St. Bernardus Tripel - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.01/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 4.23.13
Dated 16.04.15

A - Pours a hazy light-medium orange with a huge foamy off-white head.

S - Lemon, peach, sweet candy.

T - Belgium yeast, fruity and sweet candy.

D - Tons of carbonation and a light body.

O - Sweet, fruity and very candy-like. So easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 04:57:32 | More by HuskyinPDX

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.96/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yet another beer that I picked up at Top Hops a few weeks back. I never had anything from Brouwerij St. Bernardus before and although this wasn't as highly regarded as the Abbey 12, I enjoyed this a lot and thought it was quite solid. Nothing terribly outstanding but it felt a lot weaker than the alcoholic content would have led me to believe.

The pour to this was golden, bubbly, and with a very frothy head. There wasn't a lot of lacing to be seen either as the suds slowly slide down the sides of my pint glass. A good amount of apple and pear could be detected in the taste here along with some grass, booze, and a sourness that grew in intensity during the duration of each sip. This wasn't completely clear but I really felt the wheat in this either, although the bubbles did a nice job of keeping this light and champagne-like.

To be sure, this was a strong beer and it as light as the mouthfeel was, the alcohol was easily detected from start to finish. Combined with the candy sugar, it made this just a bit stronger and more intense than I would have liked, but this was still a sold beer that had a lot going for it. Not the best example of a Tripel but not to be missed either if the time allots for the booze to settle in, since the lightness and flavors more than make up for the intensity.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 09:08:08 | More by JerzDevl2000

ThaneMcC

Maryland

4.19/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Poured a cloudy, gold color with huge frothy head with excellent lacing as the foam resolves. Nice cloudy, cider like appearance.

S: Bouquet hints of fruit (apple, belgian yeast, caramel, fresh grapes),

T: hoppy up front, followed by fruity esters, hint of sweetness and acidity results in clean finish.

M: Highly carbonated which contributes to its mild acidic/bitter taste, clean finish. good mouthfeel

Another incredible beer from Brouwerij

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 23:37:25 | More by ThaneMcC

hackmann

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: hazy golden orange body with a nice two finger head. A little sediment on the bottom of the bottle so, make sure to swirl the bottle with the last inch of ale.

Aroma: light overall, light fruity, good Belgian sugar and yeast; as the ale warms up the tropical notes start to come into focus, it is reminding me of pineapple/banana cotton candy.

Flavors: sweet malts and a touch of floral hops; there is a tart lemon/apple bite; the pineapple/banana cotton candy on the nose transfer to the taste;

Mouthfeel: a fine fizzy carbonation feel, medium-full body weight, the tart note controls the sweetness,

To the Point: a very nice Tripel, I’ll take Piraat over this all day.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 18:11:28 | More by hackmann

Steamer

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A full 3 fingered, white head with large bubbles. Looks like cloudy apple cider or mango. Smell: Fresh cut apples and grape juice. Generally fruity flavor but apples is most prevalent, slightly bitter and a little dry, Has the feel of a sparkling wine, moderate to high carbonation. Overall: Excellent balance and blend, a great Tripel.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 00:51:00 | More by Steamer

Mdez

Virginia

4.36/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Had this at a kiosk (Kiosk #25) outside of Luquillo, Puerto Rico. It was one of several great beers they had down there.

Had it straight from the bottle (they only had plastic 6-oz cups), so I couldn't really judge the appearance aside from me holding the bottle in my hand...which did look pretty good.

It smelled great, but tasted even better with a great mouthfeel, but this was all expected because of the brewer's reputation.

It was a very good beer, but note necessarily the best Tripel I've ever had; it's close to the top, but not the best.

I'me very glad I found this to try!

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 19:01:39 | More by Mdez

ZethOfTheNorth

Louisiana

3.96/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted blind next to Westmalle Tripel in some monk-on-monk action.

A: Very opaque gold and tons of sediment stagnating in the middle. Very white head. Bizarre and dramatic.

S: Significantly more muted than the other top-end tripels. Vague floral whiff. Tough to identify individual aromas here.

T: Neither a ton of sweetness or booze, but also a little undistinguished. While Westmalle is a freak of the senses, St. Bernardus is very understated, with somewhat floral flavors popping in and out of focus. Subtle and confounding.

M: Drier than some others. Average carbonation.

O: Elegant and very well-produced, but also somewhat anonymous in that no flavors or aromas truly emerge as dominant. For some, that's going to be why this is the best tripel out there. I like mine more aggressive, so Westmalle is my Trappist triple of choice.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 15:08:20 | More by ZethOfTheNorth

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.29/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This beer is just so easy to drink. smooth, hardly a hint of alchohol. Hint of flowers, citrus. Medium mouth. Superb, easy drinker that stands up to just about anything in this style. It may not be quite as great as the Quad, but it's still a beer I could happily drink if I could only have one choice for the rest of my life. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 18:22:33 | More by Beer-A-Lot

jera1350

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lightly hazed golden body with a foamy cap that retains extremely well and generates gobs of lacing.

Complex, effervescent, fruity, light band-aid, belgian yeast, mild spice.

Matches up well with the nose. Lots of fruit esters, some warm alcohol, plenty of spice from the yeast and hops. Very complex taste.

Very dry mouthfeel with lots of carbonation.

Awesome example of the style. Just an all around beautiful tripel.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 02:42:29 | More by jera1350

chinchill

South Carolina

4.21/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

.33L bottle (best by 8/2014 dated) served in a Piraat tulip glass.

A: The beer is a pale orange-amber color, hazy with a towering, creamy tan head, some of which lasts until the end, and leaves some lace on the glass.

S: The fruity/floral aroma reflects Belgian yeast, light malts and a touch of hops. Excellent for style.

T: probably the best tasting tripel I've ever had. The toasted malts are a bit more apparent than usual, banana and clove make up only a small portion of the complex flavor, and the sweet/bitter/tart mix is superb.

M: Crisp and very smooth; medium body; medium-high carbonation, slightly dry finish.

O: World class; my favorite tripel{?}.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 01:03:39 | More by chinchill

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.56/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a Unibroue chalice.

A: Mildly hazy honeyed golden color. Three fingers of rocky white head don't budge an inch. A jagged blanket of lacing coats the glass.

S: Bready malts, chalky and nutty yeast, slightly musty. Esters take on a perfumey and floral character. Tropical and playful too.

T: Honeyed sweetness. Bread dough. Nutty yeast. Ghost-like clove. Pineapple, mango, and apricot esters. Almost juicy, even. Spicy tastes build a little. Drying yeasty finish with a slight musty taste.

M: Medium bodied. Very full, very creamy, and very lush. Somewhat aggressive carbonation. A beautiful mouthfeel that enhances drinkability tenfold.

O: This is up there with the best tripels in the world. Crazy drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 03:02:44 | More by ryan1788a5

morebeergood

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into my St. B chalice. Noticed sediment at end of pour, and left dregs in the bottle. Brilliant gold colored body with a cloud-like pillow for a head. Bottle was aged for a year, and there was still plenty of carbonation. Smell was yeasty and musty, but in a good way. Taste was crisp for the style, and not as sweet as other tripels I have tried. Mouthfeel goes along with this; very crisp and dry. The abv was well hidden. A classic example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 04:31:30 | More by morebeergood

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured this legendary beer into my tulip style glass. I might have been too aggressive with my initial pour, but there was a ton of foam on top of the hazy beer. The foam was coming on so strong, that I had to pull foam off the top before it settled. The foam creates some really pretty lacing on the side of the glass.

The nose on this beer is pretty light and clean. I like the slight sourness from the belgian yeast. The flavor is sublime. This is one of the best tasting tripels out there.

This excellent beer is easy to find. I have tried a fresh bottle, while this bottle was aged for about a year. I recommend trying it fresh and in aging.

These monks really know what they are doing with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 20:32:32 | More by ummswimmin

spoony

Colorado

4.04/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed from notes.

From a 330 ml bottle (best by May 29, 2015) into a tulip.

A-The brew pours with an impressive three-finger head of nearly-white foam. The beer is clear and nicely golden in color.

S-The smell is an archetypical mix of banana and clove. This is not a bad thing, just not the most impressive scent. I also smell white pepper, sweet candy sugar, and a whiff of herbal hops.

T-The taste is estery, sweet, yeast up front with an herbal, grassy finish. Things are more doughy and bready up front, but there is a mild bitterness on the end. Again, right in line for the style. Taste doesn't stray far from the smell.

M-The mouthfeel is typically old world, which is to say the carbonation pairs well with the flavors and the heft is medium.

O-There are better tripels and there are worse tripels, but if I had to describe all of the characteristics that make a tripel a tripel, this would be a good brew to use. There is a nice balance between sweet, sugary yeast flavors and more herbal grassy flavors that keep this beer drinkable. Feel, as usual for a true Belgian, is great.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 04:58:36 | More by spoony

rickyleepotts

Arizona

4.45/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Last night we went to a beer class at Total Wine & More in Scottsdale. The class was sold out, and they were pouring Belgian beers. I am talking GOOD Belgian beers. We did a few American beers, but all were Belgian style. We did a dubbel, a tripel, a sour, a wit… we covered it all. We even did a quad. We did the St. Bernardus Abt 12, which is one of the best beers in the world and uses the same recipe as the Westvleteren. I have actually tried the Abt 12 next to the Westvleteren, and the Abt 12 is a better beer. But it was fun drinking all these Belgian beers, and trying some styles that I hadn't had in a while. My favorite was the bonus beer, an IPA. They always do a prelude to the next beer class, and the next beer class is on styles. We did the Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. If you haven't had this, and like hops, get some. It's amazing!

Today we are doing another St. Bernardus beer. The tripel has been sitting in the fridge and is just begging to be consumed. I also didn't want to do a bomber as we are going out tonight to continue celebrating Arizona Beer Week. We are headed to Chandler for some Black Note. The keg that was to be at the strong beer festival is being tapped tonight, and we have to try it again. We had it last year at the Beer Sellar, and I think about it all the time! Sadly, the Beer Sellar has closed. Not sure what happened, but we shared many great pints in that bar.

Let's pop the bottle on the St. Bernardus Tripel.

In the Glass: Not sure why, but this beer has a MASSIVE head. That's not a bad thing, because I usually take a few minutes to begin drinking the beer. The beer is also a nice gold color in the glass. It looks clean, healthy, and delicious! I didn't realize, until last night's beer class, that a lot of the breweries in Belgium own the rights to yeast strains. So the yeast being used in this beer won't be found in any other beers.

Nose: At first, I had some citrus flavors but then the yeast really takes over. It smells like straw. Wet straw, really. I haven't had a lot of tripels, but this one is highly rated on BeerAdvocate. The bros give it a 97… which is pretty high. But this is a brewery that makes good beers on a consistent basis. I am sure the flavor will top the aroma on this one.

Flavor: This is a little too cold, but the beer still produces some very nice flavors. At first, the bubbles attack the palate but they mellow out toward the back of the tongue. Then, as you swallow, sweetness kicks in and the finish is long, satisfying, and drying. I really like how Belgian beers just taste better overall compared to American beers. The mouthfeel is thicker, the flavor is more pronounced, and the aftertaste usually lasts longer and is full of flavor. This is no exception.

Mouthfeel: At first, there are a ton of bubbles on the front of the tongue. Those quickly leave the mouthfeel leaving a very full bodied and balanced finish. The swallow is where the majority of the flavor comes from, and every time I swallow the flavor is as powerful as it was when I first swallowed the beer. (I just burped, but it wasn't beer… it was lunch. Moving on!) This is a smaller bottle, not quite 12 ounces. I don't have much left, so I am going to leave what is left and see what the room does to it. I am sure this will open up as it sits there.

Aftertaste: Sweetness creeps in toward the finish, and it hangs on for a few minutes. Then dryness, the more you swallow, really takes over. I like this beer by itself, but I am sure this would pair well with food. Not sure what foods, but this is definitely a food beer. I bet this would taste amazing at the brewery in Belgium. Beers usually taste better served in their glassware in the country it was brewed! Guess we need to go back to Belgium.

This is another great example from St. Bernardus, and beers like this will leave me ordering a triel the next time we go out. (Speaking of that, I had a dry hopped tripel last night. It was from New Belgium and was served on cask. It was at Flanny's, a bar that I hate. Last night we had an equally horrible experience as we did the first time we went. Good thing the beer was delicious! I also had a smoked IPA on cask. Yummy!)

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 21:37:52 | More by rickyleepotts

tectactoe

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a bruised-apricot color with lots of dim, gold highlights - completely opaque and cloudy. Little, tiny buts of sediment hang suspended in the beer as if they were sitting in glycerin. Volatile as all hell, the head far outsizes the actual amount of beer in the glass as it towers over the top of the glass; off-white, foamy, and frothy as can be.

I bring this one to my nose and pick up much of what I expected from any decent tripel - lots of fruity, mildly earthy esters, faint banana, lemon and citrus zest, orange peel, spices, clove, and a raw Belgian yeast aroma, highly akin to bubblegum. As far as the aroma goes, this is definitely one of the more balanced tripels I've had. No smell is competing with another too much, and all of them collide at once to form a nice, meshed aroma. Alcohol provide a bit of a warmth, but nothing hot or troublesome.

The taste hits first with a nice collection of mellow fruits - some plums, mangoes, grape skins, light banana. The fruit comes with a nice sweetness that simply feels more mellow and laid back, rather than abrasive and in your face. A light dusting of sugar seems to cover everything. Some spices adhere well to the fruits, mainly clove and a bit of orange peel, followed by a nice mix of bread, butter, and gum - that Belgian yeast sure does wonders. Hop character is subdued but slightly leafy and herbal when it shows itself.

At first, I was getting a slightly undesirable aftertaste - something along the lines of cardboard, or wet, moldy wood. Left a bad taste in my mouth long after the beer was gone. As it started to warm, the fruit and malt sweetness got a bit stronger and this weird aftertaste vanished (or at least masked), so luckily I was able to enjoy the second half of my beer. Not sure what that was all about, but it least it only lasted for half the beer. Alcohol phenol flavors came out a little but upon warming, but didn't harm the beer in any way. Medium bodied with a light mouth feel thanks to aggressive carbonation.

Pretty good tripel, and it would be a great tripel if it wasn't for that strange moldy flavor I was getting at first. Good think it eventually recessed and went away. The second half was wonderful - if only the entire timeline went that way. Overall, still very good.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 13:05:17 | More by tectactoe

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.31/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- Poured into a chalice. Pours a bright golden yellow with just a bit if haze, large foamy white head has good retention and eventually reduces, leaving a thin layer skimming the top

S- textbook tripel aromas coming from the glass. Spicy Belgian yeast provides a peppery clove aroma with notes of ripe banana and fruity ester, just a bit of sweet alcohol at the end. Aromas are bold and pleasant

T- dry and spicy yeast leads to sweet fruit with a bit of clove and alcohol, the finish leaves a dry-yet-fruity sweetness in the palate with peppery spice and coriander.

M- medium body with lively medium carbonation leads into a foamy mouthfeel mid-palate, continuing through to the finish, leaving just a bit if warming alcohol.

O- a classic example of the style and great balance of spicy, yeasty sweet goodness.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 00:46:06 | More by Treyliff

sevenarts

New York

4.61/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A: Pale golden yellow with a big fluffy, pure white head that sticks around forever. Very cloudy and carbonated.

S: Crisp and clean, with Belgian yeasts, some subdued fruits and grains, a touch of spice. Mild.

T/M: Rich and delicious. Big yeasty flavor with champagne-like fruits, spices, some slight bitterness on the back end. Very smooth and creamy, with a touch of prickly carbonation at the end of each sip.

O: An amazing tripel, just so tasty and complex.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 22:17:37 | More by sevenarts

rangerred

Tennessee

4.41/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle into a goblet.

Pours a medium orange with quite a bit of sediment making it into the glass. Tons of carbonation with a white fluffy two finger head that has ridiculous staying power. Awesome lacing as well.

Aroma is just about perfect for a Tripel. Lots of coriander and clove along with some spicy orange. Hints of alcohol but they remain in the background.A little bit of bready malt and yeasty spiciness.

Lots of coriander and spice in the flavor along with a huge punch of orange. Light bread in the background but the yeast and spicy flavors really dominate. Alcohol comes forward a little bit towards the finish with the mouthfeel being bone dry as it should be in the style. Just a touch of stickyness on the lips.

Overall, an excellent example of a Tripel and one that is a great pleasure to drink. I'll have to pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 01:35:31 | More by rangerred

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.29/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml served in a St. Bernardus goblet

A - Burnt orange color with a thick bright white head forming a thick collar. No lacing.

S - Fruity and yeasty, apricots, peaches, mango, sweet aroma

T - Sweet pale malts upfront, peaches, apricots galore, lemon, spicy Belgian yeast comes in along with a line of sweet candy and grain. Some nutmeg and coriander pop up as it warms. Finishes semi-dry with peppery/grassy hops.

M - Moderate foamy carbonation, turns creamy and lush, full body medium weight.

Excellent tripel. Rich pale malts with a tasty yeast strain. Stone fruit with some spice on the back end. Very drinkable I found myself drinking this faster than most tripels.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 00:30:26 | More by StaveHooks

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Best Before "12 08 14" (August 12, 2014).

Kind of a darker tripel. Burnt orange color. Quite hazy, as expected (even after decanting). The head laces less due to wetness on the inside of the glass. It still retains a nice thick layer. Height never reached past an inch or so.

Lots of big bready notes from the yeast strain. Banana, light clove, pear skins, lemon, wheatiness, and hints of coriander and pepper. The most German wheat-smelling tripel I've encountered yet. Has a light spice element in the nose that somewhat sets it apart, but you could've fooled me with all of that yeasty bread and banana.

Ah. Different from the nose. Still has the breadth, but the banana is smaller in the flavor. The spices are pronounced, however. Lots of implied pepper and/or grains of pepper. Clove is bigger than the banana now, too. The citrus died out, but there's some tart apple/pear. Some phenolic notes that border on medicinal. A little sweet, but likably. Finish has that carving alcohol note. A little rosy, but meshing with the spiciness.

Drinks great. The carbonation is nice to look at, but doesn't impede the feel or weight of the body. It supports it with lively prickle. The body is set at one notch above medium, but it feels wet and wooly in the mouth. Very nice.

St. Berny makes a quality tripel. No suprise there. Makes me want to go back and get the Watou Tripel.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 04:29:29 | More by thecheapies

JamesMN

Minnesota

4.31/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Light golden/orange but opaque from the sediment due to bottle conditioning. Some visible carbonation and a one finger fizzy white head that retains decently. Elegant lacing coats the inside of the glass.

Aroma: Even someone who was smelling this one blindfolded would know it's a Tripel straight away. You get yeast, clove, overripe banana, pear, and apple all blending together to create a nice impression. The aroma has a slightly brittle texture to it with a bit of juiciness underneath it all.

Taste: The first thing that strikes me is the flavor of fermented belgian candi syrup. It creates an almost caramel-like sweetness which is then slowly overshadowed by the hearty fruit flavors and spices that are a signature of the style. The finish is smooth in an effortless way that lends to a slight warming in the aftertaste from the 8% ABV. The flavor of cloves stick to the palate for a seemingly endless amount of time after each sip. Balanced with a precision that one would expect from a Belgian Ale.

Mouthfeel: As noted in the aroma there is a certain brittle quality through the middle that turns into a juiciness by the finish. Medium in body but seems thinner due to the persistent carbonation. A dangerous ease of drinkability.

Final Thoughts: I tend to file Tripels under my list of least favorite styles. That does not, however, stop me from being able to enjoy true brewing prowess when I encounter it. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Belgian Ales as they don't know what they're missing. Would I drink it again? Yes, as an aperitif.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 02:23:57 | More by JamesMN

salvadorwill

California

3.96/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

St. Bernardus Tripel

Condition: Just took this out of the fridge (at 48 F) and it pours a straw colored golden blonde with a medium head that turns a little thin within a minute. Head is made of large bubbles, and the beer itself if seems to have a fair amount of carbonation just by looking at it. It is light enough in color that you could almost read a newspaper through it, though not quite.
7
Aroma: Banana and clove like esters are readily apparent, and perhaps a light hint of honey. The smell of alcohol, and a bit of a soft cheese scent is also detectable.
7
Taste: By the time I take my first drink it has warmed to about 54F. A slightly sour and slightly astringent mix is first on the palate, followed by the sweetness of the malt. The yeasty, banana esters are also present. Overall the different flavors are subtle enough to not overwhelm each other, yet strong enough to remain interesting, if not complex. Finishes mostly clean on the palate, though with a slight lactose feel.
8.5
Mouth feel: A little creamier than I expected, and I see this as a good thing. The body is there to handle the carbonation and the light acidity.
8.5
Value: Given that this little (11.2 oz) bottle cost about $6.50, I would say that value is a deduction here. I feel pretty confident that I could get a six pack of a Belgian blonde triple that is about as good for around $12, or about $2 for an equivalent sized bottle. It is a very good beer, and Belgian tripels are not widely made, so overall value is about fair, but perhaps a little overpriced.
4.5

Overall 7.45

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 05:07:12 | More by salvadorwill

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.19/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served alongside Westmalle just to get a comparison.

Beer pours a hazy yellow-gold with a medium white head. Compared to the Westmalle, the smell is much more yeast and banana-forward and a bit sweeter, where the Westmalle has a little more going on. Flavor is typical tripel flavors, but is a much easier drink than the Westmalle, it's not nearly as earthy, bitter or boozy and stays nice, light and fruity. Mouthfeel is interestingly creamy and really nice. Overall, this is a great, perfectly-balanced, refreshing tripel. There isn't as much depth in flavor as the Westmalle, but I find it to be a more enjoyable drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 02:00:26 | More by starrdogg

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this once before and decided to revist since it was close to a year ago. I enjoyed this from a 750 chilled in a tulip

The color is golden apricot with translucent clarity and 2 finger fluffy cap w/ compact beading and visible carbonation with good retention and lacing. The smell is light with floral esters and mild hops which are more herbal with light clove scent augmenting with some honeydew fruit and mild malt notes which are slightly nutty in the nose.

The taste is dry with some mild yeast accompaniment and both spice and light fruit essence are noticeable in the taste with a mild creaminess from the malt and semi-high carbonation leaves a mild mineral taste w/ mild herbal hops which are experienced as the ale finishes with dryness on the palate and low alcohol impact on the taste in general. Overall I was very pleased with this as it develops increasing in temperature the spice character and hops seem to emerge with a a very flavorful quality and well rounded taste in general with strength matching the feel. This is what I consider a total package beer-wonderful and a high value as well, highly recommended

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 14:59:08 | More by Slatetank