Maredsous 10 - Triple - Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV

gauchebag

New York

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at New Beer in New York, 750mL bottle, best by 2009 November.

Pours an amber color that is very orangey, with a very impressive head of around four fingers. Even after a few sips, about a half-finger remains and there is a constant bubbling at the middle of the glass.

Not much going on in the smell department unfortunately. Thankfully this was not a sign of what was to come. What little odor I can detect is lightly fruity and despite how much I don't want to say this, just very beer-like. Nothing notable or exceptional here.

That notion completely changes upon first sip. Taste tends at first towards lighter fruits, a bit pineapply and orangey but this is all hidden behind what one might call a "hoppy" base. I admittedly don't know a lot about the make-up of such a beer, but I've been drinking a lot of IPAs lately and it reminds of that sort of a flavor, albeit fruitier. It's only initially though that this light fruit flavor is present. The transition is fairly quick to deeper flavors, to a more date-y, peppery taste. I'm reminded of the description of certain red wines I've drank for the mid-to-after taste: peppery, a bit tobacco-y, and much darker than it tastes initially. The one drawback here is a slightly metallic aftertaste that is only present for a little bit. I think the best moments are right after the initial flavor and before you get any hint of the metallic afterthought- when it's dark and peppery.

Very smooth as far as mouthfeel goes. While having a very complex flavor it is still pretty light to medium in this category.

Very drinkable...I'm surprised at how fast this is going down for the abv. It's not ridiculous in the way some much fruitier and sweeter high abv beers are (Raison d'Extra comes to mind) and masks its 10% pretty well. If I had to guess at its abv without the knoweldge, I'd probably put it at around 7%, maybe a bit lower.

Overall, a very interesting beer that I would want to try again after getting to know tripels better. Happy with the purchase and would recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2007 03:47:57 | More by gauchebag

Kingcurio

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-21-2013 02:25:30 | More by Kingcurio

hotsudge

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -16.7%

05-18-2013 01:50:48 | More by hotsudge

GinsuDave

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +21.8%

05-15-2013 10:30:13 | More by GinsuDave

acjones

Japan

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-13-2013 01:37:46 | More by acjones

Wamba

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-11-2013 21:19:59 | More by Wamba

KenGriffith45

New York

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%

05-11-2013 09:40:46 | More by KenGriffith45

JamesStreet

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

05-10-2013 21:15:37 | More by JamesStreet

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +9%

05-09-2013 05:58:33 | More by schnarr84

dalepryor

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-07-2013 22:25:37 | More by dalepryor

Stugotzo

Florida

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-07-2013 21:31:12 | More by Stugotzo

TheDrunkGnoll

Texas

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-05-2013 01:23:39 | More by TheDrunkGnoll

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

From: Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: Best by 06/14/2014
Glass: Tulip

Maredsous 10 is a fairly malt-forward tripel that focuses less on yeast and its metabolites than in other versions of the style. Fairly heavy, at times honey-like and syrupy, though never becoming cloying, Maredsous 10 manages to achieve a fairy unique vision of what it means to be a tripel. Despite this, I did not find the beer as compelling as other versions of the style, the maltiness being a bit two-dimensional, as opposed to other tripels with much more pronounced complexity. At $9 per bottle, it's priced well for a Belgian import, but still probably not a tripel I'd revisit again.

Pours, like most tripels, a very tall head (>4cm) of fairly dense foam, though this version has a beige color to it. Retention is about average, lasting a few minutes in a slow decline to a perpetual 0.5cm-tall cap of foam atop the body of the beer. Extensive lacing along the sides of the glass, a heavy layer of foam affixed across the entirety of the glass walls. Body is a golden orange color, somewhat hazy (30-40% opaque), light bringing out brighter orange-yellow hues. Carbonation is visible, though not particularly abundant or active.

Aroma is of pale and slight caramel malt, light candi sugar, Belgian yeast esters (dried apple, banana), slightly spicy phenols, and faint yeast.

Maredsous 10 displays a fairly heavy sweetness for a tripel, with yeast byproducts being of secondary focus. Front of palate is heavily sweet for a tripel, of honey, substantial pale, and light caramel malt with noticeable dried apple and pear esters. Mid-palate of pale and slightly caramelized malt, honey, dried fruit esters of apple and banana, modest clove-like phenols, faintly bitter hops, and very minor ethanol. Back of palate finds spicy phenols with ethanol also enhancing this component, continued, substantial sweetness from both malts and fruit-like esters. Aftertaste is of continued pale malt sweetness, honey, phenols, and a touch of ethanol.

Beer is medium to medium-heavy in body, with carbonation of medium intensity, resulting in a smooth, gently foamy mouthfeel that is soft and generally pleasant. Very faint ethanol can be felt in the nostrils and on the back of the throat, otherwise this 10% ABV beer is highly deceptive. Closes fairly dry, with substantial stickiness remaining on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 06:29:11 | More by falloutsnow

randylangford

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.6%

04-26-2013 23:36:03 | More by randylangford

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

04-26-2013 15:16:15 | More by Jason1337

J_Dub

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +21.8%

04-22-2013 22:12:48 | More by J_Dub

greenbr

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +9%

04-22-2013 21:20:25 | More by greenbr

vetdoc1

New Jersey

4.51/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This is my first beer review on this site! Though I have been "researching" for quite a while!!
Quite a nice, deep copper amber color, very large bubbles when initially poured into a Chimay goblet but as it sits for a couple minutes, they become smaller. I poured the beer from a bottle labeled best before 5/2015. The head was about 1-2 fingers or so and then dissipated fairly quickly and left some lacing on the glass. The smell is quite good, clean and malty. The mouthfeel is very good - creamy, lighter than expected with the 10% alcohol. Very drinkable though it is a heavy, high alcohol beer that you won't/can't have many. I like it VERY much!

I am drinking while watching DRINKING MADE EASY - GREAT SHOW! (also THREE SHEETS is also awesome!) - You can find some episodes on YouTube but I bought all of the DVDs

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 04:04:12 | More by vetdoc1

YeastEnthusiast

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2.6%

04-20-2013 04:36:00 | More by YeastEnthusiast

buckyp

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

04-20-2013 00:33:20 | More by buckyp

jsurfs82

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%

04-19-2013 03:13:20 | More by jsurfs82

joaopmgoncalves

Portugal

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Bronze coloured with a beige head.
S: Very strong malty tones. You can almost feel its bitterness by the smell.
T: It's a bitter and very strong beer. You cannot miss the 10% ABV that it has, it's just that strong. But in someway it's balanced by its fruited finish.
M: It has low carbonization so it just feels smooth in your mouth.
O: It's pretty much awesome, yet too heavy for drinking without something eaten in your belly.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 17:44:54 | More by joaopmgoncalves

halo913

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

04-15-2013 15:13:37 | More by halo913

rafa1213

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

04-13-2013 04:16:07 | More by rafa1213

airoda

California

3/5  rDev -23.1%

04-12-2013 18:58:39 | More by airoda