Corsendonk Agnus / Abbey Pale Ale - Brouwerij Corsendonk

tviz33

New York

3.91/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 330 mL bottle in to Duvel tulip.

A- Pours a pale straw yellow with a nice three finger white head.

S- Belgian spice, bananas, and some aged fruits.

T- Pretty standard taste for a tripel, about what I'd expect. Nothing out of the ordinary, maybe not as sweet as I'd like or expect it to be. It also seems to be a bit watery.

M- The feel is light and crisp. Very refreshing on a hot day.

O- This is enjoyable, but noticeably less complex and enjoyable than something like La Fin Du Monde. I'm still glad I gave it a shot though.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 19:15:39 | More by tviz33

Sunnanek

Sweden

4.06/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: All white thick compact head is what fills the glass. After quite some time the head settles and the liquid starts to rise; clear golden. Rich lacings.

S: Yeast and spices, sour and dry. Lots of green apples and quite some citric notes as well.

T: Dry, sour and yeasty. Malt. Sour green apples. Crisp.

M: Long sour and dry aftertaste. Body is rather light and carbonation is held back.

O: A nice Tripel, perhaps on the more sour side, but still I like it!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 17:36:13 | More by Sunnanek

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: 1/2 inch head, clear, orange-gold in color, high carbonation

Smell: hay, apricot, and honey

Taste: big apricot, pear, hay, and honey

Mouthfeel: sweet with slight alcohol/funky bitterness, light bodied with high carbonation

Overall: I really enjoyed this one. Super smooth, light, and fruity. The flavors really pop on this one. If I am looking for a beer in this style, this would be near the top of my list.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 13:27:46 | More by tigg924

ZethOfTheNorth

Louisiana

3.79/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle for $3.

Matched against De Ranke Guldenberg in my personal ongoing Tripel bracket.

A: Handsome gold with a bone-white head which simmers down to a thin layer of lacing in two minutes. No visible sediment. Very active carbonation.

S: Baked pears. Light esters. Something almost vegetal and haylike. Sugar scent opens up as it warms.

T: Good, though maybe a little simplistic for the style. One of those tripels where it's tough to identify individual flavors, especially since everything is a little muted in this one.

M: Thin for a tripel, watery on the back end. Also lacking the explosive carbonation of the best examples.

O: Pleasant and subtle, but imperfect. Loses steam as it warms and the wateriness becomes apparent. The clear loser to Guldenberg in the head-to-head, though I now realize that's a poor pairing.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 02:47:02 | More by ZethOfTheNorth

ckollias

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Enjoyed this 11.2oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a slightly cloudy golden hue with a frothy white head that quickly dissipates down the side of the glass leaving a slight trail and ending in a fizzy lace.

S: Strong sweet Belgian yeast aroma with fruity alcohol mix.

T: Good mix of sweet and tart in the beginning, followed by a fruity middle and hoppy tart finish.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Impressive tripel – great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 17:20:44 | More by ckollias

schlimenhaumer

New York

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml corked and caged bottle into an oversized Southampton snifter at low altitude in NY. Bottle reads "Agnue Tripel Ale" in contrast to the photo here.

A: Pours a hazy dark straw color with a thick stark white head. Nice retention and a good deal of lacing here -- a good-looking beer.

S: Apple and pear notes up front with a good deal of spicy coriander and white pepper in the background. Moderate strength aroma overall and appealing.

T: Opens with pear notes, followed by a bit of coriander and a slightly peppery finish. Not overly sweet. The flavors work well together, but I find the flavors a bit subdued overall.

M: Medium-bodied with a good deal of carbonation and a dry finish. Fits the style, but nothing special.

O: A solid tripel overall with a good balance of flavors. Not quite as complex as some of the best, but a good beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 01:17:40 | More by schlimenhaumer

teromous

Virginia

2.85/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Slightly hazy light straw colored body that is packed with carbonation bubbles. The head is a thick and fluffy white cloud. Some lacing.

S: I notice a slight metallic scent right off the bat, then some fruity pair-like scent, and a little bit of alcohol coming through.

T: It's a bit flat on flavor. There's some mild bitterness, a bit earthy, some cardboard, a tiny bit of spice, and the flavor is not that fresh tasting.

M: The mouthfeel is light and bubbly, fades quickly in the mouth, and leaves a mild dryness in the mouth. It is very drinkable.

O: Overall it wasn't bad, but it wasn't exceptionally good either. I don't know how fresh this beer is, but it isn't the best tasting tripel. It has a very nice presence in the mouth, but is extremely lacking in flavor and the scent leaves much to be desired.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 03:43:55 | More by teromous

confer

Pennsylvania

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

From the corked and strapped bottle. Beautiful pale yellow, looks unfiltered. Giant white fluffy head that hangs around.
Smell is that sweet tripel aroma.
Very sweet and the sweetness grows even more in the aftertaste, not as much flavor as many other tripels.
Lots of carbonation make this beer very light. It goes down very easy. Definitely a beer to look for again. Thanks to Joe P for giving this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 23:33:36 | More by confer

IPA35

Netherlands

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a sample kit of Belgian beers.

Opens with a puff sound and some smoke.

Look:

A golden beer with a big head that fizzes away quickly because of my epic glass cleaning skills. Still it leaves about a pinky of head. This one is filtered or atleast without secondary fermentation in the bottle.

Smell:

Smells like tripel, quite pleasant actually. Less spicy that your Westmalle Tripel and more on the pear and banana and ofcourse still rather spicy with pepper and such.

Taste:

It starts out with a sweetness. Only slightly fruity. Spiciness and then a rather big bready maltiness. A malt-forward beer this one, or should I say a malt-forward style of beer? Only a light hoppy bitterness, most noticable in the aftertaste. It becomes more appearant as it warms up, revealing the tiniest hint of a sort of West Coast flavour.

Not all that complex or anything.

Mouthfeel:

Medium body with lots of carbonation.

Overall:

A very solid beer. Not overly special but worth a try nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 18:16:11 | More by IPA35

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is clear yellow in color and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a two finger high bright white head that took a very long time to die down but never completely faded away, also leaving lots of lacing around the edges of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of yeast in the nose along with some notes of bananas and peppery spices.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and also has a slight amount of sweetness. The flavors of spices aren’t that strong but are most noticeable in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. The beer finishes dry.
O: I thought that this beer was a solid representation of the style and rather easy to drink, especially when compared to other tripels.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 00:44:32 | More by metter98

Guden

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- bright golden with a big head that slowly fades leaving some lacing.

S- sugary candy with a hint of earth and mint. Not much else.

T- the candy necklace / energy drink type sweetness is lower but still present. A graininess missing from the nose comes in the middle and finish is just a bit more towards spicy and bitter than than sweet.

M- medium low in both body and carbonation. Not the best of the style in this category but the flavors come accross none the less.

D- an alright beer for sure but in Belgium this beer is more middlin than amazing. Good not great.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 23:12:01 | More by Guden

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Corsendonk Agnus Tripel has a very thick, spongy, white head and a clear, bubbly, yellow-golden appearance with some lacing left behind. In the bottle one can see a tremendous amount of thick, grey-brown solids floating about, but upon pouring, and even swishing the bottle, nothing shows in the glass. It must have dissolved into the beer. The aroma is of sweet, pale malt and maybe some lemon. Taste is of lightly-toasted pale malt, sugar, coriander, white bread, water, and just a touch of hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium, and Corsendonk Agnus Tripel finishes dry and refreshing. This is a very easy-going beer, and I rate it excellent.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 16:03:19 | More by RonaldTheriot

spokeydonkey

New York

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

A: Pours a clear straw-gold with a nice white head.

S: Floral with some fruit (pears, apricots) .
T: Lightly sweet with peppery notes up front. More floral than fruit flavors following that up. Finishes crisp and light.
M: Medium bodied beer with nice crisp carbonation that gives it a spicy effervescence.
O: A nice, floral, drinkable belgian. Not a lot of complexity, but a solid, easy-drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 01:50:34 | More by spokeydonkey

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Very tasty tripel. Enjoyed at 55 degrees and it was perfect for the texture. Aroma is somewhat soapy which is a bit unbecoming. The flavor is a malty and just enough Belgian yeast character to make you notice. I like it and would give it an overall award of 4 out of 5.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 04:21:21 | More by cdkrenz

kscaldef

Oregon

3.1/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Opens with a loud pop, definitely some carbonation in this one. Pours clear, light golden with a head of mixed foam and larger bubbles. Aroma is light yeast notes and a hint of green pepper (kinda strange). In the mouth, there's lightly toasted malt, mild sweetness and fruitiness, and a noticeable alcohol flavor. Highly carbonated, with minimal linger. Something of a boring Tripel. Easy to drink, but pretty low on flavor or aroma.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 23:16:39 | More by kscaldef

jtierney89

New Jersey

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

Semi hazy golden glow with a massive bright white head. Sticky and active. Soft earthy nose. Very subtle with some yeastiness.

Strangely tastes of ginger. Thankfully I'm having this beer with sushi. Subtle sweetness lightly floral dried fruit flavors of apple and pear. Finishes spicy and dry with a ginger snap. I like it but it begs to be paired wig sushi.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 18:28:48 | More by jtierney89

CuteZombieDoll

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Hazy with a quickly disappointing head, reddish in color. Has little "Floaties" which made me quite excited, since I imagine they have to add a complex flavor.

S- Sweet and fruity, reminiscent of dates, or maybe toffee.

T- Complex, fruity, with a mild spice element. Has some sweetness, but restrained.

M- Full, a bit heavy, and decently carbonated.

O- Probably a good one to have on hand, if your a fan of Belgians. I, personally, will likely get this beer again. I got a four pack and they recommended aging it, so I'll save the other bottles to see if they really do get more complex as they age.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 02:07:46 | More by CuteZombieDoll

acevenom

Louisiana

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a chalice. Pours golden with a quickly dissipating white head. Plenty of bubbles can be seen rising from the bottom and side of the glass upon the initial pour. There are aromas of bready malt and yeast. I also pick up some hops in the smell. The malt profile is very forward in this beer. It is bready and sweet. The hops provide some balance on the back end. There's a touch of spiciness as well. The sweetness really opens up as it warms. The body is light to medium with solid carbonation. The finish is dry and smooth. The drinkability is high for this sipper. This is a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 02:28:43 | More by acevenom

JudgeRoughneck

Louisiana

3.2/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Sample best-by date is this month.

Aroma- Very clean pilsner malt. Faint herbal, spicy, and vegetal hop nose. No alcohol. Aroma is very faded and flat, though not overtly oxidized.

Appearance - Deep gold with thin white head. Fades fast and leaves no lace.

Taste- Lush fruit- pear. peach ginger. white tea. Malty -honey flavor. Lively spice with a hint of perfumey alcohol on the back end. Deeply malty but spicey yeast and chalky dry finish keep the word "sweet" out of the picture entirey. Lingering mineral aftertaste. With a slight hop bitterness. Unintense but pronounced goldings flavor throughout.

MF- Stingy carbonation, stiff but medium-light body.A little alcoholic heat.

Reminds me of a more substantial Achel. Very typical Tripel. No Suprises here.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 02:00:45 | More by JudgeRoughneck

Moosehunter

5/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have tasted many Belgian beers and this is by far my favourite.
Tastes much better in the right glass too.
I like the taste, the feel and the strength.
I have not managed to buy Corsendonk Agnus as yet in the UK but make sure that I always stock up when I am anywhere near Belgium. I would welcome an English supplier.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 17:55:31 | More by Moosehunter

bubseymour

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 1 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- one of the nastiest looking beers. Throw up in a glass...chunks and all that is the appearance. 1 finger head which is small for Belgian beers

S- slight floral but mostly spicy yeast prevails on the nose

T- very smooth and easy to drink. Ok flavors but nothing top tier for a Belgian tripel. Very yeasty and spice is noticed. Minimal hop bitterness.

M - nice and warm and buttery

O- this was an ok beer but for a Belgian tripel I expect ally more and this one certainly wasn't quite up to par with the other. Tripels

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 01:47:28 | More by bubseymour

KajII

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

[Best served in a Trappist glass]

The pour was a light golden amber with an average sized (1-2 finger) white creamy head that lasted throughout and produced excellent sheeting of lace which totally engulfed the whole glass.

The aroma was of a grain malt, perfume hops and a soapy yeast with notes of citrus (lemon), honey and coriander.

The taste was lightly sweet with a malty wheat feel and a hint of honey from the beginning with the finish being a little bitter and a tad sour with a strong yeast presence and a light spicy hop ending. The flavor lasted only a short while with the mild hoppy spice taste and a slight alcohol warming sensation left behind.

Mouthfeel was between light and medium in body with a dry creamy texture and a very lively carbonation.

Overall a Tripel that is not overpowered by any one flavor, on the contrary the blending of flavors in this brew is exquisitely done...

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 17:02:55 | More by KajII

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: A darker gold, not too many bubbles; white head is thick coming off just over two fingers length on the initial pour.

Smell: Light yeast, coming off very rich.

Taste: A lot going on here, you need to breathe a little to rightfully appreciate the taste of oak, and yeast.

Mouth: Definitely medium to heavy, after taste incredibly stuck to you.

Overall: Great beer, had it a few years back on tap picked up a glass to let you know what you're missing. Might be a little sweet but not in the soda type of way. Complex but smooth. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 02:34:34 | More by BlurryVisi0n

StoutHunter

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I got a bottle of Corsendonk's Agnus Tripel Ale that my brother brought back from his trip down south. Well it looks like I have made it to my 400th review so I thought I should open something up that I have been really wanting to try for a while now, so lets celebrate my 400th review and see how this beer goes. it had a best before date September 22nd 2014 Lot#7661. Poured from 75cl brown corked and caged bottle into a tulip, never seen a cage like this before.

A- The bottle looks pretty nice, it looks to be screen printed and has a nicely done religious scene in the middle, it looks pretty classic and traditional looking. It poured a pretty clear pale golden yellow color that took on a brighter gold color when held to the light and it had four fingers worth of fluffy white head that died down to a thin layer that stayed till the end and left some spotty lacing. This is a good looking Tripel, no doubt about it.

S- The aroma is very true to style and starts off with some fruity aromas like some orange and lemon peel along with some apples and pears. Next comes some very sweet bready and grainy malts followed by some candied sugar. After that I get some spicy and earthy Belgian yeast that impart those typical spicy yeast aromas with a little more earthiness then you normally get. Towards the end I get some floral and slightly soapy aromas that may have been from some hops and some sour apple like aromas at the end. This beer had a good aroma that was pretty complex, I liked it.

T- The taste seems to follow the aroma nicely, all the aromas that I picked up seemed to make their way to the flavor of this beer, at the start I got some nice fruitiness with some orange and lemon rind showing up along with some apples, pears, and sour apples. I also got some nice bready and grainy malts that still had a high amount of sweetness but didn't seems as sweet as the aroma and the sweetness had a candied sugar like flavor to it. Towards the end I get some some of the spicy Belgian yeast flavors that show up just enough and don't over power any of the other flavors, there was also a really slight amount of alcohol along with a lighter amount of bitterness with a sweet, bready and slightly fruity aftertaste. This was a good tasting Tripel that was almost as complex as the aroma, I Like it, it tastes pretty close to how I feel a traditional Belgian Tripel should taste.

M- Pretty damn smooth, pretty crisp, fairly dry, medium bodied with a higher amount of fizzy carbonation. The mouthfeel is good, crisp, dry, light and fizzy, just what I expect from the style.

Overall I really liked this beer and I thought that this was a good and above average example of an authentic Belgian Tripel, it had all the key things that I look for in a good example of this style. This beer had great drinkability, it went down really smooth, the alcohol hardly showed up in the flavor, and it had more then enough good flavors to hold my attention, this is going down quicker then I thought, one of the most drinkable Tripel's I have had, I don't think I would have a problem drinking the whole bottle by myself. What I liked most about this beer was everything, all aspects of this beer came out just the way they should and there was nothing off about this beer, a very well rounded beer. What I liked least about this beer is the fact that I have never seen it around here, we get a good variety of Belgian imports in this part of Michigan and I am surprised that I don't see this on the shelf next to the other awesome Belgian beers, what's the deal. I would for sure buy this beer again when looking for a good Tripel, it provided just what I want form this style, but since I can't find it around here, who knows when I will be able to try this beer again, I know if I did see it again I wouldn't buy just one bottle. I highly recommend giving this beer a try, if you want to know what an authentic Belgian Tripel tastes like try this beer and you should get a good idea on what this style is all about. This beer made for a pretty good first impression from Corsendonk, they did a great job with this beer and you can be sure that I will try more of their beers if given a chance, this beer is a straight up good Tripel, no doubt about it. I am very happy to be drinking this beer on my 400th review, it made for a great celebratory beer and a fun beer to review. With more great beers like this just waiting for me to try them, I can't wait to see what the next 400 new beers has in store for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 04:05:38 | More by StoutHunter

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.23/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle served in a Chimay chalice.

A: Pours a pale cloudy yellow color. A huge bubbled white head, triple style. Never disappears leaving many lacings left

S: Very spicy smell. Really great: Honey, vanilla, coriander, orange zest, caramel malts, apple, Belgian yeasts, bready malts

T: Pretty much like the nose. Spicy. Honey, vanilla, bit citrus orange zest, apples. Caramel and bready malts, Belgian yeasts. I overall a mild sweet upfront and a bit citrus and bitter aftertaste. Very smooth triple

M: Heavy body and medium to high carbonation

O: Great Belgian Triple. Smooth and drinkable

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 15:42:15 | More by eduardolinhalis