St. Bernardus Tripel - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Peach and citrus, sugary malty. Sweet and bubbly. not as spiced as Unibroue can be. Nicely aged.

Had again almost two years later in a relatively inexpensive gift pack brought in by LCBO. Seemed fresher and very enjoyable. Yeast not as interesting as when I had several of my first set of trippels.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2004 02:47:24 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Carbonated honey with lemonade borders. The crown of foam, as expected, was massive before the first few ounces left the bottle. It's an especially regal shade of alabaster and is smoothy creamy rather than firmly rocky. Shotgun-blasted sheets of Belgian lace stick with authority. I love the look after a second pour adds a smattering of yeast to the glass.

The nose is all kinds of wonderful. Having said that, I'm not tempted to go with the big number. It's chock full of golden orchard fruit and has an ideal amount of yeasty spiciness. Just as I suspected, even a few degrees of warming opens things up beautifully.

Simply put, St. Bernardus Tripel is world-class. It doesn't happen often, but there's nothing about the flavor profile that I would change. It's as if the monks tweaked the recipe over hundreds of years until it was a model of perfectly balanced perfection. Actually, that's probably exactly what happened.

This may be the fruitiest tripel in existence. Each sip delivers a controlled explosion of buttery pears and crisp apples, sun-ripened melon and juicy pineapple. Honeyed pale malt anchors the bottom end with authority. Wrapping it all up in a neat little bow is a perfect (there's that word again) amount of clove and white pepper spiciness. It looks like Tripel Karmeliet has some competition at the top of my 'most favored tripels' list.

How can so many flavors and so many flavor sensations be present at once and how can they work so well together? Tripel is sweet and tangy and bitter and fruit and spicy... all at once. A well-crafted tripel is almost as pleasing to my taste buds as a hugely hoppy DIPA. And this is *definitely* a well-crafted tripel.

The mouthfeel falls a fraction short of perfection. It's medium for the style, with an admirable amount of silky smoothness, but it doesn't quite reach that state of effortlessly creamy expansiveness that is otherwise known as mouthfeel bliss.

Brouwerij St. Bernardus has never let me down. I've enjoyed each and every one of their creations and am especially thrilled with Tripel. It's on my short list of the world's best beers, no matter the style. I plan to stock up whenever the opportunity presents itself. Only next time I'm going for the 750s.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2007 16:37:30 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a deep brown with a small off white head that faded rather quickly. Lots of nice lace down the side of the glass.

S - Smell was very fruity, hints of grain, along with pears, plums, apricots and apples. Sloght hint of alcohol as well in the back.

M & T - First impression was very smooth, not really a biting flazvor though. Nice and mellow for a triple. Lots of fruity tones mixed in with a nice spiceness. Hints of apricots and pears were the most prominent, along with a big alcohol kick.

D - Overall this was a nice triple and good beer. A little big to be an everyday one, but I really did enjoy it and it can occupy a spot in my fridge anytime.

\

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2007 21:47:07 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bit dark with the style with a billowing white head and a bit of lacing. Nice Belgian spice with some fruity aromas. Taste is similar with the addition of some clove. Medium body with good spicing. Drinkability isn't quite as good as many of the stalwarts of the style. Despite a nice taste, it doesn't leave me clamoring for more.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 21:30:30 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by 7/18/14.

Pours a murky orange-brown with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks and dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, fruits, honey, and yeast. Taste is much the same with some slight spice flavors on the finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some nice aromas and flavors that make it easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 04:51:37 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a clear pale golden color with a frothy head that leaves strips of lacing

Smell: Tropical fruits, Candi sugar and a int of banana; very yeasty with plenty of phenols

Taste: Starts out very fruity with a tart undertone that develops and strengthens; quite peppery, in fact, a flavor that builds with a sneaky bitterness after the swallow; not as sweet and banana-flavored as other tripels

Mouthfeel: Light and frothy; almost velvety, with moderate carbonation; slight warmth in the gullet

Drinkability: Enticing and intriguing, this is an unusual and challenging tripel

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2006 22:15:42 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best Before: 19 07 10.

Appearance: Pours a clear, bright, orangey-gold body topped proudly with an inch of white foam.

Smell: Sweetish, malty nose with hints of spicy hops, fruit-flavored bubblegum, booze, and more candy.

Taste: Sweet pale maltiness with a tiny bit of breadiness to it. Large dose of toffee candy. Drop of lemon extract, a drop of vanilla extract. Spicy, flowery hops with a medium-low bitterness. Splash of bubblegum liqueur with its accompanying alcohol heat. Tiniest bit of sourness rides into the otherwise sweetish finish. After a few sips, a growing taste of black pepper develops.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Sticky mouthfeel. Medium-high, slightly prickly carbonation.

Drinkability: Another very good tripel from the St. Bernard Brewery-err, I mean Brouwerij. Though, for me, when pit side-by-side with the Watou Tripel, I do defer to the Watou.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 04:51:22 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured lightly hazy dark yellowish ale with a super huge head with excellent retention. Carbonation was extremely good and body was a thinner then expected. Aroma is quite particular with some weird but enjoyable sweetness (like some crazy candy my kids would love) and good strong malt. The sweet malt dominates taste with some undertones consisting of soft spices, candi sugar and yeast. Wow, this one was quite a surprise and probably ranked very close to my top Abbey Tripel.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2005 20:48:04 | More by Phyl21ca

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

oberon

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy peach color with a huge blooming (almost to much) head that consumed the whole beer now a fluffy head on top of a Belgian tripel is nice but this went a bit overboard.I notice a little funk in the aroma like a saison in some ways with its mentioned funk and peppery spice with just a light note of citrus,quite spicey on the palate cloves coriander and black pepper really come thru with an underlying candi suger elemant.A nice creamy mouthfeel lended itself well to this brew.A nice tripel but I have had better the Witkap tripel I had just yesterday to me was more broad and enjoyable,all in all not bad but to me not worth the hype.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2006 01:45:20 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A hazy golden-amber body streams with a fine-bubbled carbonation beneath a full head of white froth. The head retention is excellent and it leaves walls of lace about the goblet. Bready, cookie dough-like, and even slightly toasted malt appears in the nose; accented by notes of yeast, vanilla, fruit (cherry, pineapple), flowers, and delicate spice. It's zesty on the tongue with a very fine-bubbled effervescent carbonation that warms to become somewhat creamy; although the medium-full body might have something to do with that as well! The flavor mirrors the aroma with the addition of some leafy hops and a stiff, balancing bitterness. It finishes dry and lingering with yeast and vanilla-laced cookie dough lingering amidst a dry, leafy bitterness. Impressive and unusual, the St. Bernardus Tripel is a not to be missed beer!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2005 23:28:44 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a St. Bernardus chalice.

That monk is just so dern happy all the time! He must be enjoying nigh-constant Bernardus brews... This-a one pours a clear pale golden straw topped by nearly a finger of white micro-foam. The nose comprises heavy clove and pepper, banana, spicy yeast, a tiny bit o' that farmhouse stuff (hmm), and some lemon zest. basically, it smells like a tripel. The taste follows, brining those spices to the fore, backed by some nice banana and citurs blends, and finishing with a nice flourish of pepper and cardamom. The body is a fluffy medium, with a sharp carbonation and a somewhat dry finish. Overall, a very nice, nearly archetypal tripel. Get some, and be as happy as the monk!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 20:42:18 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer poured cloudy dark yellow in color with a finger high creamy white head that has excellent retention properties. A moderate amount of carbonation is visible from the rising bubbles.
S: There are moderate aromas of light fruits and spices in the nose along with some hints of alcohol. Smells of bananas and pears stand out in particular.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but the flavors of spices are a bit stronger and there is a mild amount of sweetness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: The beer wasn't too difficult to drink considering its alcohol content, which is well hidden. I will definitely try this one again as it is one of the best representations of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 19:01:13 | More by metter98

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

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

Appearance: perfectly opaque orangey color, with a fine, white head atop.

Aroma: full of soft spices, orange peel, lemon rind, spicy, citrusy, yeasty, full, magnificent.

Taste: excellent entry on the tongue & palate, beautiful, yeasty, rich and fruity.
Soft, yet earthy, hoppy, full-bodies, and delicious.
An excellent tripel, for the sugary aspect was much more subdued than other offerings which misinterpreted, perhaps, the portions of the sweetness in the style.

Seemed nothing more, or less, than perfect, without being mindblowing.
Very, very worthwhile brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2003 02:07:21 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a cloudy gold color with a thick white head. The aroma is good. It has a creamy citrousy scent; very nice. I also has another smell that I can't put my finger on; probably yeast. The taste is decent. It is rich and full of pale malts, belgian yeast, and some mysterious flavor. I really don't know what it is. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with good carbonation. I think this is an excellent beer; a great Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2004 23:43:15 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Poured into my DFH snifter, I can't find my St. B glass...grrr.

Beer is amber and hazy. Forms a HUGE head that falls away to one finder and leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. Carbonation is high and steady. Looks awesome.

Oh sweet Jesus, it smells like awesome. Write awesome on a piece of paper and then smell it, that's what this is. Its estery and sweet with a level of great yeastiness (that's a word according to google). Its perfect.

Creamy medium bodied beer with a dry finish. The forward is mildly sweet. The midpalate is moderately sweet and estery. The yeast character is lower than you'd expect. This beer is awesome. One of the best tripels I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2010 03:08:02 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

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

The beer pours a cloudy dark yellow color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the oranges and lemons with some Belgian yeast notes. I also get a little bit of bready malt. The flavor is a mix of Belgian candy sugar with some orange and bready malt notes. There is also a little bit of alcohol present. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 03:07:33 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a cloudy orange/amber color with a small, white, fizzy head that left some lace.

S - It smelled of citrus, yeast and wheat.

T - It tasted citrusy, sweet. A nice blend of wheat, clvoe and yeast.

M - It was crisp and very sharp. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This is an exceptional tripel. Certainly one of the best around.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2008 19:13:27 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.53/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On-tap 1/7/08 at Pitcher's Pub in Cumberland, RI, served in an over-sized wine glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a short white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is faint but contains Belgian yeast, light malts, some fruit and some hops.

T: The taste is well-balanced with flavors of yeast, spices, bananas, citrus and a good amount of hops. The malt character is thin but it is enough to provide some backbone. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Very crisp and very smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, very clean finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down dangerously easily, not too filling, good kick, excellent representation of style, this is a great beer to stick with for a whole evening.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2008 15:12:14 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This poured out as a really nice golden yellow color with a fluffy white colored head on top. The smell of some spice, yeast, and banana were on the nose in this brew. The taste of the beer was nice lightly spiced with a soft sweetness in there as well. The mouthfeel of this brew was soft, medium bodied and quite enjoyable. Overall I found this to be one of the better Tripels I've had.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 18:52:07 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours with a resounding pop! Pours a slightly hazed apricot (clears later). Super head retention & very good lacing

S: Pineapple, passion fruit, & lemony hops once warm

T: Big-time, tropical fruittyness (apple peels & pineapple), some honey, & a bit of lemony hops up front. Lemony & grapefruitty hops, pus dates, apricot, & more pineapple & honey as this warms. Finishes fruitty, with a hint of vanilla & some more lemony hops

MF: Medium bodied with low carbonation, some creamyness, warming sensations, 2/3rds through the bottle

Drinks pretty easy for the complexity & abv. Not the best tripel out there, but pretty good

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2008 05:40:54 | More by russpowell

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

Pours with a dense meringue like three inch head. A cloudy deep gold color. Lightly sweet but dry at the same time. A bit of orange crosses my tongue. Smells Belgian in its complexity (imagine that), a fruitiness and a mustiness is here in the nose. A sharpness in the taste is present from the carbonation (this beer is well carbonated). There is some spiciness in the nose too. Very well put together triple, there is a certain softness/ roundness from the malt that ties this beer together very well. Definite alcohol notes if you look for it, but definitely not in your face. Displays the classic Belgian lacing as you work your way through your glass. One of the best, if not the best, examples of the Tripel style of beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2003 17:09:53 | More by Gueuzedude

emerge077

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle, BB date 01 06 09.

Pours a hazy peach tone, plenty of dense white foam. Lace sticks around for the duration of the glass. Tiny streams of capillary carbonation permeate the orange liquid.

Smells like pilsner malt, it has a certain lightness, but not a big bouquet.

Taste is fairly mild, carried by a velvety mouthfeel. Light sweetness, no fruit, but a little alcohol spiciness. Estery yeast, similar to a Wit or Hefe. Hint of toffee, but it's gone in a flash. Dry aftertaste, easy to drink...

In the end i'm not terribly impressed, but will give it another shot. A fresher bottle may yield different results.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2007 03:40:41 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330 mL bottle,

A: Pours yellow with a full white head with solid retention, light Belgian lace.

S: Candied pear, pineapple, spice, banana, various fruit.

T: Fruit along with various spice elements - coriander, pepper, and yeast esters make up the main flavour. Lightly boozy, but it melds with the flavour well. Hops are minimal, good balance between the diverse tastes.

M: Not overcarbonated which I like right off the bat, very smooth and drinkable.

D: Really nice tripel, it goes down almost too easy. Definite repurchase in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 02:15:38 | More by Halcyondays

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle, drinking it a bit early from its 2013 best before date, but hey, it's freaking cold outside...

This beer pours a hazy medium tarnished golden yellow colour, with two fingers of fizzy, creamy white head, which leaves a sloped ring of lace around the glass as it falls away. It smells of tart citrus, and bitter floral hops, and a mild sweet bready maltiness. The taste is sweet, bready/fruity malt, some offsetting acidic lemon zest, and a soft sugary booziness. The carbonation is moderate, with the puffy, but not tingly, nature that I associate with all things Trappist and beery. An otherwise forgettable medium body is spruced up by the crisp acidity, rendering the overall effect quite refreshing. It finishes with a diminishing sweetness, and the astringent hops and booze tugging away.

A somewhat complicated Tripel: more hops that expected, less malt in the same vein. Overall, this lead to a very drinkable (until the well-integrated 8 points of booze kick in) big boy beer from the other brothers.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 00:51:59 | More by biboergosum