St. Bernardus Tripel - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

MiScusi

California

5/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Poured into a St. Bernardus chalice. A hazy gold, white light but well formed head, didn't leave just lace, left a layer of foam that gripped the walls of the glass.

S: Can't imagine a better balance of Belgian yeastiness, earthiness, and a little sweetness.

T: Just like the smell. This tripel was so flavorful yet not overdone it was ridiculous.

M/D. The alcohol didn't make it too slick, but it had a nice medium-light mouthfeel

This is a beer I could drink and drink forever. So interesting yet it's easy to quaff.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2007 13:55:31 | More by MiScusi

eberkman

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Publick House in Brookline, Mass.

Pours a hazy orange-gold with a full white head. Smells of fleshy white fruit -- apples, pears, peaches, pluots -- and peppery spice. Some alcohol in the nose as well. Taste is similar -- fruity tartness and juiciness rounded out by a complex array of spices. Very peppery with traces of licorice and anise. Absolutely wonderful. Crisp and carbonated mouthfeel with excellent drinkability for its strength -- if you have a couple of them, you won't feel the strength until you stand up, so beware...

Anyway, as close to a perfect tripel as I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2007 02:33:28 | More by eberkman

BretSikkink

Mexico

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draft offering at Max and Joe's Omaha.

Dark orange color, head retention is good, reduces to a ring around the top.

Ester alcohol aroma, some murky fruit flavors.

Complex and nicely carbonated tripel, this is a great beer on tap. Good malt sturdiness that's slightly sweet, herbal hops and alcohol spike. Smooth, full mouthfeel. It's light on the tongue for being so nice and thick. Bread finish.

This is a refreshing and fruity ale, sweet toffee malt combined with some fruity hop punch. Alcohol well hidden. Finely crafted and highly recommended from the bottle or on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2007 03:49:06 | More by BretSikkink

kenito799

New York

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Belgian Room, St Mark's Place, served in Chimay goblet

Lovely golden color, lighter than I expected. Fairly small head dissipates but leaves copious lacing.

Sweet and fruity aromas up front, fairly typical and pleasant Belgian scents.
Mouthfeel nicely creamy, lively carbonation.

Flavors of light peachy fruits and malts with sweetness at first, but followed by bold hoppy bitterness. This bitter finish lingers and remains in the mouth until the next sip when the decently complex fruity sweetness cuts in. The bitter finish was excellent, but I found myself wishing the complex aromatic flavors lasted a bit longer before the bitterness came forward. Alcohol is pretty much undetectable until you stand up.

Excellent sipping beer after a hard day's work.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2006 04:03:03 | More by kenito799

bonbright7

Florida

4.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

After trying this is a bottle last night, I knew I had to make a valiant effort to find this on draft. I had heard that the nearest Belgian cafe in Garden City, about 20 miles to the southwest, had this in its rotation, so i made a trip to find this majestic tripel.

I found Waterzooi be a warm welcome home to the Europe I left last summer after my brother's wedding in Lyon, France. Among the neatly arranged taps was the smiling monk waiting for me..

The pretty bartender poured me a healthy goblet full of the butter colored ale, which led to the first taste without a thought....it was amazingly good. It was even greater than I had anticipated as I watched the rings of lacey foam decline into the glass.

The malty triple had more great tastes than Sybil had personalities.
I had the bizarre impression of bananas and milk shakes while I couldn't detect the alcohol at all.

I thought this ale would be great with broiled duck or just by itself in the company of friends.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2006 02:45:00 | More by bonbright7

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Hand's down, one of the world's best beers. Big aromas of ripe or over-ripe fruits. Sweet and mature. Balanced spiciness with a light yeast, musk, and dough-like mellowness. Looks copper-peach with a thick haze. Moderately carbonated and an ideal foamstand. Tastes are bold and mellow of ripe peaches, pears, pineapples, mangos, papayas. Spicy from belgian yeast...almost like nutmeg, corriander, curraco, alspice. Sweet and dough-ey yeast and a viscous musk flavor shows it's age. Sweet alcohol flavors add to the complexity. Viscous to the entire mouth, cut through by the alcohol. Finishes sweet and refreshing, mildly drying and spicy. This is certainly one to savor although easily drimkable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2005 20:54:00 | More by BEERchitect

JohnfromDublin

Ireland

3.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had already been very impressed with this beer in the bottle a day or two before this and was now anxious to try it on tap. This was in De Zolder, Bruges. Appearence was good but not as impressive as from the bottle. Smell was as good as the bottle, but unfortunately the taste fell a little short of the extremely high standard experienced in the bottled version. Still a quality Belgian Tripel, but preferred it in the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2005 14:28:45 | More by JohnfromDublin

amicar

Missouri

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sipped out of a chalice at Bastante, St. Louis...

Nice yellow- gold hazy appearance with appropriate sticky thin white head.
Smells of fruits, bananna, and candy... you can really drink in the smell...
The taste is first and foremost bubblegum; Sweet(ish), bananna, citrus fruit, and something that I swear is almosy fruitcake. Lots of interesting flavors, but a bit over the top and unbalanced for me. Too sweet, too fruity (and I like the style, thank you very much).
Feels slippery and full in the mouth. I could drink more than one easily, the alcohol is balanced nicely; but given other choices, I would take somethiing else....

Overall, very nice, but too many odd fruits and bubblegum. Although clearly high quality and world- class as a beer, I will likely always pick something else in the same price category and style type.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2005 04:58:08 | More by amicar

carln26

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This came on tap in a tulip glass at Anam Cara. Bright hold almost champagne in color with a light white head and light lace. The color really was remarkable. It was amazingly clear for a beer. Great candy aroma with just a hint of fruit (apples and pears I believe). Delicate sweet character; almost wine in nature. This beer reminded me more of a Riesling, not a tripel. Silky light mouth feel very drinkable. Tripels are not my favorite style. I think they tend to bee too sweet, but this beer defies the trend and delivers a very pleasant experience.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2004 23:40:39 | More by carln26

dmarch

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I must have been crazy when I first reviewed this. 4.9? What was I thinking. This is straight 5's. Hey when a beer is this good, that 0.1 means a lot. This is the beer I think of when someone mentions the word tripel. Deep golden color with a long-lasting white head that leaves a nice lace along the glass. Aroma is spicy and of tropical fruit. Taste is of apricots and pineapple and a little clove. Outstanding tripel. The abt 12 seems to get a lot of attention, but I feel that this is the St. Bernardus beer that everyone must try.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2003 23:05:44 | More by dmarch

saltydog

New York

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted on tap at De Zolder in Brugge. Appearance: Orange, clear, decent head. Aroma: Spicy hops, malt, some earthiness in background. Flavor: Spicy, fruity, with some maltiness and yeast in background. Some soapiness from hops. Finish: Mostly hops, with malt in background.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2003 02:39:17 | More by saltydog

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

P: Cloudy orange tinted golden body with a massive mound of ivory cream jiggling on top.

S: Pilsner malt, candied sugar malt, marshmallows, clove, pears, peaches, Granny Smith apples, gala apples, cinnamon, spicy barley, sugary pound cake and a great yeast strain. Subtle banana esters and coconut.

T/M: Spicy and fruity taste that follows the above mentioned ingredients. Yeast is great with earthy and fruit forward flavors that are semi powdery. Alcohol presence is sharp and spicy but complimenting. Great mouthfeel that finishes dry with tea tannins.

O: As expected this is a great triple. Super complex profile while being well balanced as well.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 00:26:48 | More by Hopswagger

dwren89

Virginia

4.9/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: hazy, golden amber, foamy persistent white head

Aroma: very aromatic,banana and clove with soft malt character, very yeasty with spicy hop additions

Taste: spicy with notes of banana and clove, malty depth

Mouthfeel: very smooth, rounded and balanced mouthfeel, little carbonation,

Overall Impression: A delicious and easy drinking Tripel, much easier to drink than Westmalle Tripel, and exhibits the spicey hops and yeast desired with strong malt background.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 21:47:52 | More by dwren89

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.18/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Small creamy white head. Not much lacing. Slightly hazy straw body.

S: Sherbet powder.

T: Laquer/nail varnish and sherbet. Neutral bread base and a slightly sharp bitterness. Initially sweet but the bitterness evens it out eventually. Agreeable mouthfeel. Nothing else to add.

O: Not as great as I remember but having bought this bottle in Korea I imagine its three months on a container ship might have taken its toll.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 12:03:49 | More by Hoppsbabo

dpodratsky3

Georgia

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

11.2 oz bottle poured into tulip glass

A: Hazy, golden/light-orange, head recedes quickly to just barely covering around the edges

S: Pretty typical tripel aroma, phenolic with a noticeable sting of alcohol, hints of white fruit as well give it a slightly tart edge, very pleasant

T: Wow, take every aspect from the aroma, starts with some slight alcohol burn and phenolic flavors, but the alcohol doesn't have the edge that I thought it would, instead of lingering and burning, it transitions to a slight sweetness thats a combination of apple and very very light caramel malt, perfect combination and so smooth for a strong, yeasty beer

M: Not dry, carbonation stings, body is medium but the carbonation brings it down and allows you to drink it like a lighter beer

O: This beer looks good, smells better, and tastes amazing. The further you go into experiencing this beer the better it gets. One of the best examples of the style and so easily available.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 02:31:24 | More by dpodratsky3

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.39/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

11.2oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a slightly hazy light golden color with three fingers of dense white head. The head recedes slowly and the lacing is incredible.

S: Musty chamomile yeastiness starts out with orange zest and peach. The beer is very nicely balanced, yet on the dry side. Extremely complex.

T: Similar to the aroma - I get a nice spiciness with some sweet peach and orange zest. Fairly dry and very nice.

M: On the thin side with strong, yet creamy carbonation. A touch soapy.

O: A great Tripel. A touch of fruity sweetness with a complex spice to balance. Fairly dry throughout. No alcohol flavor whatsoever.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 00:21:15 | More by coreyfmcdonald

SHODriver

California

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

A: poured into a snifter to a cloudy light gold with a dense two finger white head that has excellent retention
S: smells of spicy yeast, fruity esters, fresh cut grass and bittering hops
T: tastes of fruitiness, sharp and spicy yeast and a bit of sweetness from some light candi sugar, slightly bitter noble hop flavor as well. swallow is more yeast and fruitiness with a bit of bitterness
M: heavy side of medium body with plenty of carbonation and is a bit prickly and a drying finish
O: a phenomenal beer and a hallmark of the style. Great flavors and pretty much all around perfect.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 21:40:02 | More by SHODriver

Blindpigbiz

California

4.3/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Smell: very clean yeast

Taste: sweet tangerines, butter cream, rich herbs, hints of flower pedals, delicate hop-spice with glazed almonds and faint sesame seeds pervade throughout

This beer is one of the most complex beers I have ever tried. There is nothing brazen within each taste, just a rich myriad of complex flavors that attach to your palette and then to your mind. This beer goes great with aged cured dried meats with red grapes, fig jam, and aged Brie

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 09:01:35 | More by Blindpigbiz

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