Tripel Van De Garre - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap in the lovely 'Staminee De Garre' many times: this review is of one taken on 17 Oct 2012: poured into the usual goblet shaped glass.

Old gold body with huge foaming head that subsided enough to see I'd been poured more than it intitially looked.

A malty fruit basket of smells hit the nose: they carried on into the taste as well. Add a yeasty feel and a musty nudge to the flavours and you're about there.

Smooth and easy to drink: the alcohol well hidden, goes nicely with the cheese given along side the beer when in De Garre.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2012 11:35:07 | More by BlackHaddock

EPICAC

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at De Garre in Brugge.

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy golden-orange with a three-finger, off-white head with excellent retention that leaves intact sheets of lace as it fades.

Smell: Has a nice fruity smell with a blend of bananas and sour apple with a bit of pepper.

Taste: Light, but fruity with sweet bananas and sour apples. The fruitiness is balanced nicely with some spiciness and bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied, creamy, moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: Very well balanced, but watch out for the alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2006 02:56:27 | More by EPICAC

beerpirates

Belgium

4.03/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a magnum bottle ( 1.5 L ) into a white wine glass

Cloudy orange yellow beer, enormous white creamy head, stable and adhesive. Aroma: malts, yeast, hops, candi sugar, and good deal of alcohol (not surprising).
MF: soft carbon, full body.
Taste: sweet malts and alcohol sweetness, countered by a fair amount of hop bitters, somewhat fruity. Numbing alcohol in the back of the throat.
Aftertaste: hops, some fruityness, grapefruit and exotic fruits. A very hoppy and tasty beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 18:32:57 | More by beerpirates

beertunes

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in goblet. Poured a lightly hazy golden-honey color with over 2 inches of fluffy and rocky white head that had very good retention and lacing.

The aroma was a very example of the expected spice and yeast over a solid grain base. Same on the tongue, all the anticipated flavors of the style, grain spice and yeast, just very well defined and bold.

The body was good, however I found it to be a bit thicker and stickier than typical. Drinkability was excellent. If time had allowed, I would have had another one immediately.

Overall, a very well-done example of one of my favorite styles. A must try if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2011 22:46:12 | More by beertunes

jgasparine

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The house tripel at Staminee de Garre

A- Poured into a chalice with a thick foamy white head, which was very well retained. Absolutely lovely lacing throughout. The body was a slightly hazy, mildly carbonated, golden color. Looks wonderful.

S- Impressions of pale, and perhaps some Munich malt; some Belgian yeast esters, some candi sugar, and some rich doughy aromas as well. It's like fresh bread dough!

T- It starts out quite nice in the mouth, like fresh dough you would use to make sweet rolls. You get some pale malt, candi sugar, some Belgian yeastiness... but then as you move onto the finish, it becomes quickly dry and metallic. The metallic is a bit of a turn-off, and downgrades the Taste rating accordingly.

M- A medium, perhaps medium-plus body. Just a little bit of unattenuated sugar there, which gives it a little bit of graininess. The carbonation is nice, soft and constant.

D- I would love to have a second glass, but the metallic notes on the mouth would keep me from a third glass.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2010 02:00:11 | More by jgasparine

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

(11% ABV so tread lightly.)

The beer was crystal clear with a white frothy head which lasted very well to coat the glass.

The aroma was fruity and nicely spicy with strong pepper and an estery fruit chracter and a caramel malt.

The flavor was lightly spicy with a low caramel and light malt presnece. The flavor almost had a pineapple characteristic.

The finish was dry with a strong peppery character long into the aftertaste. The body was meidum and the moderate carbonation lent a creamy mouthfeel. The beer gave a nice warming presence after consumption. Actually a very good tripel. Be careful with this one at 11%.

Served in a Garre glass, at Garre in Brugge of course, on 9/13/06 and 9/14/06.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2006 23:13:52 | More by GCBrewingCo

emerge077

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Never thought i'd get to try this stateside, thanks Alex for sharing this rare bottling. Review from notes.

Served from a magnum into a mini pint glass. Managed a couple pours before the bottle was emptied.

Soft hazy orange, almost a pastel tone, with energetic trails of champagne carbonation. The fluffy foam settles, leaving a ring of lacing to decorate the edges. A steady pour generated two fingers of stiff, dense foam.

Dreamy aroma of tangerine, tropical fruit, banana creme pie, vanilla wafers, marzipan, and spun sugar.

Dominating fruit flavors, sweet but not cloying. Some mild clove/spice phenolics in the back, estery Belgian yeast throwing off some banana esters. Soft and very creamy feel, this is a dream to drink. A slight bite initially, but it quickly yields to the creamy confection qualities. As it warms, the alcohol becomes slightly perceptible, versus being invisible when served chilled.

Overall very smooth and balanced, this makes me want to seek out other Tripels, which isn't a style i'm usually into. Thanks again Alex!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2010 02:46:38 | More by emerge077

smakawhat

Maryland

4.3/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on tap at Meridian Pint DC into a tulip glass. Man I've been wanting this beer for ages!

A real nice super creamy white head, meringue and whipped with lots of staying power off the pour, sits on a body that is truly crystal clear brass and bronze. Nice slow rising carbonation, and lots of sticky lacing while drinking. The body color may not be my fav, but the head and all the parts are here looking real good.

Nose is sort of basic, but real solid. The only letdown. Classic candy sweetness mixing with not much else, no fruit sense, but clean with a hint of thick vinous body perhaps coming.

Palate is rich and juicy, with a vinous character. Pinot Grigio sensation lime, a wonderful wine like sweetness on the finish, maybe even some faint under ripe green pear. Coating throughout on the palate, with a good malt but also hiding the abv quite nicely.

Overall pretty impressive, not sure if it's the best one I've had, but I would love to have a bottle of this for comparisons.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2012 00:02:29 | More by smakawhat

gyllstromk

Belgium

4.33/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this at De Garre. The menu at De Garre starts with a long ode to the Tripel van der Garre, and there are nice descriptions of the process of creating it. The building is beautiful and the clientele is a mix of locals, random tourists, and folks who traveled there just for the tripel (the nice couple next to us were from Antwerp, and travel here for the beer).

Overall you cannot help but be absorbed in the charm and history of the place, and making any unbiased review is impossible. I would not treat my numeric "rating" as anything other than dummy placeholders so that I could write the following description.

The De Garre was presumably served from tap but I cannot confirm. A pale color is capped by 2 inches of foam which I assume must be nitrogenized, as the bubbles are fine like Guinness. The head remains throughout the beer.

Aroma is not atypical for a tripel: phenols and a bit of malt sweetness. There seemed to be a hint of juniper on the nose. The flavor is a nice malt body with a dry finish that highlights the kiss of alcoholic sweetness. There is a slight bitterness on the finish.

They serve with cheese cubes but I recommend buying the cheese plate as well. The combination of flavors with this beer is a great experience.

From the menu (what little of the Dutch I could read) it seems that this beer is actually 11%, and they limit customers to 3. I believe this is true because my wife and I had one each, and really felt the alcohol when we left . If truly 11%, this beer does an amazing job of masking the alcohol.

I highly recommend this beer because of the entire experience. Go to De Garre and try it yourself!

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2010 12:18:44 | More by gyllstromk

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-golden amber color with a nice white head and some lacing

S-spices, caramel, bananas

T-yeasty bread, bananas, caramel, spices, hints of lemon

F-medium body with light carbonation, smooth and creamy

O-a delicious Tripel for sipping and savoring, nice balance and flavor

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2012 01:25:12 | More by MDDMD

Arbitrator

California

4.35/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Garre restaurant.

A: Comes in a great-looking goblet. The body is a hazy golden / apricot color, clear body except for the generous carbonation up the center. It sustains an enormous white head that never vanishes, leaving washes of thick lacing during each sip.

S: Bananas, sour apples, pear, orange, and surprisingly strong phenolic character (pepper, clove).

T: Everything in the nose comes out here. Begins with a beautiful fruit character of bananas and oranges, but exhibits green apples and pear in the mid-taste. I also taste biscuit at times. The banana reawakens in the finish and aftertaste, with a burst of pepper and clove to liven up the palate.

M: Lightly drying finish. Medium-bodied, slightly prickly with medium-high carbonation.

D: Dangerously drinkable. Too bad it's only available here; it's apparently their house tripel. Good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2009 20:45:50 | More by Arbitrator

drabmuh

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Churchkey in DC, served in a tulip. Decently priced for a beer that is only served in a few bars IN THE WORLD. There are moments when I'm drinking where I turn slightly reflective, I've had some of the top beers on everyone's lists but even a random long shot beer like this, that I can find it in a pub, just shocks me to no end. A long time want of mine, falls right in my lap. Thank you Churchkey, you really bring the tasty.

Beer is yellow, mild haze but basically clear, great tight white head, small bubbles, some lacing, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is tea like, sweet, nice sharp yeast character, sweet and clean.

Beer is dry, very effervescent in the mouth, good finish, a mild spiciness on the midpalate of the beer, it is almost like the beer is jumping off of my tongue, the more I drink the better it gets. I would drink a lot of this beer indifferent to the damage it is doing to my liver.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 02:01:28 | More by drabmuh

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.36/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

On tap at De Garre.

Comes out with a voluminous slightly off-white? head. Michael Jackson lacing aka the best.

Peppery spice, pear, some sweetness, a little flowery.

Yeasty, peppery spice, light fruit.

So smooth. Carbonation is great on the tongue. Medium-full body. Some alcohol heat is present.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 09:43:36 | More by MattSweatshirt

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Teresa's ...

Poured with a massive foamy white head over a clear burnt gold body with lots of lacing

Aromas are huge - lots of fermented grape / white wine, with apricot, and Belgian yeast.

Flavors tame some of the vinous qualities, but still come thru strong. Floral hops, old apple, slight barnyard funk, and Chardonnay.

Mouthfeel is wicked smooth. Carbonation is low, but it's by no means thick. Slick and smooth going down.

Beautiful triple... A perfect gateway beer for the white wine connosieur.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2012 19:44:39 | More by BeerImmediately

MasterSki

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Nanoslug for carrying this magnum all the way back from Brugge. This is the 25th anniversary bottling (unlike the 20th in the picture). Served in my Westvleteren chalice.

A - Pours with a few fingers of eggshell foam that dissipates to a think cap and leaves spotty lacing behind. The body is a hazy peaches & cream color.

S - Light booze, grapes, starfruit(!), banana, cloves, malted wheat. Very rich & complex.

T - The booze is better hidden here, and the flavor profile is more smoothed out. There's more wheat and caramel malt and a little less spice. The fruit flavors mingle with some nice estery character from the alcohol. The taste is more of a 4.25 for me, but I rounded up and bumped down the appearance (which was borderline 4.5).

M - Light tingly carbonation, a touch of heat after half a glass. The body is medium-light and seems a little thin for a 10.5% beer.

D - This will get you wrecked. It's a delicious quick-drinking high ABV beer. I was worried that a few of us wouldn't be up for killing the magnum, but it actually ran out quite quickly. I'd love to try it on-tap at the source - I somehow missed this place when I was in Brugge last summer.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 18:14:50 | More by MasterSki

BucBasil

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the tap into a branded tulip at De Garre in Bruges.

A: Pure orange with an off-white head. 3 fingers of head with great retention.

S: Like a tripel should smell. Spicy clove, slight banana bread, yeast, and citrus.

T: Silky smooth with bubble gum dominant along with some spices and slight banana flavor. Typical taste, but verrry well done.

M: Amazingly smooth - can't do better.

D: Dangerous at 11%. Alcohol undetectable and I had a few. Then I stood up. Wow.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2010 04:32:49 | More by BucBasil

FosterJM

California

4.47/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

456th review on BA
Draft to De Garre glass

App- This was a vibrant orange with yellow and some amber highlights. Gigantic 3 finger head that lasted forever. Sticky lace all over and a puddle of head throughout the beer.

Smell- A very good smelling beer. Lots of yeast, candied sugar and some mustiness.

Taste- This thing was just great. It was the color and smell of a Triple but had the taste of a small quad. Lots of candied fruit and a bigness if that makes sense to you.

Mouth- Medium bodied and medium carbed. It left some sweetness and some candy flavors on the palate.

Drink- Every beer drinker should try this beer. Hands down. Great beer. I am shocked this only has 24 reviews. I want to go back and have a couple more glasses and then a growler(I can't) and then a case of bottles. So good.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2011 05:35:10 | More by FosterJM

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at De Garre during our trip to Belgium last week. Reviewed from notes.

Served in a De Garre snifter with a strange, thick pedestal. Really interesting glass; glad that they sell them.

Pours a clear golden-apricot color with loads of sticky lacing.

The nose is quite delicate with a bit of spice and some nice fruit. Light stone fruits and pear plus a bit of pepper and clove. The flavor is a bit more spicy than the nose, but also has the nice fruit components.

Medium body with crisp carbonation and just a tad too much booze.

Really enjoyable; one of the best tripels I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 13:49:15 | More by Thorpe429

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Arrives in the Garre snifter, hazed deep gold in color, with a mountainous white head that retains and laces well. Impressive.

S/T - Layers of sweet complexity unfold through the drink. Candy sugar, touch of green apple, banana, lemongrass, and only a little bit of yeasty funk. Abv stays well hidden, with only a warming sensation and never tasted outright.

M - Considering the abv, stays light and fluffy across the palate, finishing crisp and dry.

O - Spectacular, best tripel I've had yet. I wouldn't hesitate getting it again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 14:18:40 | More by garuda

katieandtodd

Mississippi

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of the best beers I have ever had, but unfortunately it is brewed in the small town of Brugge in Belgium so it will be a long time before I get to drink it again. Everyone else is right- it is very diffiicult to find De Garre, but once you do, this beer is well worth it. It is served with a delicious tray of cheese that compliments the flavor of the beer perfectly. Excellent head... beautiful lace. It has a nice balance of fruit/sweet flavors with the malt. Be careful of the alcohol- you don't notice it very much as you are drinking it, but it will catch up with you! Buy a bottle to take home- it is the perfect way to remember your trip to this beautiful canal city.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2007 02:23:00 | More by katieandtodd

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at de Garre cafe in Brugge. Golden body. Huge giant white head. Poured into cool de Garre chalice. High retention. Soapy sticky lacing. Aroma wispy fruity hoppy. Taste mildly sweet, fruity, slight wheat taste, zero alcohol. Easy to drink. Refreshing. Totally delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 00:02:36 | More by KickbacksSteve

eric5bellies

Australia

4.65/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from De Garre bar belgium.

A - Honey copper colour with a huge thick white head that stays the distance. In the Garre glass it says drink me.

S - A little spice with yeasty notes and citrus

T - Very powerful triple with spicey marmalaide note and some heavy orange citrus flavours. The finish is long and spicy bitter and a little booze

M - Medium body and carbonation is low

D - This is a top quality tripel. No, this is the best Tripel I have had to date.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2010 23:34:44 | More by eric5bellies

IPAcraig

Tennessee

4.68/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This was a bottle I received from almalkin after his trip to Brugge. I would have brought a few bottles of this on my trip, but I didnt know De Garre sold their tripel in bottles until after I left Brugge.

This was opened on my wife and I's one year anniversary and poured into over-sized wine glasses.

Best before date of December 15, 2008

A bulbous head rises to the top of the glass, sitting atop a hazy medium gold body. Big lacing. Very nice.

Smells of slightly sweet light fruit with a bready finish.

Starts sweet and finishes slightly spicy with bits of alcohol. It has a bit of a staleness, that shows up as a somewhat biscuity flavor. This is best consumed fresh at De Garre.

Smooth and not as prickly as the head would suggest

The best tripel i have had. An absolute beauty. I tried my best to review this beer subjectively, its hard when you have it at De Garre or on your 1 year anniversary.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2008 13:33:27 | More by IPAcraig

californiakulak

California

4.7/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer at Staminee De Garre. It was served in a cool glass with a little plate of cheese.

A. A light golded color with a thick beautiful head. Also some nice lacing as the beer in the glass gets lower.

S. A fruity malty smell. Also the alcohol smell was present.

T. This beer was great. Hoppier than other tripples that I have tried. Spicy and fruity with an obvious alcohol taste.

M. Nice hop bite and dry finish. The alcohol is very warming on the palate.

D. I thought that this beer was very drinkable. However, my wife failed to finish hers so, unfortunately, I had to finish it for her. The alcohol isn't very well hidden in this beer but for some reason that taste helps the final product.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2009 05:08:00 | More by californiakulak

Bobzilla

New York

4.75/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

After finishing my first one, I remarked how the remaining head in the glass was like getting a free merengue pie with my beer. After having the second one, I laughed as a lady took a right into the men's room, instead of a left. After a third, I though I would pass out from watching some young folk from the States come down the corner stairs and practically fall. Mid way through the fourth, I thought that I should move to Brugge!

This is one of my favorite beers, and of course, is most unattainable. It is a beautiful golden color, with a white head that screams "Belgian Lace". Appropriate for Brugge, the capital of lace manufacturing.
The taste was a wonderful mix of sweetness and alcohol. A great blend of styles between a Strong Golden Belgian and an Abbey Tripel.
With such a high sugar content, it was not syrupy at all. It has a crispness to it that belies its high alcohol content.

Note: Having gone to Brugge after visiting Westvleteren, I was shocked to find that the Westy may not be the 'World's best beer." It could actually be this wonderful creation, found down a narrow side street off the main market of Brugge.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2008 20:37:13 | More by Bobzilla