Leffe Tripel - Abbaye de Leffe S.A.

HalfFull

California

2.93/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

330 ml. bottle poured into a chalice. This Tripel pours a clear golden with half an inch of white cap. Show average retention and lace.

Aroma of light Belgian yeast notes. Subtle and quite subdued.

Decent malt flavor but more of a BPA than a Tripel in nature. Offers a coarse pils character and dryness, along with an interesting and perhaps at odds creaminess to the feel of the beer. Lacks finesse and complexity to be blunt. Simple yet masks the ABV fairly well.

Feel does offer a bit of character but is limited by a certain faux spice character to the finish. Overall not rating too high for a Tripel but still a ale. Yeast notes are a bit too subtle to generate any enthusiasm.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 05:00:29 | More by HalfFull

hotsudge

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

05-15-2013 01:15:53 | More by hotsudge

randylangford

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

04-26-2013 22:19:35 | More by randylangford

metter98

New York

3.81/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy pale golden yellow in color. It poured with a finger high white head that died down a bit but never completely faded away, consistently leaving a puffy thin head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Aromas of sweet malts are present in the nose along with notes of cloves and hints of yeast.
T: The overall taste is similar to the smell, except that the yeast flavors are a little more prominent and there are faint hints of bananas.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation along with some notes of dryness towards the finish.
O: This beer tastes a bit strong but manages to hide its alcohol rather well. It's not as fruity and alcoholic compared to some other triples.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 17:44:07 | More by metter98

aztraz

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

03-25-2013 20:30:06 | More by aztraz

EsterR

Belgium

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

03-12-2013 14:27:13 | More by EsterR

TheoC007

Belgium

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

03-11-2013 16:34:22 | More by TheoC007

dblyman

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

03-05-2013 01:36:02 | More by dblyman

safaricook

Netherlands

4/5  rDev +4.4%

01-19-2013 00:07:17 | More by safaricook

Hultkrantz

Sweden

3/5  rDev -21.7%

01-14-2013 23:32:58 | More by Hultkrantz

doktorhops

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So apparently I have 465,789,223 more Belgian beers to taste test [note to self: Belgians love their beer]. In the spirit of attempting the impossible I bought a Tripel from Leffe, the brewery that attempts to compete with the Trappist ales... and fails... so far... I'll give it another shot though... sort of... maybe... alright then.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a St Feuillien chalice.

A: Has a cloudy, brown yeast speckled, pale orange body with a minimal white lacing on top. The "Lees" (as they call the yeast sediment in wine-making) can be a turn off to the uninitiated but be aware it is non-harmful, beneficial even as yeast sediment has an earthy flavor and is rich in B vitamins.

S: Spicy and clove-like Phenols right on the nose, followed by an earthy/sour yeast, light biscuit malt base and a touch of coriander with honey notes. Quite a rich spicy/earthy aroma overall which appeals greatly.

T: Sweet upfront, as expected from a Tripel, but it follows with a well-rounded and unexpectedly complex mixture of pepper, clove, coriander, cardamom, sourdough yeast, and finishes more dry than bitter. Solid flavour profile from a Leffe; most unexpected.

M: Mid to light body, slight slickness, oily residue and light carbonation.

D: Best of the Leffe's I've had thus far and I blame that on bottle conditioning, which can at times have a random effect on the flavour but in this instance serves Leffe well. Compared to Chimay Tripel it's a better brew, but not as good as Westmalle Trappist Tripel.

Food match: Paired well with a gourmet mushroom, asparagus & pine nut pizza from Crust Pizza.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:59:54 | More by doktorhops

TWStandley

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

12-30-2012 23:04:21 | More by TWStandley

sbauer

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served out of a 33cl bottle.

A: Golden yellow. Slightly cloudy with some yeast chunks. Minimal lacing and head.

S: Green apple, butter, quince.

T: Crisp, straw malts, lemon citrus. Belgian yeast esters and alcohol burn. Mostly dry. Gentle hop bitters.

M: Light bodied, highly carbonated.

O: An interesting aroma, but the taste falls flat without much to go off. Somewhat refreshing, but not terribly interesting.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 15:57:23 | More by sbauer

sfprint

Germany

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

expires April of 2013.
no visible carbonation or a head. dark orangy brown in color with small bits of sediment suspended in the opaque fluid. smells on the edge of plasticy at first but still good. bready and a bit sweet, however on the tongue the sweetness doesnt translate. a bit tart and implies lemon. a hair bitter. not a light and bright tripel, this one is heavier.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 03:08:17 | More by sfprint

AlexM

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

10-17-2012 14:04:46 | More by AlexM

virinow

New York

4/5  rDev +4.4%

10-11-2012 11:18:11 | More by virinow

mdtnelson

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +11%

09-29-2012 01:26:18 | More by mdtnelson

CoverMePorkins

Germany

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

09-21-2012 19:31:07 | More by CoverMePorkins

4ster

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +4.4%

08-17-2012 16:38:22 | More by 4ster

mungus

Australia

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

08-14-2012 02:21:39 | More by mungus

kurgan3

Poland

4.25/5  rDev +11%

08-12-2012 14:59:50 | More by kurgan3

Douberd

Netherlands

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

ABV 8,5%
Bottle of 300 ml. At home, poyred into my Chimay chalice.
This beer has a honey liked colour, very hazy. One finger of off-white head that quickly was reduced into just a thin layer on the beer's surface. leaving heavy lacing behind.
An amazing strong aroma of dark fruits, plums mostly, and some banana and apricot notes.
The taste is sweet with the fruity notes much more noticeable. It leaves a nice bitterness behind. Unfortunately it also had a slight metallic taste, but maybe it's just my bottle, since I had it a couple of times before and I don't remember it having it. 4
Rich and full body, average carbonation. The alcohol certainly distinguishable, if not at first, certainly when the beer starts to warm up a bit. Dry on the palate.
A really great beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 18:47:50 | More by Douberd

jaminjohnson

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

07-24-2012 02:14:15 | More by jaminjohnson

adden12

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

07-22-2012 16:08:35 | More by adden12

hanlonrn

4.25/5  rDev +11%

07-10-2012 12:09:58 | More by hanlonrn