Long Strange Tripel - Boulevard Brewing Co.

SirElton

California

4.09/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This is a solid American tripel. Golden and beautiful, this is a great beer to look at. The nose is a little less inviting, not in an unpleasant way, but rather behaving like a parent who is too busy to show up for their kid's soccer match. The hops shine through here more than most tripels, and It's easier to drink than its 9.25% abv would suggest. Crisp with a good amount of carbonation, this is lighter and easier than say Allagash Triple or Chimay Cinq Cents, but a little less complex than something like Tripel Karmeliet. Definitely worth a shot if you enjoy tripels or Belgian goldens.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 02:37:34 | More by SirElton

bsp77

Minnesota

4.41/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Tulip.

Appearance: Cloudy honey gold with massive, billowing, clingy, white head.

Smell: Spicy, wih clove and pepper. Rounded out with banana and other fruits.

Taste: Nice semi-sweet core of banana, fleshy fruits and bread. Over that is a dry layer of clove, pepper and grassy hops, which lingers on the finish. Fantastic balance.

Feel: Highly effervescent with a medium body and dy finish. Very refreshing.

Overall: One of the easiest drinking 9% beers I have had. This is also a fantastically balanced, superb Tripel. Boulevard really knows how to make some killer Belgian-style beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 04:01:04 | More by bsp77

metter98

New York

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy golden yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that has excellent retention properties and consistently left a half finger high head and lots of lacing down the sides.
S: Moderate aromas of Belgian yeast and spices are present in the nose along with hints of bananas.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has a slight amount of sweetness but this is mostly canceled out by spices.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is a really good represention of the style and has some nice complexities in the smell and taste. Some alcohol is noticeable in the taste, but it doesn't really detract too much from the drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 15:53:13 | More by metter98

MistahBeah

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Wow a slow steady pour results in a massive foamy four finger head which doesn't appear to be in any hurry to go anywhere. The sides have gone down a little after a few minutes leaving a thick frothy lace and a mushroom cloud effect in the center. Super effrevescent. Slightly hazy straw colored with orange hues. Some sediment

Aroma: Pear, apple, Belgian yeast and candi sugar. A bit of saison-style funk. Buttery bread. Caramel. Honey. Some grassy and floral notes. Really a lot going on here. Every time I take a whiff I get a new and very distinct aroma

Taste: While not as much going on as in the nose, still very good. Distinct apple and pear notes. A tad of honey. Some breadiness and Belgian yeast. Some traces of caramel. Some medicinal herbalness. Some spicy peppercorn notes or maybe just warming alcohol

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth. Carbonated. Slight tinge of alcohol and spiciness

Overall: A fantastic domestic tripel. Among the best that I've had in fact. Should be relatively easy to obtain and you should definitely give it a try. This has been a go to for me for a while now and I still get it regularly

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 17:23:53 | More by MistahBeah

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a medium golden amber with a healthy three finger white head that dissipates slowly leaving chunky lacing. Classic tripel aroma of bready malt, apple and pear juice, cardamom, Belgian yeast; peppery. Flavor follows with initial apple and pear juice, bread malt, finishing drier with well developed cardamom and clove bitterness. Medium bodied with a nice mouth feel from carbonation. A very nicely made domestic tripel, a bit astringent on early drinking, but developing more flavor and a balanced finish as the glass is emptied. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 02:57:39 | More by LiquidAmber

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Slightly hazy golden-orange with a big finger of frothy off-white head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Sweet grainy and wheat malts, Belgian yeast, coriander and other spices, lemon zest, bababa, green fruity esters.

T - Sweet grainy and pilsner malts, Belgian yeast, banana, coriander, and other spices, lemon zest, some light funk, and some light tart green fruits.

M - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a dry, funky, estery finish.

D - Great complex and balance tripel. Very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 05:06:12 | More by ngeunit1

Moose90

Colorado

4.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Best By: 08/09/13
12oz bottle into snifter

A – Pours a bright vibrant orange with a strong white head. Leaves nice, strong lacing. Carbonation is strong and there is some sediment apparent here.

S – Smells strongly of belgian yeasts, malts are pale and a tad muted pale. Floral notes abound, with lemon, wildflower honey, dried apricots, anise, cinnamon. Complex here, each sniff gives way to new notes.

T – Initially bright, the notes of lemon and yeast come through. Eventually leads to a peppery and herbal body. Finish is long and bright again, with big citrus and yeasty notes.

M – Great here, just fizzy and light enough to aide in bringing the full depth of flavors to the forefront. Overall quite dry, crisp, and lingering.

O – Stellar. I don't much care for Boulevard's everyday shelf offerings, but the Smokestack series is truly a remarkable step up. For $2.50 a bottle this is a winner through and through, and would have no problem standing toe to toe with other world class brews in the same style.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 06:10:17 | More by Moose90

Kevin73

Washington

4.21/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours an attractive light golden amber. A very careful pour is required as the cotton white head grows quickly and sinks slowly delivering tons of lacing. Smells of bready malts, honey, pear, fuji apple. The sweetness is cut by the high carbonation and there is a slight sourness on the finish with lingering hints of tree fruit and grain. Despite its growing size and popularity, forcing a shift to larger and larger batch sizes, Boulevard continues to impress and delight!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 04:30:36 | More by Kevin73

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.8/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Acquired via trade from Wasatch so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tulip glass. Batch #T9317.

A: The beer is a dark gold color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a very thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains esters, caramelized malts, Belgian yeast, fruit and some hops.

T: The taste starts out with some sweetness from flavors of caramel and fruit. Then some breadiness comes in from Belgian yeast and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. The hops presence is mild but complementary and backs up the estery bite creating a good balance. There’s also a touch of spice that comes through in the finish. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium-to-high carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty with some good complexity, goes down ok, not too filling, strong kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer worth sipping for a while.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 04:10:42 | More by TheManiacalOne

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.19/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Bottle from Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: Best by 08/09/2013
Glass: Tulip

Boulevard has a world-class tripel with this recipe. It's every bit as authentic-tasting as Westmalle, nearly on par with La Fin Du Monde, and quite affordable relative to the imports. The Belgian yeast characters are strong in the aroma and flavor, along with dried fruit, lemon rind/pith, and pale barley and wheat malts. The resulting mixture is a satisfying blend of bright and yeasty flavors, which could go well with any season or weather.

Pours a voluminous white head of small-sized bubbles, which lasts for several minutes. The head eventually settles to a thick, 0.8cm cap atop the body of the beer, which remains for the entire glass. Lacing is quite substantial, thick, columnar patterns line the entire inner glass sheets adorn the entirety of the inner glass. Body is a fairly bright yellow-gold color, transparent, light bringing out brighter yellow. Very strong and easily visible carbonation.

Aroma is of a Belgian yeast strain with a bit of mustiness and phenolics, pale and wheat malts, lemon rind, diluted honey, dried apples and pears. Quite good: bright and yeasty/musty simultaneously, with additional complexity to make you just want to keep inhaling the scents.

Front of palate gets bright, pale malt sweetness with strong Belgian yeast characters (dried fruit esters, phenols, mustiness) and fairly notable lemon zest. Mid-palate intensifies the Belgian yeast characters, particularly the phenols and musty qualities, putting these on top of light barley and wheat malts, a bit of pepper either from ethanol or phenols, dried grass/apple/pear flavors, and medium-intensity bitterness. Back of palate picks up ethanol, pale barley and wheat malt sweetness, faint dried fruit esters, and subdued Belgian yeast characters. Aftertaste is of Belgian yeast characters (dried apple/pear, phenols, mustiness), medium-intensity bitterness, slight lemon rind and bread, with a touch of ethanol.

Beer is medium-bodied with medium-high levels of carbonation, resulting in a slightly fizzy mouthfeel that takes a bit of time to reach a foamy, smooth state on the palate. Perhaps my only gripe with the beer, albeit minor, is this slight fizziness. Closes quite dry, satisfying, with moderate stickiness left across the palate.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 04:56:15 | More by falloutsnow

bnes09

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful hazy orange color with lots of visible bubbles. Tower of gorgeous, creamy, sudsy head forms on the pour and gradually recedes leaving a volcano shaped froth in the center as the sides erode away. As the head disappears, it simply blankets the glass in the frothiest lacing I have ever seen. It took a solid 10 minutes for the head to recede enough for me to even take a sip. Not complaining though, this beer is so beautiful I hardly want to drink it.

Aroma is absolutely intoxicating. Wonderfully fresh with tart citrus fruit and pine. Lemon oil. Fresh yeast feeding on wheat germ. Hint of menthol and cloves. Every bit as good an aroma as Westmalle and La Fin du Monde.

Wheat malt backbone with plenty of fresh yeast. Mild sweetness of white grapes. Alcohol adds a drying chardonnay character. Piney hops. Hint of cloves. Very well balanced.

Medium to full bodied and drying from the alcohol and combination of light malt bill and assertive hops. Small bubbles but there are plenty of them. Smooth throughout with a yeasty, grainy texture.

A truly exceptional tripel. One of my favorite styles and this one does not disappoint. Such a beautiful beer with complex aromas and flavors that is well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 02:16:41 | More by bnes09

BarrelAgedBrian

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a snifter.

Appearance: Honey-colored with some clarity, but barely able to see through the glass. Two fingers of off-white colored head that slowly dissipates, leaving some lacing along the glass.

Smell: Yeasty with some slight citrus notes.

Taste: Hops and citrus upfront, followed by some honey-like sweetness and floral notes. Subtle pepper note at the end.

Mouthfeel: Full body, smooth, very carbonated.

Overall: Very delicious. Though I don't have much experience with tripels I wouldn't hesitate to get this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 20:13:50 | More by BarrelAgedBrian

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.66/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

From 12 oz bottle into a Corsendonk tulip glass.
Pours yellow gold with significant head.
Aroma of honey, sweet malts, straw hops and floral notes.
Significant carbonation and mouthfeel.
Flavors of sweet malts, honey, straw hops...with a slight tingling from the carbonation, and a touch of white pepper and pink grapefruit rind. Overall a darn tasty tripel in my book...smooth yet full bodied, inviting yet complex.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 02:59:43 | More by DenverLogan

dreedvol

North Carolina

4.41/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Belgian glass from bottle.

Has a nice lacy head that diminishes slowly. Good golden with a slight red hue and hazy from the yeast.

Aroma is strong in yeast esters fruits such as banana with citrus notes and a hint of spice. Very appealing.

Taste is citrus with a hint of spice, banana, and a slight cherry flavor maybe.

Crisp aftertaste and a slightly prickly carbonation. Well balanced finish.

A well done tripel. Still have enjoyed most of the offerings from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 00:15:39 | More by dreedvol

alex_hart

Oklahoma

4.4/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

served into the classic Boulevard glass.

Has a brilliant transluscent, light, sandy, orange color to it with an overflowing, fluffy, off-white head that retains through the first few sips, then dissipates to a quarter-finger for the remainder of the glass. Great lacing throughout the duration. Even as my glass sits empty (which is sad) I still look at the different patterns left on the sides of the glass.

The smell is sweet and floral with light, but easy to detect, notes of belgian yeast. Can smell some light fruit, maybe orange peel. Slight hint of some bitter hops, but very minimal.

The taste is much of the same. Light and airy with obvious belgian yeast and delicate orange and other light fruits. Welcoming at every sip, and it invites the next one as soon as the previous is finished. The 9% abv is undetectable.

The mouthfeel is comforting, for lack of a better description. Smooth. Each sip almost floats over the toung and just leaves a slight residue upon the swallow. Medium bodied.

Overall this is one of my favorites from the Boulevard Smokestack Series, along with Sixth Glass and Rye-on-Rye. This absolutely one to try and is highly recommended, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 05:17:14 | More by alex_hart

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet glass. Best by date of 08/09/2013.

Appearance: Pours a very hazy golden orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. About two fingers of white head that slowly fade into a thin creamy layer. Leaves a lot of lacing on the glass.

Smell: A very yeasty and funky smell with lots of fruit esters. Big scent of Belgian yeast with hints of barnyard funk, white pepper, and clove spices. Big hints of banana, pear, apple, and bubblegum. Grassy hops and hints of citrus orange and lemon. Pale bready malts with hints of wheat grains, biscuit, and crackers. A very zesty and fruity aroma. Good use of the yeast.

Taste: Like the smell hints at, a yeasty, spicy, and funky Belgian taste with big fruit esters. Funky Belgian yeast throughout with a good dose of white pepper and clove spicing. Lots of fruit taste with notes of banana, pear, and apple along with some bubblegum. Citrus orange and lemon. Also some grassy hops in the mix. Bready pale malts with notes of wheat, cereal grains, biscuit, and crackers. Fairly bitter and dry taste with lots of zesty spice and fruit.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Crisp, spicy, and very drying.

Overall: A really good take on the Belgian Tripel style. Nice balance of spices and fruit esters. Very zesty.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 06:34:02 | More by MattyG85

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- loudly light orange yellow color with a nice white head and good lacing

S-banana, clove, yeasty grain, orange, slightly funky

T-yeasty grain, banana, clove, oranges, slightly peppery and dry finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth

O-very good Tripel and a decent price point for this quality

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 21:40:32 | More by MDDMD

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am becoming more and more impressed with Boulevard. Here I just had to try a tripel named after a Grateful Dead song!!!

I haven't seen such crass commercialism since Ben and Jerry's released Cherry Garcia. This is a good tripel. Long Strange tripel more importantly is a unique different tripel. I commend the brewers here. It's a challenge to differentiate your tripel. I respect the difference or as Pepe Lepew said, "Vive la difference!!!"

The first thing that hits me is a strong malt aroma and taste. Wonderful. In the background you get some fruitiness balanced by some dry hoppiness flavor. Good stuff. I recommend you try it.

So listen to some Dead when you drink this beverage. I mean what else pairs with this. Years ago I went to a great Dead concert. That you missed. Garcia would play long great guitar solos just out in space. Go hear 1969's Live/Dead; Workingman's Dead, American Beauty, or my fave Anthem of the Sun!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 06:04:50 | More by frankiepop

flexabull

California

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a bright and slightly hazy gold color with a huge white head.

Aromas are of spices, bubblegum, lemon peel, and a floral quality.

Taste is dry up front, grassy, yeasty and with hints of bubblegum and lemon. Finish is floral, lightly bitter, and a bit sugary.

Mouthfeel is excellent, smooth, full, with nice snappy carbonation.

Overall, a very nice beer. One of the better Tripels I've had in a while, well done Boulevard.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 03:27:37 | More by flexabull

patre_tim

China

4.48/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Golden yellow, highly carbonated, very little cloud mostly clear, huge cream white head, foamy melts like sea foam with large and small bubbles.

S: Belgian yeast, fruity like pears and light fruits, not tropical.

T: Hides the alcohol for sure. Light, fruity, again pears, beligan yeast, like Karmeliet but unique unto its own. Light and balanced. Some sweeteness but not overpowering. Some spice almost cinnamon.

M: Light medium slight syrupy body, high carbonation.

O: Balanced, unique, delicious, worth a try, great job by an American Midwest brewery! Enjoyed this one in Kansas City.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 04:09:08 | More by patre_tim

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle was poured into a snifter.

Appearance: This beer poured a crazy white billowy head that reduced just a tad. It is a pale yellow color with good clarity and visions of bubbles coming up through the glass. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: Sweet and bready malts, vanilla, spices, boozy alcohol, apple, pear, and yeasty esters.

Taste: Same as above, but with lingering bitterness. Alcohol is nice and warming too.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, low to medium carbonation, warming alcohol, and some tingling action in the end.

Overall: Pretty solid tripel. More please.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 03:04:41 | More by Flounder57

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.04/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out with vigorous carbonation that keeps up a big fluffy white head and a golden body just filled with carbonation bubbles. Lllaaaccciiinnnggg.

Smells of grass, fruit, and spice: bubblegum, pear, pepper.

Firm bready maltiness takes hold. Gives way to more fruity pear and apple character and alcohol warmth.

Medium bodied and bubbly on the tongue. Fairly dry as well.

I’m a few beers deep into Boulevards Belgian styled offerings and I am impressed. Very solid stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 05:51:16 | More by MattSweatshirt

seand

California

4.24/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a clear light amber with noticeable bubbling in the liquid and a thick foamy white blanket on top. The head dissipates to a thin but reasonably solid blanket, which leaves lots of lacing.

S: Mildly sweet Belgian spice; clove, banana, and light citrus.

T: Relatively mild throughout, but nice, and with some complexity. Some yeast and grain notes. Starts sweet, and finishes dry with a pleasant light aftertaste.

M: Pleasantly light, though not too light, and fairly carbonated, with small bubbles on the prickly side.

Overall, very good. The mouthfeel and flavor work very nicely together, and it's got a lot going on at a subtle level without needing any one overbearing taste. Very drinkable, and the 9% isn't really noticeable, which is probably very dangerous. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 05:54:10 | More by seand

allinthehead

3.05/5  rDev -26%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

11oz bottle poured into a Bruery tulip

Appearance: Great orange/tan honey color. Big head with ok retention.

Smell: I'm mostly picking up the yeast and malt. Plus maybe some cloves.

Taste: Bready, sweet, some banana.

Moutfeel: Good carbonation, with a medium body. The aftertaste is a little too dry, almost puckery or like eating dirt. And that aftertaste will sit with you.

Overall: I enjoy trying Belgian style ales. This is an OK one, but not one I'd hunt down again.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 04:26:37 | More by allinthehead

Steamer

Missouri

4.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into an over sized wine glass. A cloudy yellowish-orange look nicely complimented by a thick foamy head with a lot of staying power. Citrus and spice smell dominates with a sweet malty aroma underneath. Dry, tangy fruit on the front, malty sweetness in the middle just like the aroma, and warm alcohol at the end. Very nice. Smooth and velvety mouth feel. An outstanding and well-balance tripel. A must try!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:28:22 | More by Steamer