Wine Barrel Tripel - Rombauer Cabernet (French & American Oak) - Westbrook Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Big beer, big wine, with tannins in the finish. Wine floral bouquet aroma and taste from the barreling. Big lace. The tripel is OK. I would like something more complex than the wine alone.Earthy.Not too sweet nor yeasty.
Decent drinkability.Doug's bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 04:01:33 | More by northyorksammy

nickfl

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with two fingers of white foam on top of a slightly hazy, dark golden body. The head settles at a moderate pace and leaves decent lace on the glass.

S - vanilla and oaky red wine with notes of chocolate, raspberry, and coconut as well as background notes of pineapple and clove from the base beer.

T - Soft malt up front with some wheat notes as well as oak, dark fruit and chocolate from the wine barrel in the middle. Finishes with mild, herbal hops, tropical fruit, and coconut oak flavors.

M - Medium thick body, moderate carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - Brilliant! This is actually every bit as good as I hoped it might be. The wine barrel character shows through easily, but works well with the base triple, which is obviously well made. This is an interesting and thoughtful beer, from one of the best young breweries out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:51:51 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

4.18/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: single finger head which drops to a thin head leaving scattered lacing on a cloudy orange and gold body.

S: the aroma is excellent with the cabernet well represented with hints of popcorn butter, belgian yeast, herbs and wood.

T: cabernet is well represented but blends very well with the base belgian yeast and herbs with grape, raisin and blackberries for dark fruit flavoring and additional oak, butter and caramel notes.

M: smooth, medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: This is a very well done wine barrel aged tripel. A good base tripel does very well for this style and this one is aged to near perfection.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:45:12 | More by kylehay2004

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared this one as a part of aasher's wedding week celebration while hanging out by the pool in Destin, FL! Served from bottle into a Boulevard tulip. Poured a golden red-orange with a half finger off-white head that subsided quickly to a minimal amount. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, wood, bread, fruit, caramel, and subtle alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, wood, sweet alcohol, dark fruit, and subtle caramel. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. This was my second favorite out of the Trio without a doubt. I honestly fell right between the other two almost perfectly as far as enjoyment. This one carried the barrels over quite nicely without being too invasive. I just wish there would have been just a little more complexity to push this one into another league. A must try.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 13:52:59 | More by thagr81us

Sean9689

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks, Treebs! Shared at Alex's Birthday Bash @ Pipeworks!

A - Pours a golden/amber color, white head, thin collar.

S - Wood, light vinous presence, caramel, biscuit malts, smooth booze.

T - A little less sweetness, oak, light barrel influence from the cabernet, grapes, caramel. Alcohol is smooth for 8.5%. Finish is oak & sweet sugary malts.

M - Medium body, good carbonation, clean sweet finish.

O - A decent tripel but nothing to chase after. Nice to have, but wouldn't miss having it with all that's available out there. Decent.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 17:42:06 | More by Sean9689

Treebs

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to mikeincharleston for the bottle. Shared with the folks at Alex's (Masterski) birthday bash. 750 ml bottle served in a New Glarus taster glass. Bottle Oct. 14, 2011.

A: Pours a semi clear yellow color with some reddish hues to the body. A frothy and thick white head forms on the pour and slowly dissipates leaving some thick sheets of lace.

S: Big barrel in the nose. Big red wine, earthy berries and grapes with some nice oak chip flavors. Spicy yeast is also present.

T: The taste follows the nose with some more fruity notes. French oak barrel with some earthy red wine flavors. Dark grapes, cherry sweetness, some sweet malts and spicy yeast at all present. There is a fruity ester sweetness on the finish.

M: Prickly carbonation. Light bodied. Sweet finish.

O: The barrel was a little to forward for me. It sort of decimated the base beer, but it was far from bad. I enjoyed some of the qualities the French oak imparted, but I would have wanted more of the yeasty base beer to shine through.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 01:32:00 | More by Treebs

jsanford

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a muddy apple juice brown with a dense off-white head that settles to a nice cap. Very oak-forward, lots of sawdust and red wine grapes in the nose. Love it, reminds me of barrel rooms in Wine Country. Lots more French oak flavor, along with more red wine grapes, a light malt backbone, and some subtle spices. Really, though, the oak barrels treatment and the Cab grapes are the star here, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Mouthfeel is smooth and crisp, with a medium body and good carbonation. Superb brew from Westbrook, and probably my favorite of the 3 treatments!

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 02:20:24 | More by jsanford

brentk56

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: An apricot nectar colored liquid; somewhat murky, with a rocky head that leaves a nice web of lace

Smell: Shortbread and vanilla, with undertones of Cabernet and oak

Taste: Shortbread and vanilla, up front, with a slightly tart Cabernet Sauvignon aspect developing by mid-palate; after the swallow, the grape and oak flavors continue to build but the vanilla is powerful

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: Not as interesting as the Bella Vigna as it lacks the tart counterpoint, the finesse of the Pinot Noir and is a bit too vanilla-dominant; still, a very interesting take on the style

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 20:15:58 | More by brentk56

ksimons

New York

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 aged in a Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrel, 8.5% ABV

A-a cloudy hazy amber with sediment visible. Not the prettiest of colors, but a nice fingers worth of cream head that sticks to the glass. Head still present halfway through the glass.

S-Smell is really interesting, a good mix of spices, vanilla, oak, and grapes. Very interesting and complex smell.

T-Taste matches the smell well, pale bready malt, light fruit, spices, yeast, and then a really nice big oaky taste. Alcohol is well hidden.

M-medium body, good carbonation

Overall I really like this one. Really interesting take on the traditional triple style. Pretty sure this is my first wine barrel aged beer and I hope that any ones I have in the future are as good as this one. A fan of Westbrook and worth finding.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 22:47:59 | More by ksimons