Tripel Karmeliet - Brouwerij Bosteels

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a goblet

Appearance: gold in color, clear, 1/2 inch head

Smell: lemon, wheat, orange

Taste: orange, lemon, coriander, malt, touches of hay and alcohol

Mouthfeel: sweet with an alcohol burn and bitter backbone, light body with medium carbonation

Drinkability: I find this to be an above average tripel, but there are several others I prefer in the style. I would not turn this down, but also would probably not get this again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2010 13:38:18 | More by tigg924

hoppyhampy

California

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on-tap at the Pangea Cafe at just below room temp into a Tripel Karmeliet tulip. I haven't had this one before and haven't been drinking Belgian ales lately but decided to treat myself. Brilliantly clear, golden yellow in color and great head formation, retention, and lacing. Bananas, orange peel, and coriander on the nose and much the same on the palate. Not really complex in these aspects. What you see (smell, taste) is what you get which isn't exactly a bad thing but I thought if there was anything lacking it was in these areas. Just medium bodied but still almost syrupy in texture. I found it to be quite drinkable for a number of reasons: relatively low carbonation, the malt is very sweet but very light, the presence of alcohol is nearly undetectable, and the finish is surprisingly clean for a relatively heavy beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2010 00:15:25 | More by hoppyhampy

snpub540

California

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a very clear golden straw colored hue. It was topped with a white head that left little lacing.

Aroma was very earthy and fruity with those yeast scents making up pretty much all of the nose.

Taste is a nice balance of sweetness with some spice flavors. Cloves and bitter orange peel dominate.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Drinkability is great and the beer is crisp and refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2010 00:09:41 | More by snpub540

sliverX

New York

4.65/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Happened to stop at the Tap & Mallet while in Rochester, NY April 27, 2010. Reps from Brouwerij Bosteels as well as their US distributor had an impromptu tasting, if I understood right just because they were in town. Well might as well try everything they import so here's #3. Presented with a clear golden brew with plenty of white head floating on top. This had the perfect tripel smell sweet malty, spice, and yeast all well present. The taste followed the nose as well as adding in some caramel sweetness, I noticed a strawberry yogurt like taste in the finish which while odd was welcome and not off putting. Mouthfeel was a very velvety smooth medium to full bodied. This was damn near the perfect tripel, I do love a good tripel though.

It was also very cool to hear how this beer came about from the Brewery Rep.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2010 03:48:07 | More by sliverX

BeerGodz

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On Tap @ BXL Cafe

Look: Bright golden/orange color, cloudy, fluffy white head with very good retention & lacing

Smell: Sweet malt, honey, orange, spices

Taste: Up Front: Malt forward, honey. Finish: Citrus, spices

Mouthfeel: Medium body & effervescent

Drinkability: Super quaffaliscious

Overall Impression: It was my 3rd beer of the night, and my favorite of the three. I had 3 of them - YUMMY!!!!

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2010 22:17:57 | More by BeerGodz

xmorgan

California

4.9/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a beer worth savoring. Bought a 750ml bottle at Whole Foods. They really upped their beer game. Pours a a cloudy yellowish with full white head. Head retention is next to nil on this beer, and the smell is subtle. However sipping it slowing letting it warm up, one can appreciate the different malts in this beer.

The high alcohol comes across quickly on the palate but then the malts and esters catch up, giving this an almost champagne dryness.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2010 22:31:10 | More by xmorgan

DmanGTR

New York

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes on 12/13/09. On tap at Monk's Cafe.

A- poured golden honey with a well formed 1'' white head. Touches of lace here and there. 4.0

Sm- pale malt sweetness, honey, and hint of orange peel. Mild hoppiness and a touch of bitterness. 4.5

T- pronounced honey flavor with an excellent balance in citrus and a hint of hops. 4.5

M- medium bodied and smooth, well carbonated. 4.0

D- excellent. So good. 4.5

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2010 13:33:13 | More by DmanGTR

brystmar

New York

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On draft at the Gingerman in Austin.

A: served in a Chimay chalice; not much head but a protective swirly layer of white froth did sit atop the brew for most of the drink. Golden in color with hints of red too -- reminds me of a white zinfandel...

S: yeasty & floral, lots of maltiness too. Citrus sweetness also present. Hops in the background smell nicely inviting.

T: earthy yeast and malts up front, citrus not far behind. A bunch of complexity in this brew. Finishes sweet, but strangely still dry like a good champagne. Boozy warmth hits your stomach at the end. Really good.

M: medium-bodied with heavy carbonation, which is typically offsetting to me but really seems to work well with this brew. Dare I say it rivals the best tripels I've tasted in this category?!

D: pretty easy to enjoy at any point in the night. Or the day, for that matter! I really should drink this more often.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2010 03:31:26 | More by brystmar

Thia417

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I had the Tripel Karmeliet on tap at the Cheeky Monk in Denver when I flew out for GABF '09. I've had the it bottled before and enjoyed it, but on tap it just blew me away. This is my new favorite beer and I don't usually like Belgians.

I'm no pro at describing beers and why I like them. But here's my attempt:

The head was light and foamy.
The aroma was floral, fruity and slightly spicy.
The taste was so smooth and wonderful. It perfectly melded the malt and citrus taste together. I want to say it had a slight pear taste to it, but I'm horrible at picking out specific flavors. Either way, I greatly enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2010 14:57:11 | More by Thia417

pershan

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on-tap at Frisco Grille in Columbia, MD.

The beer poured a very clear, straw-yellow with a thin, white, creamy head into a chalice. The smell was of bubble gum, banana, cloves, with a slight floral undertone. The taste was the previously mentioned unmistakable Belgian yeast profile, with a slightly harsh hop bite at the finish. A very smooth and creamy mouthfeel, with perfect carbonation and lacing down the glass. A very nice tripel, with the high ABV nicely masked - reminds me quite a bit of Brewer's Art Ozzy.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2010 21:03:24 | More by pershan

DaveJanssen

British Columbia (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed 7/13/2009 in brugge. Had on tap in karmeliet tulip.

Ar: super floral, intense lillies, *Jasmine, roses, spicy (incense) light mandarin, alc a bit after some warmth

Ap: Epic head, very coarse and smooth, great retention, high effervescence, clear dark gold, chunky lace

F: Strong incense-like spice, jasmine, very floral, dry lillies, lightly fruity, floral character is spicier than many other belgian yeasts, light citrus peel, very good intense spicy floral with hints of coriander, light alcohol, light candy sweetness hints of minty/pine with alc (like juniper).

M: high carbonation, light mouthfeel, smooth, alc gets a bit rough with warmth.

O:spicy and floral, very good, unique

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2010 21:17:14 | More by DaveJanssen

khinman7

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured on tap into a goblet (have also had it many times from a bottle).

Like other reviewers, I can still remember the first time I tasted this beer. Definitely life changing (up to that point the only beers like liked were stouts and IPAs).

Color is a gorgeous golden caramel.

Taste is the right amount of sweet but not overpowering, the alcohol is muted- and thus this beer is very drinkable (be careful with the high abv!!!). Finger of head that leaves a nice lace on the glass.

I always come back to this beer... esp when I find it on tap in Colorado!

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2010 01:34:01 | More by khinman7

Telix

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Taken from notes. Had this on draft at Birreria Paradiso in DC a few months back.

A: A clear yellow brew with a nice thick head, that quickly dissipated.

S: Sweetness, lightness, goodness - with no bitterness.

T: Initially effervescent with light citrus, some sweet malt on the tongue, fairly dry and not too complex.

M: Thick, creamy, bubbly on the tongue, dry.

D: I don't know about this one... it's certainly a nice tripel, but it's not very complex or dynamic - you drink it, flavor hits the tongue, and it's gone - nothing really gives it much to get you interested in drinking a lot more.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2010 17:18:14 | More by Telix

Rizow

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Taken on-tap at the Trappist in Oakland

Pours a big frothy head, foamy lace climbing up the glass. A light yellow glow to it.

Smells like pineapple, and a bouquet of flowers.

Banana and lavender flavors, with a big floral aftertaste.

Feels light, with a pleasant carbonation. Highly drinkable.

Lots of personality, yet not at all overbearing. Among the best of the lighter Tripels.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2009 00:53:56 | More by Rizow

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Prime 16 into a Tripel Karmeliet tulip. Hurrah for proper glassware!

A: Clear golden body topped with two fingers of fine white head. Mediocre retention and no lace. Pretty boring appearance, really, but gets a bonus point for the beautiful glass.

S: Big, distinctive tripel aroma: predominantly yeasty, with tropical fruit (mango) and spice (clove) leading the way; some smoothly warm alcohol as well. Very nice.

T: Very fruit-forward, with the mango from the nose being joined by banana, apple, and pear. Slightly herbal/grassy notes show up midway through, followed by some mildly funky sourness and a fairly hot alcohol finish. Tasty enough, but I missed the spice and straight-up yeast from the aroma.

M: Fairly light-bodied with relatively low (but very smooth) carbonation.

D: Despite the noticeable booze it goes down pretty easily for a full-strength tripel. Not bad at all.

Notes: Great tripel, with a fascinating display of aromas and flavors - not quite like anything else I've had, but also not quite as strong all-around as a couple of my favorite tripels, Westmalle and (especially) St. Bernardus.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2009 02:31:00 | More by woosterbill

trbergman

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on tap in the proper glass at the Map Room; I think it was a 9oz pour.

A - Golden amber with a finger of bone white head that leaves sticky lace all the way down.

S - Bread, wheat, some pepper, other herbal/spice aromas I can't put my finger on.

T - Light, bready, with a kiss of honey and some white pepper spiciness. A nice wheat-derived twang. Earthy hop flavor, with moderate hop bitterness. Long, balanced finish.

M - Medium body, velvety.

D - A solid tripel, good benchmark for the style and a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2009 00:24:28 | More by trbergman

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a brilliantly clear golden yellow with a bright white head. This is liquid sunshine. Very inviting.

S: Very nice floral aroma. Smells clean and "spring-like" some hints of banana and possibly other fruit?

T: Excellent flavor. Nice flowery spice with a refreshing slight sourness. Heavy Belgian yeast.

M: perfect. Not watery. Not thick. A good amount of carbonation leads to a smooth velvety feel.

D: a tad too strong and flowery to drink all night but a great beer to introduce some one to the style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2009 03:46:43 | More by AleWatcher

OttoPeeWee

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have had this beer several times. The first time I had it was on tap and had just arrived at Quenchers in Chicago.

Wow was it good. It tasted like alcoholic candy in a large tulip (Karmeliet) glass. It's lighter than most tripel's in color and mouthfeel, and perhaps more on the floral-vanilla spice side than on the fuity side of flavors some tripels can have. Really a well rounded brew. One of the best!

I have to say I just had a bottle of it and it wasn't nearly as good. It has a bit of a metallic taste to it. I haven't yet figured out the reason for this "off" taste in beer, but it's annoying to get a beer that I know is really good, with "off" tastes...

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2009 23:51:47 | More by OttoPeeWee

cptierney

California

4.3/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finally reviewing one of my favorite beers. Had on tap at the soft opening of the new beer bar in town, TAPS Petaluma!!!

Nice straw color to the pour. Delivered in the gorgeous Karmeliet tulip. I was not too pleased about the head on the brew as I've always drank this beer with a solid three to four fingers of fluffy white head, but this one has zero head. Probably just a newbie pouring- I can move past this

Lovely aroma on this one. That great Belgian funk just wafts out of the tulip anchoring a melee of brewing spices. Coriander perhaps? Certainly hints of citrus come to the fore along with some notes of clove.

Solid mouthfeel- a little lacking in the carbonation department, though I imagine this is due to the pour. Does have that nice , surprising triple thickness that is reserved for the style.

The taste of this brew is so nice and crisp. Love the sweetness of the beer coupled with the lemony zest of the citrus notes, there just has to be some orange peel in this guy. Mmmmm, good.

Great drinkability. A real asskicker in that you can down gallons of this stuff and not realize it packs an 8.4% wallop. One of my perennial favorites. Cheers to Belgian Triples and Cheers to TAPS.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2009 00:48:04 | More by cptierney

Damian

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Drank on-tap at Armsby Abbey, Worcester, MA
Served in a Tripel Karmeliet tulip

The beer poured a slightly hazed, golden-amber color with a tight, frothy, three-finger, bright white head that slowly faded to a substantial cap of froth. Large chunks of lacing stuck all down the glass and lasted long after the beer was finished.

The aroma was an interesting mix of sweet and dry. A crisp, powdery, Belgian yeast note was instantly recognizable. Ripe fruits and indications of Belgian candi sugar were also noticeable and they became more prominent as the beer warmed. Smooth, grassy, saaz hops came through as well.

The taste was similar to the aroma except that, in this case, the sweet fruitiness triumphed over the snappy dryness. Crisp, dry and spicy up front with some lemony tartness. Light malts and some Belgian candi sugar helped balance things out. Citrusy (orange peel was most apparent) and semi-sweet in the center. The finish was bone dry and snappy with a clean, grassy hop edge.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Creamy and smooth with a fine, moderate effervescence.

Drinkability was terrific. This beer would makes for an ideal aperatif or one could pair it with salads, cheeses, chicken or other lighter fare. Dangerously quaffable at 8.5% ABV.

Overall, one of the better tripels I have yet to sample.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2009 02:35:00 | More by Damian

aquatonex

New York

2.48/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Based on the other reviews, maybe I had a bad batch of this...

Pours straw yellow with a thick foamy head that dissipates pretty quickly. Well carbonated. Nose is quite strong, lots of alcohols and sweetness going on. Taste is pretty funky, like a mix of whiskey and beer. Minimal body but alcohols dominate with a sickly sweetness. Not anywhere near my favorite Tripel, but I'd try it again elsewhere to confirm.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2009 01:30:00 | More by aquatonex

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at a local bar, surprised to see it in this form actually. I've never had this in all my years drinking good beer.

Karmeliet came to me in a tulip glass with not much in terms of head. A small white cap barely covered the surface. Small streaks of lace. The liquid is light brown/bronze in color. The smell is that of a refined triple, alot of fruits and dark sugars. Candi with bubblegum as well. Sweet but not a sweet mess. The taste is of the same ilk with dark fruits guided by a backdrop of candi sweetness, residual sugars. Getting some banana plus spices as well. Hops don't even try to make a dent. The high ABV also does not come into play. The feel was great with a above medium smoothness with perfect carbonation, not rough at all, goes down with ease. I could have drank another. I will be visiting this in the future again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2009 18:40:43 | More by onix1agr

jgasparine

Maryland

2/5  rDev -53.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1

A- Poured from the tap into a nice tulip glass with one finger of white head, which quickly gave way to some nice lacing. The body was a hazy straw color with some visible carbonation.

S- Lots of Belgian Yeast on this nose, along with corriander, lemongrass and pale malt. There are more subtle aromas of straw and stale hops kicking-around the nose as well.

T- The first impressions of the taste are a replicate of the nose. Upon further examination, the beer appears to take on a more cracker-like flavor... but then... as the beer warms, this nasty soap-like fatty acid flavor emerges. Soon enough, I am so focused on how this tastes like hand soap, I cannot appreciate any of the other flavor attributes.

M- High carbonation is the most noteworthy component to the mouthfeel, which I generally don't mind in a highly-attenuated tripel. I would say this is a light to medium body. Nothing particularly bad here in the mouthfeel department, but nothing outstanding either...

D- I could not finish this glass, it was disgusting. This was the first time I have had the Tripel Karmeliet, and I considered it being a bad keg, but it wasn't oxidized, and didn't show typical signs of infection. All the glasses were clean, and all other beers poured from the establishment taste nice and fresh... but the SOAP flavor just made this unbearable.

I resolve that this particular batch of beer was left in the fermenter too long... and I intend to re-review at some point, given the high ratings from other BAs

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2009 13:02:38 | More by jgasparine

Buschyfor3

Kentucky

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pint night special at Flanagan's Ale House in Louisville, KY. Even got to keep the authentic tulip glass... sweet.

A: Crisp golden colored body nestled beneath a rocky, off-white head about 1.5 fingers thick off the tap - big bubbles in this head. Some lacing rings cling to the walls of the tulip as this beer quickly disappears. Head retention is decent and is easily maintaned as a layer of foam 1-2cm in depth with a simple swirl of the glass. Looks killer when served in it's authentic "1679" tulip.

S: Pretty sweet on the nose: pears, apples, even some tropical fruitiness (pineapple) and honey. Also picking up the cloves and some other spices - maybe cinnamon or some pepper.

T: Probably one of the sweeter tripels I have ever tried. Juicy fruits up front that hold on long through each sip - apple, pear and pineapple come to mind as the most prominent flavors. Then there is a touch of zest from the cloves that balances well against the fruit flavors and the subtle grain flavors. Finish is predominantly a yeasty, fresh baked bread flavor with some fruit esters popping through.

M: Pretty crisp carbonation lends itself to a fluffy, powdery mouthfeel.

D: Listed at 8.4% ABV but the alcohol is expertly masked. I can see how some people would consider Tripel Karmeliet a session beer even though it is well above the 5% ABV threshold - its just too damn easy to drink and it disappears from the tulip in a blink.

Another sublime Tripel, right up there with St. Bernardus Tripel and La Fin du Monde in my book.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2009 02:16:37 | More by Buschyfor3

illinijer

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Jaks Tap in Chicago. Served in a distinctive Tripel Karmeliet glass.

A: Golden colored, with a thick creamy head. Lightly carbonated.

S: Smells of banana leaves and cloves. Similar smell to a traditional hefeweizen, which was unexpected.

T: Tastes almost like a wheat beer, with hints of banana. Good balance of flavors. Has a strong, but not overpowering, malt profile which shines. The alcohol is there, but not overpowering.

M: Mouthfeel was great. Decent thickness, but goes down smooth.

D: Very drinkable. My only complaint is that it wasn't what I expected..if that can be a complaint. Definitely would recommend to others, especially for those looking for a summery belgian ale with some kick.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2009 19:02:36 | More by illinijer