Dragonmead Final Absolution Trippel - Dragonmead Microbrewery

Roman5150

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

bottle into snifter

appearance: dark cloudy unfiltered orange, slight white head, intricate lacing

smell: heavy coriander, clove, belgian yeast, subtle ginger, citrus, some grape

taste: coriander, citrus, lemon, not getting much of the malt presence, sourness is prominent, notes of apricot, hint of white wine, slight ginger in the finish. Very well balanced and smooth

mouthfeel: average carbonation, semi-full bodied, the finish is pretty thin..

overall: Probably my favorite American take on a trappist style trippel. While not equal to any Belgian equivalent, this is a damn good beer. Well balanced, refreshing, with a nice sour/fruity presence that adds some zest to the normal bready trippel style. My favorite offering from Dragonsmead, a quality brew that I will buy again. Pretty hard to find, even in SE Michigan.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 04:56:34 | More by Roman5150

breakingbland

Michigan

3.96/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Honey golden. The short off-white head dissipated to a ring of foam.

Aroma: A slight sourness with sweet caramel.

Taste: Funky sour with some sweetness. Detected fruitiness (apricot?). Nice balance between the flavor components. A pleasant sweetness lingers on the tongue.

Mouthfeel: A little light with low carbonation even when held in the mouth for a while.

Overall: Quite enjoyable. This is a very nice example of this style. I'll definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 16:45:05 | More by breakingbland

hackmann

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: hazy golden body with a one finger white head; if it pours clear then you did not get the sediment off the bottom of the bottle.

Aroma: mild earthy yeast, fruity, light Belgian spice, sweet

Flavors: fruity – white grape, banana, pear, apple and a touch of orange; sweet; spicy Belgian style yeast; light clove; mild floral hops

Mouthfeel: mild-moderate; sweet candied fruit, light tart feel, floral, smooth, very low carbonation, the alcohol does not come into play here on the taste so be careful

To the Point: a pretty good Trippel; a solid representation of this style; it is worthy to purchase

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 22:02:48 | More by hackmann

DragonzBreath

Michigan

3.69/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Dragonmead Final Absolution Trippel ..
This beer poured copper color and murky, but then cleared nicely .
A very crisp clean beer..Citrus and Honey up front with a light linger with the bitter.
Almost wine like. The smell was odd, a bit yeasty. I enjoyed this beer. The BrewCrew will be visiting this brewery! Abv 8.5
14600 East Eleven Mile Road
Warren, Michigan, 48089
United States

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 20:52:50 | More by DragonzBreath

SportsandJorts

Michigan

4.63/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

on tap at paint creek tavern. although i have had it on tap other places and bottled multiple times.

appearance- copper colored and a medium foamy head that slowly recedes leaving almost nothing behind. some leftover sediment at the bottom. medium carbonation, as it had some bubbles throughout its survival

smell- yeast and spices, maybe a touch of alcohol

taste- belgian yeast along with spices. possibly some honey sweetness up front followed by a bitterness that could be from some hops. the finish is dry as well as bitter.

mouthfeel- medium bodied. it seems heavier but it is drinkable.

overall- excellent beer. a good tripel that is drinkable and enjoyable. a semi-common beer at the more multi-tap-like places in my area and a beer that i find myself revisiting a lot. definitely worth a shot to anyone who is a fan of the style

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2013 04:37:08 | More by SportsandJorts

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle to snifter.

A - Medium pale yellow with a thin layer of off-white head.

S - A lot of funk up front and some almost oak-like aromas. Some bready malts, Belgian yeast, cloves and fruity notes.

T - Funk dominates up front with almost an oak barrel flavour, which is odd since this is not oak aged. Belgian yeast, cloves, bready malts and lighter citrus and spice notes. A nice overall flavour profile.

M - Medium body. Light to moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 02:29:01 | More by TheSevenDuffs

PoopChute69

3.65/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to shamrock for surprising me with this one!

Boat loads of floral yeast stuff the nostrils... great pale fruit character with little competition from the malts.

Rather one dimensional... reminiscent of New Belgium's Trip... clove and spicy sweet fruit, good not great.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 05:35:52 | More by PoopChute69

Michigan

Michigan

4.48/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into an Ommegang long-tulip. Left most yeast in the bottle

A- Orange glow. Opaque. Small frothy head that dissipates rather quickly and leaves a ring. no lacing

S- BANANA!!! This thing is like a banana smoothie. As it warms, and after a rather sweet cigar, even more banana comes out along with clove, and some tropical fruits.

T- I love this beer. It's a nice American take on a Belgian classic. Good fruity flavor and Belgian yeast. Leaves a mildly crisp taste after the banana smoothie. I think I'm getting some pineapple in this too. Solid finish with fresh tree-fruit

M- Great! I really like this. It's not to thick but not too thin. I feel like I'm drinking a real beer. It's right where it's supposed to be. Similar to skim milk mouthfeel without the linger. Leaves the mouth with a happy and fruity feel.

O- Good Tripel. The alcohol was masked well. Dragonmead website has this listed at 10%. BA has it at 8.5%. I say it's around 9.5%. I will be stocking 4-packs of this throughout the summer. Good representation of the style

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 03:50:16 | More by Michigan

bushbeer75

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz brown bottle not dated

Dragonmead Final Absolution poured a cloudy [light yellow] peach color into a chalice. A ¾ finger white head was formed that dissipated rather quickly to a small collar of foam. The nose is sweet, dominated by; light fruit, banana, and bubble gum. The taste is very similar to the nose, up front it is of sweet candy sugar and banana followed by yeasty notes and a light clove. The carbonation was lighter than I am accustomed to for the style.

Final Absolution is a good American Triple, however, I was expecting a little more from Dragonmead. It has a way to go to compete with the top shelf Triples.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 21:51:01 | More by bushbeer75

chugalug06

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Fast growing and fast falling soapy head settles into a one-finger foamy white crust. Brew is quite fogged and has some yeast fallout.

Nice Belgian-y esters... Banana, bread, peach, and cloves...

Very bitter, not your normal heat sweetness from a Tripel. Heat is untraceable other then a funky bite at the tail end of the bread-y flavors. Belgian flavors are nice, but over powered by bitterness. Heavy carbonation also detracts from the flavors, but helps distract from the noticeable heat...

A nice Tripel, but not one I would seek again. Thanks, Adam for sharing...

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 02:38:50 | More by chugalug06

Mavigo

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at the Travelers Club restaurant in Okemos. They have a huge selection of international beers and wines, surprising for a small town joint. Ordered this with my brother, was a very good Trippel indeed.

A: Poured a nice honey gold with a short white head that dissipated almost instantly with a small amount of lacing.

S: Smells yeasty, fruity and somewhat like bananas to me.

T: Tastes golden, very sweet, like honey, fruity, a lot of warmth from the alcohol.

M: very fulfilling, good carbonation but well balanced with the alcohol, just a perfect warm finish, great for a cold night.

O: Can't believe this is from Warren, this is an excellent fall beer, and a great Trippel.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 02:41:37 | More by Mavigo

Alextricity

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at Green Dot Stables in Detroit, Michigan.

Appearance: It looks like apple juice, to be honest. It looks REALLY poor... I got it with no head, and there was no lacing. Despite this, I still got a nice bit of carbonation while drinking it.

Smell: Like a faint grape juice... that's about it. Not bad but also not great, either.

Taste: Like the smell... but the taste of the smell is much better than the smell itself. Know what I mean? It's just a pretty heavy beer. Almost a syrupy texture with carbonation, and a smash to the face of really grape like flavors. Very fruity, but super enjoyable and WAY too drinkable.

Mouthfeel: As I said, nice carbonation. It drinks like a wine cooler, sad to say... it's just a great experience.

Overall, this is a fantastic beer. A very fruity beer, but still a great one that I'd gladly have again. Though its looks are very unremarkable, what matters the most is the taste, and this tastes VERY good, in my opinion. Just beware of the ABV ... I didn't realize it was so high. Oops.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2012 02:53:58 | More by Alextricity

GR_Rick

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured July 2012. Bottle undated.

A: Pours a cloudy golden/apricot with absolutely no head.

S: Smells a little bready with some fruity sweetness. Almost a little white grape/grape skin. Light, but an appealing smell.

T: Follows the nose, with a little bit of mild, almost very, very mild grapefruity tartness. I get a little bit of the white grape again in the taste, and a little bit of that Belgian/saison "funky" finish (although the funk is much, much more subtle than a in a saison. A little bit of tartness and a dry finish; reminds me a bit of a champagne/heavy mimosa. My first trippel, and of the best Belgian-style beers I've had yet. Alcohol is very well hidden.

M: Thin for the ABV, with a bit of carbonation, but I'd say moderate/light body overall. Very easy to drink.

O: This is an easy drinking beer that goes down smooth for the ABV, almost too smooth! Taste is good, and although not necessarily something I'll seek out on a regular basis, I'd gladly drink one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 01:51:20 | More by GR_Rick

tectactoe

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had both in many bottles and on tap many times and the Town Pump bar in Detroit. Pours a somewhat hazy, golden-amber color; heavy cloudiness in the middle, fairly volatile with a large, foamy white head that dissipates surprisingly quick. The aroma is great - baskets of sweet, earthy esters, spicy Belgian yeast and bread, clove, white pepper, phenol alcohol, bananas, apple skins, pears, and a nice whiff of bubble gum. The taste is no slouch, either. Final Absolution hits the palate soft and slightly silky, medium-bodied and with a high amount of carbonation. Belgian yeast flavors - bready, spicy clove, pepper, banana esters, earth, and bubble gum - dominate the palate. Some floral and perfume-like hop notes hit up front with a very short and sweet bitterness that quickly gives way to the rest of the flavor profile. The aftertaste is heavy on the bread and yeast flavors, like you would expect from any decent Tripel.

This was one of the first craft brews I fell in love with and it's a shame it's taken me this long to review it. Such a good example of a Belgian style from an American brewery. This is a hometown favorite of mine, and a great benchmark for the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 00:55:21 | More by tectactoe

srv33

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy golden pour, huge frothy head, very fine lacing. Smells of almond, tangerine and cream. Taste is much of the same with some additional almond and wheat flavors. Excellent brew, my first Trippel, and a fine Belgian. Wouldn't hesitate to pick it up again.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 23:44:36 | More by srv33

HarrySTruman

Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a tulip

Gold color, near yellow, small head with minimal lacing. Looks very clear and crisp.

Smells of fruits and malt. Banana is very apparent, other tropical fruits seem hidden.

The taste is truly fantastic. This is the only tripel that I have had from the states that I feel rivals the best of Belgium. It is very close to the Belgian style, but it has it's own unique take. The alcohol is apparent in the taste, but not overbearing. Banana, apricot, tropical fruits, malt, a slight hoppy bitter flavor. It's a very complex taste, but very drinkable.

Not too carbonated. Very drinkable. Slightly "thick", but it matches the style well.

About as good a tripel as I have ever had. Certainly the best I have made in Michigan, and unless I am forgetting one, the best I have had made in the U.S. I honestly believe it competes favorably with La Fin Du Monde for the best tripel made in NA.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 18:12:04 | More by HarrySTruman

warnerry

Michigan

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours orange brown with lits of suspended yeast, even with a careful pour, and about half a finger of off-white head. Head dissipates quickly and leaves no lacing.

S - Candi sugar, some pepper and clove, bubblegum and faint lemon. Just a touch of alcohol.

T - Taste starts with lemon and candi sugar. This is followed by pepper, clove, and a prominent bubblegum taste. Finish brings a bit more spice, a bit of banana and more bubblegum, along with a faint bitterness. Very tasty.

M - Medium mouthfeel starts with some sticky sweetness and transitions to a semi-dry and slightly bitter finish with a bit of numbing alcohol.

O - Nice take on the style and a very tasty brew. Nice local option when I'm in the mood foe a tripel.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 02:46:31 | More by warnerry

vinyljunkee

Michigan

4.68/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I am not that skilled at waxing poetic on beer characteristics, but I do know beer and very specifically Belgian ales. Like the Bros have weighed in on this one, it is truly an exceptional Trippel. Very balanced and not overly sweet as you can sometimes find. I would like to feel a little more body (mouthfeel).

Lookout Ommegang (Love these guys)...Dragonmead might be in it to win it from right here in Michigan..."craft brewery" capital of the world.

Oh, get back on your feet carefully after a couple of these.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2012 19:02:58 | More by vinyljunkee

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Nothing good nothing bad. Looks hazy with little head.
S: Great smell. Hints of bananas and pineapples with some yeasty smell as well.
T: Taste like bananas with hints of clove and other spices. Some alcohol flavor but it adds to the overall taste.
M: Sour on the mouth and a little too yeasty.

Overall a pretty good beer. Belgian styles are usually not my favorite but this one was pretty good with lots of unique flavors. I would recommend it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2012 17:12:46 | More by Jamesthebrit

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Bob for this one. 12 oz. bottle poured into Weyerbacher cuvee glass.

A - Pours a hazy golden yellow color. Half a finger of bright white head sticks around and leaves nice lacing.

S - The aroma hits me as soon as I start pouring into the glass. Huge clove, banana, spice aroma. Also, grass and bubblegum as well as some cracker malts in the background. Fantastic.

T - Begins sweet with some pear and belgian yeast. Continues with some banana, tart lemon juice, and a little grassy hop aftertaste. Very little bitterness and big sour flavor for the style. Delicious.

M - Medium thickness and carbonation.

O - My first DragonMead beer. The aroma is great and flavors are a complex mix of tart and sweet. This is probably the best tripel I have had in my limited experience with the style with the possible exception of La Fin Du Monde. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 00:09:35 | More by NoLeafClover44

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer was poured into a snifter from the bottle. A cloudy gold color was observed during the pour with hints of banana growing during the pour. The banana scent is a reflection of the Belgian yeast that is very apparent in the scent and taste. The initial taste was a pleasantly tart banana taste that danced along the sour borders of the tongue. A hint of spice may be observed by some during the initial sip. In the aftertaste, a hint of butterscotch becomes somewhat apparent but the banana continues. The trippel is smooth yet thick enough to stick to the tongue and allow the taste to linger. As the alcohol warms on the way down the gullet, it becomes apparent that the beer looks, tastes, and feels good.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 01:22:53 | More by JohnnyHopps

CHickman

New York

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Chimay goblet, it pours a cloudy amber/light orange color with an off white creamy 1 finger head that faded quickly and left decent spotty lacing.

Smells of banana, clove, spices like pepper and cinnamon, sweet malt, light caramel, herbs, bread, yeast, light floral hops, grains, lemon, tea leaf and coriander; the aroma was nice and sweet and had some funk and yeast dominance that let the banana and clove really shine in a very pleasant way.

Flavor is very sweet and complex, with yeast, banana, sweet malt, clove, spices like pepper and cinnamon, lightly roasted grains, light caramel, herbs, bread/biscuit, light floral hops, lemon zest, sour apple, tea leaf and coriander. Good amount of yeast funk to go with the sweetness, it’s almost got mead-like characteristics and honey in the finish which would seem appropriate with this breweries mid-evil themed artwork.

Mouthfeel is creamy and very smooth, with carbonation that’s both zesty and mild at the same time, a medium body and a funky finish that has a bready sweetness to it, which allows the ABV to peek through; well balanced and extremely drinkable for this style, this was a very good beer and worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 04:04:32 | More by CHickman

ribby

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This poured quite cloudy, despite my careful decanting, as there was a good quarter inch of sediment on the bottom. There was definitely a yeasty sourness to both the aroma and taste. The sourness ends up accenting the strong but well balanced malt and hops. On the whole, this tastes more like a strong farmhouse ale than a tripel, and although it's not my favorite style, this is one of the best examples I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 02:05:43 | More by ribby

scottbrew4u

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden/ amber color with a bubbly white head that settles to a nice white layer.

S: Green apples, spice of cardamom, clove, fresh apricots dipped in honey, and light citrus notes are nicely brought over a fresh biscuit and bready malt base.

T: Sweet and spicy on the tongue and in good balance. The sweet is of fresh apricots, honey, light vanilla, and fresh baked bread and toffee for the grains. Some cardamom and light clove meet with bitter grapefruit and tropical fruit esters from yeast and hops.

M: Medium body with lively, prickly carbonation and light alcohol warmth.

D: All ingredients are in a fine balance and this beer really surprised me for it's many fine qualities like, aroma, flavor and superb mouthfeel. Alcohol is where it should be for this style and not overwhelming. if you see this one out there do try it!!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 22:27:35 | More by scottbrew4u

superspak

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into chalice, no bottle dating. Pours cloudy golden amber color with a nice fairly dense 1 finger white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap. Minimal lacing clings to the glass; and a fair amount of carbonation is streaming up from the bottom. Aromas of heavy clove, banana, bubblegum, lemon, pepper, apricot, candi sugar, bread, and spicy yeast. Some nice and complex aromas going on here; much like a wheat beer in some aspects as well. Taste of big lemon, biscuit, banana, clove, pepper, apricot, tart grain, and spicy yeast. Lingering notes of biscuit, lemon, apricot, pepper, clove, and spicy yeast on the finish for a bit. Nice balance of flavor, with no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a lightly syrupy mouthfeel that is not a bad thing at all. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming on the finish. Good drinkability, but it is still a sipper. Overall this is a very nice Tripel offering. Nice complexity and balance; and very enjoyable stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 03:33:31 | More by superspak