no exception: pours a deep, cloudy golden amber with a thick, sturdy off-white head. Aroma is subtle, nutty.

Taste and mouthfeel are reminiscent of champagne, minus the sugar. Smooth and lightly effervescent, this beer is bittersweet, foamy and frothy with a undertones of citrus and a mild woodiness.

Still, there is something slightly off-putting about this beer. It's drinkable enough, but I'm not sure I'll make it a "regular."

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2009 07:56:24 | More by TheLiterati

DARIVA

Netherlands

3.43/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: This is a beautiful yellow and clear beer with a nice white head.

S: The smell of hops, but nothing more recognizable.

T: Pine needles and had a refreshing taste.

M: Nice foam sense and good carbonation.

O: This beer is pretty drinkable and delicious aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 17:04:13 | More by DARIVA

Stigs

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750ml bottle, served in Stone Levitation glasses

A - pours with a HUGE amount of fluffy sticky white foam, absolutely covers the glass with huge chunks. the beer is clear, gold in color.

S - large amounts of freshly chopped basil, mint, thyme...underneath is a light layer of yeast.

T - quite herbaceous following the nose with more basil and mint, some lightly tart lemon rind and green apples. finishes yeasty.

M - light body with sharp carbonation, finishes insanely dry and prickly.

D - well, not a Triple...really reminds me (I'd have trouble picking one out blindly) of Saison Du Buff. OK enough for a small serving but not much more.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2010 03:06:59 | More by Stigs