St. Bernardus Tripel - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

jwc215

New Jersey

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

750 ml caged-corked bottle:

Pours clouded golden with a thick head that thins to a lasting cover, leaving broken rings of lacing.

The smell is of bubblegum and cotton candy with floral, herbal, slightly grassy spicing.

The taste is lemony, grassy, herbal with bready notes with plenty of sweet maltiness and sugar sweetness. Sweet with a spicy herbal dryness in the finish.

Meduim-bodied with an airy effervescence. Spicing lingers.

Well-balanced with subtle complexities, this sips very easily.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2008 13:35:06 | More by jwc215

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

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Bottle served in a goblet.

I'm not impressed. Let me count the ways...

The aroma and flavor are just basic bready sweetness with a big of yeast and tiny touch of hops. Yes, this beer is smooth and really hides the alcohol, but I find the flavor bland and uninspiring. I had no problem taking my time with this one and probably won't return to it. There are better tripels out there.

UPDATE: 11/8/08 on-tap at Lee Gribbons in Emmaus, PA.
A much more impressive beer this time around. It was a touch on the thick side, for the style, but there was a great range of phenols. I mean this beer was spicy, damn. There were also mellow banana and subtle clove, matched with a sizeable hops bite of herbal lemon and citrus rind. Yum. Very tasty, but I might have trouble drinking a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2007 05:42:09 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is a 750 mL C&C bottle, poured into a Chimay goblet. The ale was cold when I opened it around 1930 this evening. Not it is near room temperature.

Appearance: The ale is a solid, hazy yellow color. Earlier, it was clearer, but there must be some lees giving me a haze. There is a small ring of lace around the glass.

Smell: The aroma of a sweet fruit is the first thing that I notice. I can't place it, but it is definitely sweet and fruity.

Taste: The ale has a slightly spicy pepper undertone. Over top of that is a nice fruity, yeasty softness. And for a tripel, the alcohol is very well hidden.

Mouthfeel: Spicy and sweet at the same time, excellent in the mouth.

Drinkability: I should have purchased a few more bottles, this is the best tripel I've had.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2006 02:14:23 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Appearance: Unfiltered golden sunshine like tone with a nice layer of frothy white head leaves spread out Belgian style lacing, it's purdy. Aroma: Awesome pineapple bubblegum notes rich sweetness I'm loving this brew complex spiciness there, wow. Flavor: Nice fruit esters swarm the tastebuds this is the shit my style of a tripel. Creamy tone to it with the bubblegum sweet tone this is a classic tripel down to the T, nice spiciness. Mouthfeel: Creamy mouthfeel spritzy carbonation good stuff I'm loving this shit good stuff in my opinion. Drinkability: Excellent smooth delicate and hella drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2004 03:11:50 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clouded gold with a white head. Nose is mild. At first the thing that came to mind was pencil shavings (like when you sharpen your pencil with that little 2nd grade sharpener). Very slight citric tone. Overall though, the nose is very quiet. The flavor. Slightly woody tone on the tail end. But overall, it is extremely well balanced. Smooth and even. On the first sip, the feel was like I opened my mouth, closed my eyes, and had someone pour silk into my mouth. Beautiful. Hence the 5. Very drinkable. One to go back to again and again.

Normally when I see a beer reviewed so much with such a high score, I approach with trepidation. This one did deliver though. And I am glad to have been able to grab a bottle when I was in the Bay area.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 11:57:20 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tight near-white head. Notable cloud of yeast suspended in the glass. The color orange-light amber. Lots of clumpy lace.

Pleasant background brown sugar and molasses. Warming aroma of raw alcohol.

Creamy and mildly sweet. The finish is more sour than sweet. The body is thinner than most Tripels and the carbonation is near the level of soda. The alcohol presence is not overwhelming, which I like. Overall, this is an easy Tripel to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 21:21:32 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

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

Thanks goes out to sirhc for this brew.

Pours a cloudy golden yellow color, nice carbonation, nice two-finger plus creamy white head, lots and lots of sticky lacing follows. The nose is malty, yeasty, nice touch of cloves/bannanas, slight grapefruit, grassy. The taste is malty, and yeasty for the most part, nice touch of cloves/banannas/grapefruit. This is a tasty tripel, the finish is very smooth. Medium body. Drinkable, another tasty brew from St. Bernardus.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2007 01:42:15 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Will pour a five+ finger white head that fades quickly to a thin layer, leaving some lace. Hazy pale amber color. Honey and fruit nose. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Flavor is light honey, yeast and pear. Nice triple. Higher ABV is hidden. $17.00 for a gift pak of four 330ml bottles from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, Me.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2010 23:16:50 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a chalice)

A-This beer pours a deep golden hazy body with a slight brown hue. The head is a very creamy smooth off-white that last and last. There is a good carbonation of tiny bubbles and nice lacing with each sip.

S- The soft smell of roses and slight perfume are mixed with notes of bubblegum and pale malt. There is a very faint apple and pear note as it warms.

T- This beer has a spiciness in the initial taste followed by a slightly sweet honey and pale and crystal malt notes with some dryness in the finish. There is a slight carbonic acid taste in the finish.

M- This beer has a light mouthfeel but it has a fizzy texture that makes it feel fuller. No alcohol warmth or astringency.

D-This beer has a wonderful aroma but the taste doesn't follow thru with all the complexity. It is still very easy to drink and it drinks pretty quickly.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2006 00:53:21 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33cl slender brown bottle with a “consume before end of 2004” freshness date on the side of the label.

Appearance: Hazy pale amber, darker than a lot of tripels I have had and the lace is just ok as it leave only a ring.

Smell: Faint whiff of alcohol, fruit and solvent but mostly toned down. Touch of tropical fruit as well in the nose.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Nicely layered and infused carbonation, fluffy moderate body that goes creamy underneath the crispness. Solid dry malt character, phenols are present with waves of herbal flavour and the sweet and spicy alcohol delivers some fruitiness to the taste buds. Chalky yeast. Undertone of hops show a tired bitterness but all of the other flavours pick up the slack to keep things in balance.

Drinkability & Notes: Hmm … not exactly what I expected or even what I see a tripel as but there is no doubt this is a good beer. Nothing earth shattering, just good.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2003 18:52:37 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

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

small bottle, states in 2 languages, neither of which is English
" consume before the end of 2004" or something like that. Pours orangy/golden with chunks of sediment, raises a 1 inch head and leaves tons o' lace. Nose is powdery sugar and faintly flowery. Taste like golden honey, flowers, melons, wonderfully complex and silky smooth on the tongue. Wildy yeasty. Alot of excitement in a glass! seak this stuff out and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2004 01:13:14 | More by Billolick

mdfb79

New York

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

Poured from an 11.2 oz. bottle into a tulip. Best of date on the bottle is 14.06.13.

a - Pours a murky golden-brown color with two fingers of fluffy white head with nice retention and lacing and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of spices, Belgian yeast, bready malts, and citrus. Smells great.

t - Tastes of Belgian yeast, spices, lemon, honey, bananas, and bready malts. Very nice, and a slight step up from the nose.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. The body is super smooth and creamy, makes it very easy to drink.

d - A great tripel all around. At 8% I thought it was very easy to drink and I loved the taste and mouthfeel. Would certainly have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2010 00:27:46 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Armsby Abbey

A: Creamy 1 finger head with pale orange and slightly hazy color

N: Nose is yeasty with spices, some Belgian malts, a touch of raisiny sugar and alcohol

T: Taste starts with sweet malts and candi sugar with alcohol that fades quickly, a slight raisin and fruity quality but maintains its light Belgian quality, some nice bitterness is very light, it also has a slight nutmeg and nutty quality

M: It has a very smooth mouth but thick at the same time, almost velvety

F: It finishes dry and a little salty almost, taste hands for about 30 seconds on the back of the tongue

Final Thoughts: Very rich and delicious but still pretty light for a strong Belgian. It is a good staple for tripels.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2009 01:51:37 | More by jlindros

ppoitras

Massachusetts

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

750ml corked and caged bottle obtained via trade with ManekiNeko. Thanks for the opportunity...

Once uncaged, the cork came loose with nary a pull. Poured into a Rapscallion glass, formed 2" of dense, creamy, slightly off-white head over the light golden-honey hued brew. Head shows great staying power, and lacing is amazingly hearty and plentiful. Aroma is a bit spicy, in that expected Belgian way, with yeasty, slightly malty undercurrents. Taste is upfront delicately fruity, following with hearty malt character, and only the slightest hint of the alcohol we know all tripels have. Mouthfeel and drinkabilty are both excellent. A must find for the Belgian aficianados.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2004 23:16:28 | More by ppoitras

weeare138

Pennsylvania

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

Appears a glowing orange/amber with a solid 1 finger white head that lasts for a few minutes and fades into a soapy white film and collar. Lots of sticky lacing.
Smell is of delicate pear, vanilla, and fruit coctail, making for the classic tripel aroma.
Taste is the same as the wonderful aromas with a classic taste.
Mouthfeel is smooth with a mild fruit and alcohol bite.
Drinkability is decent. Slight alcohol presence keeps it from being better than just good.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2005 16:55:08 | More by weeare138

Zorro

California

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

Pours a very mildly hazy gold with a puffy white head.

Smell sweet and spicy. Clean scent of ripe banana, cinnamon and cloves. Pleasant scent of honey, coriander and flowers. Alcohol carries a pleasant scent of black pepper and pipe tobacco.

Taste is sweet and fruity. Tasty honey and brown sugar dominate at first, then the spice gets stronger. Coriander is up front in the spice flavor. Nicely balanced flavor that doesn't let anyone aspect take over Mild acid shows up in the finish.

Mouthfeel is good, creamy without getting choking.

Excellent drinkability. I would drink this every night if I could find it and afford it! Probably THE example of what a Tripel should be.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2005 03:37:35 | More by Zorro

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy amber/orange, huge white head forms, goes slowly, impressive lacing until the end, nice legs. Smell is malty sweetness, honey, spices, apple. Taste is yeast, sweet malt, honey, wheat, spices, light fruits. The mouthfeel is very full, medium high carbonation, very clean and very dry. An excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2005 23:29:00 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.9/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A hazed golden orange appearance. Volcanic streams of CO2 surface at extreme rates. A bigass crop of whipped white froth caps it off. After a few minutes, the head starts to look like a damn snocone. Beautiful appearance. Aroma hits home with some bready yeastiness, mint, candy, lemon pepper, must and earthy hops. On to the flavor, which can be summed up best as "subtlety to perfection." Cookie dough yeastiness, bready tones, mint leaves, soft candy tones, pepper, lemon, grass and yellow cakiness. This beer melts in the mouth like mother fucking cotton candy. Effin beautiful. And drinkable. Nothing alcoholic at all about this bitch. This one is a dandy. One of the best tripels I've had. Check that...THE best Tripel I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2004 05:26:09 | More by Bighuge

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving type: bottle.

Pours a cloudy golden yellow with a foamy white head. Aroma of white fruits such as apple, grape, and pear. Also, strong alcohol and spice presence. Pretty carbonated at first but becomes intense as it warms. Nice balance of fruitines, maltiness, alcohol, and slight hops. Very crisp enjoyable tripel.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2008 09:32:50 | More by corby112

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

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

33cl bottle, best before 08 Mar 10. Had this bottle for some time, my wife and I are staying at the brewery in two weeks time, so I've decided to open the one remaining St Bernardus I own before we travel. Very suprised to see I've never reviewed the tripel before.

Poured carefully into a Westmalle Chaice; no sediment in the pour, so a clear old gold body sits in my glass, on top a solid foam blanket of bubbles. Bubbles rise through the beer, it looks inviting. The head has the power, strenght and condition to stay complete throughout the tasting, very rare, even on the best tripels. The sediment was poured into a small wine tasting glass, it was taken after the review.

Dough aromas, with yeast, but this isn't any sort of bread in my hand. The sediment had a more vinegarous and potent smell.

A deep warm glow desends down your body as you sip the beer, this is good stuff. It feels a lot heavier than the 8%ABV it admits too, some real body in this master of tripels.

I am very lucky (various reasons) and have had many Belgian tripels, both on tap and bottled, this is without doubt one of the best.

I mentioned in the review I would be staying at the brewery, well the first beer I had from the fridge in the Brouwershuys was a Triple and it was poured for me by no less than Hans Depypere, the owner of the brewery. The fridge is free to use if you are staying at the lovely appointed and furnished B&B.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2009 20:26:06 | More by BlackHaddock

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Have had this on tap on several occasions here in Baltimore. While always good, there does seem to be considerable variation in the quality of the beer, perhaps based on how long the beer has been on the gas. In any event, had this beer on tap at Mahaffey's yesterday. I believe it was tapped at least several days ago.

The beer pours a hazy golden peach color with very good head retention and excellent lacing. On the nose I get a hint of citrus, honey and gingerale. The beer smells pretty good, but tastes even better. I get some moderate sweetness initially, but the beer finishes with considerable hoppy bitterness, leading to a pretty dry flavor profile. Nevertheless, there are attractive flavors of melon, apple, orange citrus and honey. Mouthfeel is surprisingly light and the beer is remarkably drinkable for the 8% abv. The alcohol is very well disguised in this beer, and this is one of the easier to drink tripels I've come across.

Perhaps not spectacular, but a very nice beer nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2007 14:56:08 | More by johnmichaelsen

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.45/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Absolutely gushing when uncapped, saved and poured into a tulip. Head bubbles bombastically at the start, but crackles itself out to just a half-centimetre of white large-bubbles. Lots and lots of carbonation through the slightly hazy deep golden coloured body. Looks decent, but not stellar.

Nose is ripe and rank with Belgian nuances. Hints of spice, yeast, orange peel, organics. Sweet, but with a backing aroma of something meatier to blend it all together. Yes, there's something complete about the nose, all the Belgian elements integrated together perfectly.

Taste is smoother and more gentle than I expected, none of the phenolics you often get. Light apple pastry softness on the front, with hints of spice coming forward on the back, and just a little upsurge in booze at the end - it's extremely subtle though, and just gives a quick sweep to cleanse the palate. Palate is extremely smooth but light, and while the carbonation seemed omnipotent when looking at it, it merely dances softly in the mouth.

Such a smooth and supple tripel. It's such a lightly done one, with everything so well integrated that I feel like many of the other examples just don't get it. Beautiful stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 22:08:03 | More by lacqueredmouse

DoubleJ

California

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

It took THIS long to try St. Bernardus Tripel? What in the world is going on? Well, the chance is here, splitting a 330 ml bottle with my cousin. On to the beer;

We're looking at an amber golden color with some cloudiness and a long lasting, puffy soapy head. Aroma...different at first. Sage and wildflowers notes rise out with a sweet, sugary crust. Warming allows canteloupe and apricot to appear, which helps boost the overall impression of the nose.

An interesting blend of flavors. Surprisingly complex, let me sort out the flavors I'm getting: honey, white pepper, canteloupe, wildflowers, and some phenol action. This beer dries up on the palate in a snap. The carbonation give the palate a massage with its bubbles. The alcohol is barely traceable.

Ok, so I expected a little more, but I'll leave this one being satisfied.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 05:12:31 | More by DoubleJ

glid02

Georgia

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

On-tap at Twain's in Decatur, GA.

Pours a slightly hazy lemon-yellow color with a two-finger white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of sweet and biscuit-y malts with mild amounts of pear and milder amounts of banana. There's not a whole lot of spice going on here, just loads of malt.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Thick sweet malt flavors up front with a hint of breadiness. Midway through the sip solid amounts of fruit flavors enter into things - pears mostly but with hints of bruised banana. The fruit flavors carry through to a crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a solid thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall I was hoping for a bit more clarity in flavor and aroma. As it stands it's still a solid beer though a bit one-dimensional (which isn't a phrase often used in reference to St. Bernardus). Worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2010 23:56:19 | More by glid02