Westmalle Trappist Tripel - Brouwerij Westmalle

mbunje

California

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Corked and Caged Bottle. Sythetic cork (last one I had was a real cork...??) Poured into a Tulip-style glass.

A - Pours a big, white, bubbly head which quickly settles down. Lacing is good but it doesn't stick to the glass like an IPA would. Carbonation apparent, mostly clear.

S - Tart Citrus and Funk, mild esters (banana). Impressed that the slight funk is there. It was not expected. When I think of Belgian, this is what I imagine.

T - citrus flavor with a bit of biscuit in the finish. Not too sweet (a good thing in my opinion).

MF - Probably the best thing about this. It's a strong beer but it is lighter tasting and feeling than the ABV. It has a dry finish and is crisp. So impressed here.

Overall - I know it is one of the top 10 trippels of all the world. Just needed a reminder. Dangerously easy to drink, interesting mix of flavors, presents well (corked and caged). Awesome. Definition of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 03:38:30 | More by mbunje

sevenarts

New York

4.24/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pale, cloudy yellowish orange, somewhat opaque with sediment floating towards the bottom. Good-sized white head that leaves behind a bit of lacing.

S: Smells yeasty and slightly musty, with subdued sugary aromas and hints of sharp, fruity flavors.

T/M: Sweet and sugary up front, with lots of sweet fruit, with the yeast base gradually taking over towards the back end for a dry, moderately bitter finish. Very crisp and refreshing, and the alcohol is very well hidden, just giving it a bit of a warming bite in the back of the throat with each sip.

O: A very good tripel, the originator and benchmark for the style, and it's easy to see why. Big, sweet, and very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 22:41:12 | More by sevenarts

JimTeal

Nevada

4.99/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

What can I say that hasn't already been written? Every superlative applies, deep, complex brisk flavors emit from a wonderfully constructed and world class beer. Yes the Monks have hit it out of the park for 100 years with this one. In the last few days I've sampled Westvleteren XII, Rochefort 10 and just to spoil myself topped the trifecta with Westmalle's tripel. In case you are standing in front of the Belgian offerings at your specialty beer store, hurry up and pick one (or 2) up and get ready to enjoy. The other BA reviews of this beer are so accurate, I thought a little irrational exuberance was called for.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 22:25:41 | More by JimTeal

Clonies720

Texas

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: The beer pours a hazy golden color with LOTS of carbonation. A 1-inch head forms immediately and is staying put about 10 minutes after the fact. That's impressive head retention. It leaves some nice lacing as it goes down, but don't count on it sticking around.

Smell: It smells of sweetness, light-colored fruit that I cannot put my finger on, and a boozey-smell that reminds me of champagne. I cannot really smell hops, but let's see how it tastes.

Taste: Clove, banana, spices, esters, and a boozy flavor that warms up along with the beer.

Mouthfeel: Bitter hops are almost non-present at the beginning, but you'll experience them around the end of the beer's flavor. Westmalle Tripel ale has the dry, spicy finish that I crave.

Overall: I could have written another 2-3 paragraphs about this beer, but it's so darn tasty that I hit the major points and skipped the nuances. This is a tasty, fine, and EXPENSIVE beer (Think it was $4.50 or $5 for that one bottle) that one might only buy for a special occasion

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 00:58:35 | More by Clonies720

KFBR392

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Beautiful golden brew. The carbonation continued to dance in this beer throughout drinking it. About a finger and a half worth of head when initially poured which for the most part stuck around. Enjoyed out of a Westmalle goblet glass.

Smell: Very subtle in the aroma. I liked it because it didn't attack the nostrils which too much of a bready yeasty aroma, but instead made you dig a little deeper to really enjoy the aroma. Some light fruit mixed well with a traditional Belgian aroma, very nice.

Taste: Wow. The front of this beer is a perfect combination of bright fruits, a combination of apple and pears which mixes with the perfect balance of yeast. Sometimes Belgian beers can feel too crisp and dry but I feel this beer got it perfect. The dryness rests on the palette, while the fruit and yeast presence continue to be felt. This beer refuses to stop attacking your taste buds and I love it.

Mouthfeel: Like I said in the taste, the crispness of this beer is noticeable but at the same time does not dominate this beer. It mixes perfectly with the smooth fruits. Wow really awesome.

Overall: probably one of the best Belgian Tripel's your money can buy. These monks are not messing around with their beer. I even think people not used to a Belgian beer would enjoy this, its rounded flavors really are appealing to any audience.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 03:08:27 | More by KFBR392

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Westmalle Tripel. Served in a Westvleteren goblet. Best Before date of 05/23/14. More numbers follow the freshness date on the back label.

Enjoyed alongside St. Feuillien Triple.

Looks orange-lemon, with heavy haze. Coarse head still holds together really well. Maybe up to 3/4". Clear enough to notice some rushing carbonation streams.

Big bready notes like early morning bakery. Pepper, clove, banana, green apple, coriander, green banana, and lemon. Excellent nose. Yeast yields the nuttiness of granola with that very light sweetness, as if dosed with a touch of honey. Wholly realized and wholly complete. Nothing here is unwelcoming.

Oh, how the spices and lemon shine! Lots of coriander, pepper, and clove interlaced with a dry and zesty lemon note. So dry and spicy. Spices carom off of the taste buds and drone on longly in that finish. And, then there's the booze. Warm and sizzling with the carbonation and with that hint of rosewater. Malty grains taste like sourdough bread. Yeast is mostly nutty, but offers some estery and herbal apple-like nuances. Apple, like a sweeter green apple, reminiscent of Green Delicious. Still, the sugars are elusive. Just to say this beer doesn't have any particular shape of tartness despite the flavor composition described.

Very lively in carbonation, yet I wouldn't describe it as sparkling or fizzy. Just sudsy and busy. Busy, so as to scatter all of the different complex flavors about the mouth. Body is rich and a little commanding, especially with that booze element. Each swallow feels like a swell of 5º F.

Of course, this beer is what you can expect it to be--one of the best damn tripels on any beer store's shelf. When you savor this beer, your complaints will be few and rare. Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 05:37:37 | More by thecheapies

vickersspitfire

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter, it’s a nice murky dirty blonde color and is topped off with a really thick and creamy head that simply sticks around and will not subside. The lacing is pretty welcoming too! The aroma is nice and complex, but no one smell is over powering. It’s light and floral overall with hints of citrus, malts, various grasses and an ever so mild alcohol smell. It’s got a medium-to-full mouth feel and is remarkably refreshing. The flavor is pretty good and is bitter overall, the spices and malts hit you up front almost as soon as you take a drink. Mild apple notes come through and there is a hint of an earthy flavor as well… the flavor is very impressive and I have to say this is one awesome beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 03:07:31 | More by vickersspitfire

brewsclues

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes 5-27-12

Trappist Beer Night!

Westmalle is one of my favorite representations of the Tripel style. Pours a beautiful amber-orange-gold, with a clean look and a frothy head. The nose is outrageous: spicy and sweet fruit with plenty of that classic Belgian ester. Maintains crispiness and is relatively dry, but still exhibits plenty of stick-around-for-a-while qualities with a bigger and juicier mouthfeel than a typical Tripel.

If Westie 12 is the trappist you want to sip while hearing monks relate Cistercian tales of yesteryear on a cold winter night, Westmalle Tripel is the one you want to share with the friars after a day working in the fields of grain. Truth.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 18:07:33 | More by brewsclues

Tomhet

Illinois

4.93/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

From the outset this thing is generating a massive, bright white head the dissipates at a crawling pace, leaving chaotic patterns of lacing all over the place; I love it. Appearance is a murky golden tinge that gives the impression that you're in for a treat. Aroma is absurdly refreshing: spiced cloves, cherries, figs, some green apple, obvious Belgian yeast, with some nice malt presence (I can't really describe the "neutral" character of the malt note I'm picking up, to be honest; it just provides some wonderful balance).

Yeast is the theme of the night. The first phase of the sip is a subdued version of what is to come: a snappy, fruity, bready combination that takes a second to hit full force but does so with impunity around the middle of the tongue. In some ways the taste is a bit more yeasty and bitter than the nose would suggest, but if you really dig for that miasma of spicy fruits, you'll find them in absolute harmony with the yeast and malts. Also worth noting is the ever-so-slight alcohol burn near the finish that is just enough to be consistently pleasing, especially in this season. Carbonation is fairly high and contributes to the "snappy" character of the beer, and it complements the smoothness of the brew perfectly. Overall, this is incredible and precisely what a tripel should taste like. Get at all costs.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 06:24:11 | More by Tomhet

Labeorphile

Texas

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Nice golden Belgian color with typical cloudiness. Good head with solid retention and good lacing.

Fruity nose with banana and not overly sweet. Flavor stands up to nose and is well balanced with a good mouth feel. An outstanding overall beer that is one of my favorite Trippels.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:23:22 | More by Labeorphile

Maakun

Afghanistan

4.4/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice big white head. Color is quite clear light straw. Nice visible carbonation going on.

Smell: yeast, cloves, banana, freshly baked bread. Some earthiness.

Taste: a nice mix of spices and malt up front. Then some yeast, citrus and a light bitterness. More spices, but very complex, not just cloves. Light alcohol taste. Aftertase is a bit bitter (lemonpeel) and a bit earthy.

Mouth: this is quite big, full and clings to the mouth in a good way. Nice medium carbonation. Really good.

Overall this is really good. Much more complex than most in the style. I like it quite cold though, too warm and it gets a bit heavy.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 20:26:26 | More by Maakun

gr0g

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

11.2oz bottle, reviewed from notes on 9/27/2012.

Hazy golden amber topped with a perfect fluffy white head. Yeasty phenols on the nose complemented by crisp green apple. On the palate, a faint honey sweetness gives way to a dry finish. The balance is just about perfect. Yeast character is less present than on the nose. Malt profile is faintly cracker-like, the flavor being dominated by fruit notes of apple and pear. Carbonation is vigorous but fine,bordering on creamy, but still within the norm for the style. Overall, more than a great beer - a work of art.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 19:00:42 | More by gr0g

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 11.2oz into a dfh snifter

A: pours a hazy golden orange with a massive three finger head, that takes a long couple of minuets to dissapate. Leavses rings of lacing all the way down the glass.

S: smells nice and fruity, apricots/oranges, lemon...like a delicious apple juice

T: a touch of caramel like sweetness then the citrus and apple like notes, really nice, reminds me of apple cider with some lemon and grapefruit very very tasty.

M: nice and lush with creamy medium carbonation... Great silky velvety mouthfeel.

O: this is an excellent beer, nice and sweet, but not overly so with great fruit notes, and a great mouthfeel, excellent.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 03:43:06 | More by PeterIngemi

heygeebee

Australia

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Won't try to add too much here given review volume, and tripels are quite difficult to review.

Look is wonderful completely cloudy amber gold. Three finger head

Smell and taste are lemons in the main Belgian yeast as well. Balanced hops on back palate. Integrated and complex flavour.

Delightfully carbonated. Little alcohol warmth.

World class beer.

But you knew that.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 08:41:40 | More by heygeebee

Twincrasher

3.45/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Nice haed, dissipates quickly with little lacing.

S: Apricot and esters of banana and citrus fruit.

T: Simlar to above. Grapefruit and saison style almost. Alcoholic.

M: High alcohol makes for dry finish. High carbonation.

O: Good fro this type. Tripels not always my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 22:00:50 | More by Twincrasher

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.73/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 33 cl brown bottle into a Westmalle Trappist branded chalice

Pours pale, yet deep golden with occasional orangish hues. Thick, fluffy one and a half finger bright white head. Everlasting retention, evident Brussels lace on the chalice. Yeasty, light peppery spice, herbaceous, and light fruit notes. Opens crisp and clean, light fruit including hints of pear and apricot, yeasty esters, hints of white pepper, herbs and hay, accents of richness almost buttery, flora and nectar, and alcohol that occasionally pokes through. Medium-bodied, hints of syrup, yet creamy and silky. One of the best tripels brewed anywhere in the world. World class, indeed.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 05:06:23 | More by chanokokoro

spoony

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a 750 ml bottle (bottled May 15, 2012) into a Westmalle chalice.

A-A timid pour produced about one and one-half fingers of shiny, white foam. The head was dense and stuck around for almost the entire glass. The brew was golden amber in color and mostly clear with considerable carbonation visible in the glass.

S-I picked up green apple, pepper, lemongrass, and an herbal, slightly medicinal alcohol on the nose. Not nearly as sweet as some other tripels I have sampled.

T-The taste follows the smell pretty closely, i.e., crisp apples, lemongrass and hay, pepper, and a pretty hefty dose of alcohol. Lightly bitter on the finish. No gimmicks or dominant flavors here.

M-The feel was smooth and a little slick. Light to medium bodied.

O-For me, this sum of this beer parts was better than any one component. It was a touch boozy, but the alcohol integrated nicely with the crisp flavor profile. Perhaps this is a good example of old world subtlety in brewing because although no one flavor or aspect of this beer jumped out at me, the whole package worked pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 17:17:32 | More by spoony

Marc_V

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

75cl bottle from Belgianbeershop.com. Westmalle Tripel is a hazy pale yellow beer with a moderate white head. The aroma is very yeasty, fresh and fruity (banana, citrus); very inviting. The beer is perfectly balanced between sweetness and bitterness. It's very refreshing, an ideal thirst quencher. Fruity and spicy accents. Moderately bitter finish. Excellent beer, one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 19:44:32 | More by Marc_V

Ranz

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: In my Duvel tulip, this pours the color of beautiful golden grass with a finger of pearly white head, effervescent to its fullest potential. Lovely in every aspect. Lacing thickens like a beast on the glass.

S: Those Belgian yeasts create a lovely mix of dried bananas and clove. The fruity notes also belie hints of alcohol.

T: After a few seconds, those sweet banana notes come through like a Roman legion--what a fantastic flavor. It has an uncommon sweetness I don't remember tasting anywhere before, tripel or no, and I am quite smitten. Many beers popularly receive the title of "dessert beer," and I think I've found the king. This would pair amazingly with some creme brulee.

M: In continuation from the head, mouthfeel is fairly effervescent on the tongue, but sweet and mild. The finish is much more creamy.

O: Wow--I love a good tripel, and this looks to be the one to beat. What a great pleasure from those Trappist geniuses.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 02:24:43 | More by Ranz

1Nrwyscotch

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2 oz bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A. It is a light orange color and is cloudy from start to finish. It had a four fingered head which stuck around for quite awhile and left lacing on the glass.

S. It smells of Belgiam yeast followed by some sweet and spicy citrus fruit (lemon in particuler comes through).

T. This way to easy drinking for a beer of this alcohol level. It starts off slightly bitter transitioning into sweet fruit and some earthy flavors and finishes with some warmth in the throat which is the only indication of the 9.5% alcohol level.

M. It has a medium body with some carboanation.

Overall. This is the first Tripel I have tried and I cannot imagine one much better. it is sweet and full of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 23:32:22 | More by 1Nrwyscotch

eclipse54

Idaho

4.03/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A corked and caged 750mL bottle, born on 03/15/2012. Split into tulips.

Pours a vibrant, hazy yellow color with golden and orange hues. Roughly two inches of pure white, fluffy head develops; it leaves a nice, frothy coating on the glass as it settles. The aroma is of wheat, straw, white pepper, lemon citrus, a bit of tart orange, funky yeast, and some acidic apple notes. It tastes of light grains (straw, hay, wheat), some grass, lemon and orange citrus, sour apple, funky yeast, and a hint of clove. No surprises here, it tastes how you would expect from the aroma. The mouthfeel is light, crisp, and a hint acidic. A clean, but almost prickly finish from the carbonation livens it up. Overall, a great beer that is always worth returning to.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 22:31:22 | More by eclipse54

DannyHartman

4.4/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

As I pour an 11.2 oz. bottle into a room temperature pint glass, a massive 2-3 inch head (with good retention) appears atop a hazy and beautiful yellowish/orangish/gold brew.... There's very visible sediment floating throughout the drink due to the Belgian yeast in the bottle.... Plentiful lacing is left behind during the drink.

I take a whiff and immediately get funky Belgian yeast.... Following that, I get fruitiness like that of banana and a hint of apple.... There's even lemon citrus in the nose.... Sweet and spicy.... I love it.

As I'm sipping, spicy Belgian yeast hits the taste buds first.... There's also banana, lemon, a touch of honey sweetness, and a spicy apple cider flavor.... Delicious.

Medium-bodied with perfect carbonation to release all the flavors and spice on the palate.... Nice, smooth, and crisp with every sip.... Leaves a delicious lingering aftertaste.

Overall, I'm partial to Belgians.... I love them !!.... This is a truly perfect representation of perfectly balanced complexity that the Belgians are known for.... I love this beer, and will continue to enjoy it like I have for years past.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 23:08:11 | More by DannyHartman

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip

Appearance
Cloudy gold with 3 fingers of loose white head.

Nose
Orange juice, lemon, grassy noble hops, husky grains and some bubblegum.

Taste
Pretty spicy! Much more than what was detected in the nose. Hay and coriander along with pinches of clove, peppercorn and lemon zest. Orange juice, honeydew melon, barnyard and husky grains. Pilsner malts, earth, and dried grass. Touches of bubblegum.

Mouthfeel
Light-medium bodied, crisp, spicy, dry and warming.

Overall
Very earthy and spicy. Very easy drinking at 9.5%. Very tasty stuff!

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 14:31:55 | More by justintcoons

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Huge, bubbly, dense bright-white head on a hazy, burnt/dirty gold colored beer. Lively carbonation without being effervescent. Big chunks of lacing. Retention is crazy.

Smell: Banana, ester, spicy Belgian yeast, and some sweet pale malts. Bready and snappy. Big ripe fruit with apple coming through the back. Nice building clove spiciness. Backing alcohol. Vaguely waxy.

Taste: Clove laced banana and esters. Belgian yeast for days. Ripe banana, apple skin, clove spiciness with some bubblegum thrown in for good measure. Earthy and slightly dirty. Building alcohol warmth as the beer warms. Bready. So much yeast. Pale malts add some sweetness. Toasted malt backing is unique. Cloyingly Belgian. Raw honey edge. Phenolic, especially as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Relatively light with a solid, yet moderate carbonation. Lingering spiciness coupled with a moderate dryness.

Overall: Find "yeast bomb" in the dictionary. It's a picture of this beer.

So much yeast it's distracting. Each sip is a sharp punch of yeast aggression. Nice malts and carbonation make it drinkable, but the yeast hits so hard for so long it loses out overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 20:35:50 | More by Goblinmunkey7

FlyAwayPhil

4.45/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Cloudy golden-orange with a think foam head that lingers. Great Brussels lace as the head slowly recedes.

S - Yeast, tart apples with some spices. Some slight banana notes.

T - Strong, sharp yeast flavors with some subtle fruit notes and spice. A complex beer, which makes it difficult for me to describe.

M - Full and rich in the front, but melts away rather quickly. Nice pleasant flavor mentioned above linger on the tongue.

O - Probably the standard-bearer for the tripel style, and my favorite tripel as well. The alcohol is well disguised among the complex flavors. You can never go wrong with this beer. Enjoyed from my Westmalle chalice for this review.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 00:53:48 | More by FlyAwayPhil