New Holland Black Tulip Trippel Ale - New Holland Brewing Company

GRPunk

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle (vintage 2013) poured into a Chimay chalice.

A- 1-finger, khaki head drops to a light film and leaves light spots on the glass. The body is a ever-so slightly hazed copper with moderate carbonation.

S- Sugary sweet at first. Some clove and black pepper with light banana and green apple accents. Almost like banana bread with the sugar content upped. There's a lot going on, and it all comes together in harmony.

T- Whoa, that's big. Lots of residual sweetness. More of that clove and black pepper with a little apple. The alcohol wants to peek in, but it's not harsh in any way. Clean, dry finish.

M- Full bodied with moderate to heavy carbonation that does its best to keep up. A little alcohol warmth.

O- Very full flavored example of the style. The Tulip Time celebration has just come and gone, and it got me wondering whether New Holland was still putting this out. Lucky me found this at the Copper Vine. I'm thinking of hitting up the New Holland tap room this week. Maybe a tap offering is in order?

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 01:50:24 | More by GRPunk

SportsandJorts

Michigan

4.14/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Vintage 2012

Appearance: a dull golden color. good clarity with lots of floating sediments. a finger or two of a foamy white head. leaves a lacing that slowly fades

Smell: quite floral, lots of sweetness, some fruitiness, and some spiciness

Taste: bananas, cloves lend a slight spice, very sweet notes but not quite bubblegummy, some alcohol come through, and some hop bitterness on the back end. pretty good taste, could use more hidden alcohol

Mouthfeel: heavier, as per the high gravity series, extremely dry and hot. too hot and dry.

Overall: a solid American trippel but I have had better that were easier to find and less expensive. pretty good but not worth the hefty price that seems common with big new holland beers

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 20:17:16 | More by SportsandJorts

baos

Indiana

3.91/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

750 ml into glass tumbler.

A: Very nice blonde color with the tiniest bit of haze. Very good lacing.

S: Thick syrupy floral aroma. Clovey malt blossum.

T: Nice clovey triple flavor with a touch of hops in there. A bit of a glue aftertaste. Kind of strange malt profile in this triple. It is not a bad beer for 6.99, but not the best that I have had.

M: Nice medium feel.

O: Not a bad beer, obliviously the Bros. like this one. There are certain malt profiles that have a glue taste for me. This might be one that is right on for you, try one on.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 01:49:43 | More by baos

Etan

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a tulip, fittingly.

A: Pours a translucent orange-gold with a nice large white head.

S: Floral, cloves, lots of pale candi sugar, some bready yeast.

T: Candi sugar, mild bitter hop leaf, spicy esters, slightly tart apple, palpable bite of alcohol, sweet grain in the finish.

M: Medium-bodied with slight carbonation.

O: Not bad. A bit too sweet with the alcohol showing a bit too much, but overall pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 22:33:12 | More by Etan

Spcoly

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip glass...

A: two finger head with lacing...blonde and somewhat cloudy

S: I was struggling with this until I read the bottle and saw the banana....now that's all I can smell...

T: smooth somewhat tarty with a pleasant sour aftertaste...small burn at the end....

M: medium to low carbonation with plenty of drink ability....high abv sneaks up on you quickly...

O: was hesitant at first to spend $16 on a 4 pack but this beer really came through. Will definitely purchase next time I'm looking for a tripel

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 00:01:42 | More by Spcoly

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a lightly hazed straw color with about a minute's worth of two fingered white foamy head, leaving behind fairly decent lacing on the glass. Medium body and carbonation levels, smooth texture.

Smells of pears, banana, honeydew melon and a dash of white-fleshed peach aroma. The flavor is a nice combination of coriander and honeyed malt sprinkled over a banana creme pie with tremendous yeastiness and some warming medium strength alcohol hotness drying out the finish. Peach notes appear in the flavor as well once the glass warms up closer to room temperature.

I really enjoyed this one, and probably will pick up some more for experimental cellar aging next time they are available to see if I can pull back that booziness and accentuate the fruitiness a bit. My palate is a bit oversensitive to alcohol hotness, however, so YMMV.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 05:13:35 | More by WastingFreetime

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

2012 Black Tulip. Brewed with Belgian ale yeast and Michigan beet sugar. Emptied into an Orval glass.

Lightly-hazed clover honey color with a bounding soft-white head that rises and simmers to a lacy cover populated by unpopped bubbles.

Tingles of estery banana, stale bread, green apple, yeasty clove, candi sugar, and just a touch of maraschino cherry juice. Some prominent alcohol also noticeable.

Clove, coriander spice, chalky yeast, Easter bread, turbinado sugar, light tart apple, booze sweet-hot, and a note of wet and damp mustiness. The finish is much drier than expected. Takes a lot of dusty yeast nuttiness/breadiness to quell the booze and residual sugar boon. Headed in the right direction, but left askew.

Very soft carbonation, at first, with a light rush in the late-middle. The body is swishy like creek water--a little heavy and minerally. Over-medium.

I feel like this is another one of those 'try-too-hard' ales from New Holland. Not the biggest fan of their High Gravity Series, but Black Tulip is really not that far removed from your average Belgian tripel.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 03:52:28 | More by thecheapies

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance –Served a light golden color with a fine white head. The head faded fast to leave a light amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma of the beer was heaviest of Belgian yeast, banana, and notes of grass. Mixed with these smells were lighter aromas of a spicy and citrus aroma which overall created a pleasant smell.

Taste – The taste began with a base of fruit and yeast While it is fruity it is not to sweet.. The fruit is largely banana and pear in nature. As the taste advances flavors of a floral nature mixed with some more bitter citrus come to the tongue. These in the end are met with some spice notes of coriander, clove, and pepper as well as a good dose of alcohol to leave a rather tingling bitter-sweet warming taste on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is rather creamy with the carbonation level being quite average.

Overall – A moderatly tasty triple with good fruit flavors. One to try if the chance arises but not one to go out of the way.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2012 23:35:31 | More by Darkmagus82

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear gold with a two-finger white head. No sediment in the bottle. The smell immediately reminded me of other American-made tripel. There's a sharp, strong orange spice and then a slightly stringent bitterness in the flavor. It's not subtle enough or complex enough. I'd even say it's too clean. I'd guess the temperature is a little off during fermentation. A lot of the right flavors (or something resembling them) are present, all the ingredient seem right, I'd want to look at the process to improve this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 02:42:47 | More by tempest

smakawhat

Maryland

4.55/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Vintage 2012.

Not much of a head is created on this, but what is remains a half finger of fluffy white, sitting on a nearly crystal clear body of orange and red, with a big gold hue to it. There is very little carbonation on this beer, it's sort of as it was stopped or frozen or something. Laces a little bit too at least.

Nose is a big wow. Chewy malt, sweet dense, and it's peppermint. Holly cow where does THAT come from? Some faint banana on there also, but luckily for me not much. I love this mint sweetness angle I am getting, I am in love.

Taste is rich, the malt angle hits with a density more towards a thick piece of sourdough bread minus sourness. Mint and cream comes out ooozing and silky. Playful wine like carbonation and spritzy character mix with a chewy density but not horrifically sugary, sweetness mixes with a cream and white pinot gris like grape. Good sense of warmth without overkill.

I want more, fark it, I am getting more.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 00:34:16 | More by smakawhat

bassmantin

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light gold color, most white head. Floral nose. Does not smell like a tripel. The smell reminds me of Boston Lager. Is this really a tripel?

After tasting, it's clear it is a tripel. Good gumball candy malts. Fairly strong alcohol burn at the end. The label says there are hints of banana, but I don't taste it. It is somewhat reminiscent of a hefeweizen, oddly enough, so I can see the banana connection.

Good beer. I bought a single bottle. Now I might get a six pack!

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 01:37:48 | More by bassmantin

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Light brown and clearish with some white head.

Smells interesting,a bit vegetal and I kinda smell the beet.

Deep, not like a tripel I'd expect. Bittersweet and the vegetal character is definitely coming from beet sugar. Way too boozy though.

Smooth, not too bright or bubbly. Quite nice.

Decent tripel, but too hot. Maybe needs some cellar time.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 01:43:08 | More by zaphodchak

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Very little head but it's as expected for the ABV. Nice lace ring though. Color is a golden yellow hue, clear.

S - Smell is nice for a triple. Fruity yeasts, bubblegum and sweet malts. Can't wait till I can taste Michigan beet sugar.

T - A very good triple I like how well the ABV is hidden till the finish. Bubble gum and sweet malts guides the hops into a chalky yet fruity yeasts. The finish is kind of boozy but balanced.

M - Medium to heavy. Not bad.

Overall not something I would have again (especially at $3.50 a pop) but it was nice to try it in a 12oz version. Not a bad version of the style at all.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 04:37:02 | More by DrDemento456

barnzy78

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Geneva Ale House - Geneva, IL

Poured a cloudy golden-orange color with a fluffy, white head that holds great retention and leaves plenty of lacing on the glass. Aromas are very pleasant with banana, Belgian Yeast, fresh flowers. Tastes are well balanced with notes of banana, Belgian yeast, spice, grass, tulips. Mouth-feel is velvety smooth, medium bodied, finishes spicy with a sharp tingle on the tongue. Alcohol is undetectable in taste, but is warming. Aftertaste is somewhat odd, yet pleasant, presumably the tulip flavor lingering. It's not off-putting, just different. Overall, I really enjoyed this unique ale. It's seems light and refreshing, yet it's bold with the high ABV. Flavors meld perfectly. I've had other beers brewed with flowers, and never really liked them much as the flower was overwhelming. This was not. Stellar treat on tap!

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2012 03:16:51 | More by barnzy78

srv33

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear golden pour, great lacing, strong scent of banana, clove, and sourdough. Taste much the same with a bit of cinammon and malt. Well balanced thick mouthfeel. Not a bad Tripel, though pales in comparison to Final Absolution, another excellent Michigan Tripel.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 00:03:13 | More by srv33

morimech

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2012 Vintage in 12oz bottle

Pours a clear bronze color with barely one finger of head that settled to a thinc cap. Moderate amount of spotty lacing is left down the glass. See this as filtered and force carbonated.

Enjoyable aroma. The label claims estery and the beer delivers. Fruity smell of bananas, pears, and some vinous qualities. Maybe some apricot and a touch of clove spice as well. Alcohol is detectable.

Solid flavor but not as nuanced as the Belgian greats. Fruity, dry, and some floral notes, mostly banana and pears. Alcohol is a large contributor to the flavor with a warm finish. It chases away the more subtle flavors. Not the best finish as it is boozy and very dry.

Medium body with nice carbonation. Good overall texture.

Good example of a tripel, but at the cost I would be better off buying St. Bernardus or Chimay White.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 18:00:09 | More by morimech

deebo

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at blackbird Café
A cloudy dark golden with two fingers of off-white head
S yeasty with banana esters dominant malt is bread like and slightly sweet
T nice yeasty ester punch-a bit banana like, a spicy finish, not bitter-hops are more subdued than most
M plenty of malt backbone, mod/high carbonation, a little warming from the alcohol but it is well covered up
D high given the abv
O I like this trippel nice body, nice flavored. Drinks a bit like a souped up hefeweizen

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2012 21:13:17 | More by deebo

HarrySTruman

Michigan

2.83/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a golden color. Easily transparent. 1 finger head. Plenty of lacing.

Smells of fruits and malt. Oranges and bananas. Good scent of alcohol as well.

Tastes like it smells. Fruity, but not over the top. Finishes with the flavor of banana.

Dry finish. Quite different mouth feel than most of the tripels I have had. The mouth feel was certainly the stand out area of this beer. Smooth going down, finishes dry, pretty light considering the high ABV.

This was an average overall tripel experience for me. Certainly not the best of the style. The price seemed a bit high considering how many good tripels there are on the market. I'd rather have several imports over this and they would cost nearly the same.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 18:28:58 | More by HarrySTruman

BB1313

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2012 vintage. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a hazy golden color with a small white head which fades quickly, decent lacing and retention. The aromas are full of honey and yeast. There's alot of sugars in the nose as well blended with a touch of banana and bubblegum. The flavors are bittersweet. Yes, the sugars are there and has a fresh sweetness going on, but there's a strong bitterness that lingers. I'm picking up some cloves along with a touch of black pepper. This one finishes pretty dry with a touch a booze. It doesn't taste bad, it's just very one-note and lacks true depth. The mouthfeel is nice, but the carbonation isn't as active as I'd expect from the style. It's still feels nice and pretty darn smooth. I'd say it's on the heavier side of medium-bodied. It doesn't really have much of a syrypy quality, which is a plus. I'll admit, it gets better the more I drink, but it's still not something I'm really impressed with. I'm trying to find something to love with every sip.

I've personally come across more enjoyable American interpretations of the style. I also think $4/12oz bottle is a little steep when I can get a real interpretation of the style from Belgium for the same price. This can be an enjoyable beer, but just don't expect something that rivals overseas. Average says it all.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 23:29:01 | More by BB1313

jera1350

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Golden colored with an ever so creamy head of marshmallow fluff on top. Awesome retention with some nice lacing.

The smell is yeasty and earthy with clove and banana.

Huge flavor here. Sweet candy and honey, earthy, peppery and spice with clove, banana and booze. Some sweet vanilla bean and spice coming in at the end. Great depth.

Soft creamy feel, close to a medium body with a dry feel.

Really surprised at how good this is. Almost a cross between a hefe and a tripel. The flavor is outstanding and the price is great too for such a quality brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 01:56:39 | More by jera1350

optimistictour

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Perfect golden, thin head but thick lace, light but opaque, constant bubbles unfastened...

This smells of bananas, clove, sugar, wheat, and I don't know... subtle fruit hidden behind that elusive Belgian essence.

It tastes even better. Beyond the smells mentioned I'm feeling deep honey through and through.

The body is thicker than the opacity or hue convey. Smooth yet varied texture, mellowing out across the palate... it's velvet personified.

The thing about this beer is that the "overall" scores a 5 while the components do not. It adds up to something more complete and fulfilling than its components hint..

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 07:15:32 | More by optimistictour

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I picked up a bottle of New Holland's Black Tulip Tripel Ale a couple weeks ago for $3.89 at The Lager Mill. I have been wanting to try this beer for a while now so I was happy when New Holland decided to release this beer again, I lover this style, so lets see how it goes. 2012 Vintage, Spring Release. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a tulip.

A- I really like the label on this beer, it's well done and it catches the eye. It poured a nice darker golden color that was a little hazy and took on a nice bright amber color when held to the light and it had three fingers worth of fluffy white head that died down to a thin ring that stayed till the end and left lots of nice lacing. This a pretty damn good looking Tripel, I have no complaints.

S- This beer has a pretty intense aroma, it starts off sweet with a nice combination of different fruit juices, there's some apple, pear, and a little bit of white grape. After that comes the yeast which imparts all those nice spicy aspects that you would expect from the style, cloves seems to stick out the most. Towards the end I get some banana along with some light bubble gum aromas, along with beet sugar, which doesn't seem much different from Belgian candied sugar. This is Tripel has a good aroma that is very true to style, I think it's nice.

T- The taste seems to be somewhat similar to the aroma, it starts off with a higher amount of sweetness, there's some slight malty flavors that quickly give way to some banana flavors. Next up is the Belgian yeast which imparts a medium amount of spices with cloves sticking out the most. Towards the end I get some more sweetness from the beet sugar and a slight bit of alcohol mixed in with the sweetness. It had a lower amount of bitterness with sweet and banana flavored aftertaste. This is an average tasting Tripel, it was too sweet and not as full flavored as the better Tripels.

M- Not that smooth, some cloying sweetness, a little creamy, a little chewy, on the medium side of being full bodied, with a slightly higher amount of medium carbonation. The Mouthfeel was Ok, but I wish it wasn't so cloying.

Overall I wasn't too impressed with this beer and I thought that it was a pretty average example of the style, there were some good aspects with this beer but when it came to the taste it started to go down hill. This beer didn't have good drinkability, the sweetness and booze made it not that smooth and the flavors just couldn't hold my attention, one is enough for me. What I liked most about this beer was the appearance and aroma, they were both very true to style and nicely done. What I liked least about this beer was the flavor, too sweet and a little bland, pretty rough around the edges. I wouldn't buy this beer again, I would much rather have Arbor's Phat Abbot, it's cheaper and much better tasting. I was a little let down with this beer, I was expecting a nice Tripel, and that's what I got till I got to the taste, then it went down hill. I had their Beer Hive Tripel and didn't care for it, and this one seemed to follow suit but it wasn't nearly as bad as the Beer Hive. In my opinion Phat Abbot is still the best Michigan made Tripel. New Holland can make some pretty good beers, but when it comes to Tripel's they always fall short, maybe this style just isn't for you guys, better luck next time.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 03:54:48 | More by StoutHunter

webmanspidey

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This pours a light golden color and somewhat fizzy. The smell is mostly sweet fruit juices, led by apple, pear, and white grape. The taste also is heavy on apple and pear, with some peppery spiciness and slight clove flavors. Alcohol is hidden very well, and only slightly noticeable towards the finish. There is a slight hops presence towards the finish as well.

This is very tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 03:10:44 | More by webmanspidey

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle into chalice, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden orange color with a 1 finger dense off white head with nice retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some nice thin soapy lacing on the glass. Aromas of lemon, orange peel, pepper, apricot, floral, banana, clove, candi sugar, and yeast spices. Nice and well balanced aromas with a lot of fruitiness. Taste of lemon, orange, apricot, banana, pepper, clove, herbal, floral, candi sugar, tart grain, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of lemon, apricot, pepper, clove, candi sugar, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance of fruity flavors, with no cloying sweetness at all. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel. This is definitely a sipper, but drinks quite smoothly. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice and enjoyable Tripel style. Nice balance and complexity of fruity and spicy flavors; and very smooth to sip on. I look forward to trying this fresh in the future. Apparently the last brew date was in 2010, but they will be brewing another one this year.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 03:38:37 | More by superspak

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark, hazy gold with an extremely thin, fizzy white mousse. I would have liked to see greater head retention, but honestly didn't expect it, as this beer has been cellared for some time.

S: Aromas of caramel, lemon, oranges in syrup, candy sugar, and earthy, tobacco-tinged hops fill the nose.

T: Notes of caramel, lemon, oranges in syrup, candy sugar, lime, chalk, grass, anise, and tobacco wash across the palate. The finish is bright and fruity with lemon, lime, and orange notes. In terms of taste, this is a perfect tripel.

M: Surprisingly dry, firm, and full-bodied for the style. Carbonation is gentle and unobtrusive. Alcohol presence is rather subdued, making this dangerously drinkable despite its strength.

O: This is really an excellent little tripel, and is one of the few American tripels I have encountered that perfectly nails the classic flavor components of the style. I would have no problem recommending this to anyone interested in Belgian ales.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 14:01:42 | More by mrfrancis