Petrus Gouden Tripel - Brouwerij Bavik

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

"The Key to Heaven" claims the bottle. Can't argue with that, I made the purchase.

Appearance: Poured from a 330ml bottle into a chalice. A murky dirty blonde beer with some tightly beaded bubbles forming the head.

Smell: Sweet yeast, fruity, musty.

Taste: Upfront, almost cheesey hops add a bit of bitterness, coupled with some green apple tartness and citrus qualities. The sour granny smith apple flavor is there the whole time and is quite nice. The hops have died down to a mellow, leafy bitterness. Overall, a pretty authentic tripel.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, crisp, biting, semi-dry.

Drinkability: A classic tripel with a moderate strength. Would pair well with a wide array of cuisine.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 02:59:01 | More by Stinkypuss

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle into a nice sized tulip glass after a long week at work. I've been passing this by on the shelves for years now.

Sunglow golden with some tannish orange highlights around the edge. Being a Belgian, I poured this with ease, I've wasted enough De Dolle to last a lifetime. Towards the bottom of the tulip, an active mix of liquid and suds that shoot to the brim and over some leaving loose lace.

Smells like a fruity ass triple from Belgium, it's not rocket science. The fruits leap out the basket with lightly sugar coated apples with the skins and pear slices. This is pretty much the norm for Belgian triples. A small amount of big league chew. A bit of melted banana and bready yeast. A good smell, not the greatest, cough, mad bitch,cough.

Tastes like a fruity ass triple from Belgium, it's not rocket science. The yeast comes through a bit more to even the playing field but the apple is just huge in this, no way around it. More fruity esters and not a big alcohol taste towards the end. Seeing this is only about 7.5% (a little low for a triple) I can see why it's not part of the spectrum. A little lemon with more yeast in the end finale.

Im feeling that the feel on this triple could use a boost in a few departments. First off, it's a tad to thin, this feels borderline medium. The big fault(IMO) is the lack of carbonation. Im used to lively ass Triples that kind of leave a bite on the tounge, this kinda sorta dwindles down, especially as it warms. The good thing, there's no alcohol, although Im thinking this a purposely brewed to be lighter than most.

This is a pretty good example of a triple, it's very authentic and true to it's country, but there is alot of competition for this style from waffle land. I would go for many over this one in a heartbeat. Very drinkable while being kinda forgetable. I just wish I could find some Petrus products on taps around town, i feel this could benefit from it.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 00:43:50 | More by onix1agr

blackie

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: snifter serving, big white head with great retention, golden amber in color

s: lots of white wine grapes and some green apple, crisp and wheaty, moderate yeast influence, flaky white bread

m: fully carbonated - too much so until enough comes out of solution to smooth things out a bit, lighter in body

t: green apple and white grape, acidic touch, subtle pale malts

d: just fine

single from Whole Foods, Fair Lakes, VA

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2010 03:29:45 | More by blackie

meeekyh

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 12oz bottle poured into a Fin Du Monde tulip glass reveals a clearish golden ale with miles of white head. Very nice looking beer and moderate lacing.

I tend to serve my beers cold and enjoy them as they warm, layers of complexity opening up as a flower from a bud. This one starts out tangy and not much more. Warmth reveals berry smells and some yeastiness.

The taste is sweet, tangy and slightly nutty. Good but not stunning.

Mouthfeel is carbonation galore and medium body with a slightly sweet finish. I like it.

Drinkability is fine but I have had more drinkability trips.

I would classify this one as good but not great.

Slainte.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 02:50:45 | More by meeekyh

HalfFull

California

2.68/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a wine glass from a 330 ml. bottle. After the Dubbel I figured I'd have said glass at the ready. Fail! A complete gusher of foam immediately billows out of the bottle. I think I'm down to about 7 ounces now, if that. Settles to a hazy yeast infused yellow with a brownish tint. Soapy inch of foam settles slowly.

Rich spicy nose yet without the clean fruity notes I would expect. Decent yeast presence.

Taste is of sweet grainy toast with a bit of spice on the finish. Very coarse for a Tripel. Sweetness is likely more notable than it might otherwise be given the carbonation issues, but alas, it is what it is in this glass and the feel is thin and watery as a result. Average drinkability as the sweetness masks the alcohol well but offers little nuance. 0 for 3 from Petrus so far.

39660 code....

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 07:53:58 | More by HalfFull

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From the bottle marked 39618. Sampled on February 13, 2010. It pours a hazy pale yellow with average clarity for an unfiltered ale and a lot of fizzy off-white head up top. The aroma is a nice balance of wheat, yeast, and citrus. The mouthfeel is in the medium range. The taste is full of unfiltered wheat, orange, or oither citrus with a light hoppy background. I thought it was fairly nice.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2010 23:11:05 | More by puboflyons

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle tried 23 Jun 2009.

Poured in a 0.4 L Steiner Pils snifter. Loud 'pop' upon uncorking. Very large, swiss cheesy, foamy white head. Slightly hazy bright golden yellow color. Well carbonated. Yeasty, appley, lemony aroma. Tastes a bit clovey to start, some cidery sweetness throughout. Medium body. A dry champagne like finish. Ethanol warming in finish. Aftertaste is crisp, somewhat bitter.

Easy to drink, nice aroma, a little light in flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 19:39:30 | More by htomsirveaux

adamette

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the 11.2 oz. bottle that I bought as a single for $4.35 at Save-On Tobacco & Beverage in Mentor, Ohio last week into my Petrus very tall goblet that probably would hold 16 ounces. I got it free in the Petrus Winterbier gift pack about 2 years ago. "Best by" date of 31/07/11.

A This was a huuuge gusher! I cracked the cap off and it all started pouring out in an off white foam flood, leaving about 8 ounces left in the glass after I moved the glass over the sink to keep the beer from getting everywhere on the counter. After that the head pretty well dissapeared down to a single circle around the top of the beer and the body is a medium yellow with brown tinges which is translucent but a little bit cloudy. I think that the look was seriously negatively affected by the major gush that I was greeted with but the beer is plenty fresh so I will score it on what I saw. 2.5

S Some sweet barley malt which is more grainy than most tripels I have experienced. I do not pick up many of the pleasing spices and citrus smells that I find so pleasing in other tripels. Again, all of this could have been affected by the gush. 2.5

T Despite the lack of promise from the look and smell this winds up being a nice tasting tripel with plenty of sweet malt and even some of the citrus tastes that I did not pick up in the smell. I still wonder if that gush somehow affected the taste. 4.0

M Moderate carbonation dances the beer across my tongue and there is a touch of honey stickiness but it is less than many other tripels that I have had. Yet again, the feel may have been negatively affected by the "gush." 2.5

D Good despite "the gush" and all of its possible affects on this beer, I finished what was left in my glass without hesitation. 4.0

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2010 05:39:24 | More by adamette

whtguitarguy

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours to a cloudy yellow color, with a decent head, but it goes away about half way through the drink. Has kind of a barley character to it, that leafy, grainy kind of taste characteristic of barley. No heavy alcoholic taste, and rather smooth. Leaves kind of a bubbly feeling in the back of the throat.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 02:53:58 | More by whtguitarguy

prattmeister14

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

As I make my way through the Belgians (I have a ways to go) I've found my favorites to be the Tripel and the Quad, so I picked this bottle up to give it a try.

St. Petrus is a Belgian Tripel from Belgium, but North American brewers have brewed better (Allagash Tripel, La Fin Du Monde).

The low alcohol content and the watery taste lead to me describe this beer as a "Tripel Lite". Its also a bit too sour and unimpressive in both smell and mouthfeel.

Its endlessly drinkable which is not a characteristic I look for in a Tripel but may be a good intro to Belgians. However there are better examples of the style out there for cheaper.

I'll won't pick up this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2009 02:39:20 | More by prattmeister14

Spineypanda

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Has a nice golden somewhat cloudy appearance, and a delicious yeasty smell.
Head is nice and large and resides for some time without actually ever going away.
Tastes very nice and refreshing, not like most tripels I have had in the past. It lacks the extreme ester taste and smell but has that nice taste that usually resides on the palate afterwards.

A delicious and refreshing tripel.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2009 03:38:31 | More by Spineypanda

MisterClean

California

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 from total wine i think

A - Poured light golden with a fist of fluffy white head. Took forever and a day to dissipate. Beer was semi-cloudy and had nice lacing.

S - Honey, tangy citrus hops, candi sugar, and light alcohol. Bready too.

T - Bready, citrus hops, spicy hops, slight alcohol and candi sugars.

M - Medium to full bodied, well-balanced, with a finish of spicy hops gives this triple a bold finish.

D - Fairly complex, a good beer overall. Almost trappiste-esque.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 03:33:43 | More by MisterClean

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brown 33cl bottle (Gouden Tripel), best before 7t/12/09 drank and reviewed just before this site started to shed reviews (twice in the case of this beer).

I thought this beer was Mr Average in all aspects, because the original review and my second attempt have both been lost this is just an overview. I know the scores were all 3's, but the reasons have been lost 'in the sands of time'.

If I ever see another one I'll re-review the beer!

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2009 17:29:08 | More by BlackHaddock

DawnL

New York

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pale golden color with fluffy white head that is about two fingers high when poured into a Chimay goblet and lasts and lasts and lasts.

Slight yeasty funk and bread notes on the nose. There is a little peach-apricot nuance as well.

Yeasty dough with subtle spicing of cloves on the palate. A slight metallic characteristic. Very light in flavor for a tripel. The 7.5% abv barely shows. This beer drinks like a session ale.

This is an excellent, easy-drinking brew with a great mouthfeel, lively carbonation and is very refreshing.

I would purchase this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2009 14:11:05 | More by DawnL

Tolnik

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Warning!!!
When pouring this beer the live yeast was abundant for me. As it took me three attempts to pour out all of the beer.

However on that note this beer smells amazing. That of sweet hops, floweral tones and slight coriander. The taste of this beer is deep floweral and slight hops. The malt within it gives a bit of a biting edge. The aftertaste on the mouth is a sweetness. Overall a great beer to have with by itself or with dinner.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2009 02:07:15 | More by Tolnik

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

mmmm mm mmm. Happy beer! Poured with a big, frothy if a bit soap bubbly, fragrant, yeasty aroma. Delightful. Lots of flavor, but not too much. good balance. Bittersweet; more bitter than sweet. Champagney. Great body. Excellent finish. Including its strength, still almost a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 04:37:27 | More by drpimento

zeff80

Missouri

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - This one foamed over when I popped the cap. It poured out a cloudy, pale gold color with a four-finger, white, very bubbly head of foam. It left a little patchy trails of lace.

S - It smelled of yeast, spices, clove and a little bit of fruit.

T - It tasted very fruity and somewhat yeasty. It had a slightly soapy and acidic taste.

M - It was crisp and sharp with a dry finish. A light-bodied Belgian ale.

D - This is an okay tripel. There are certainly better ones out there, though.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2009 00:48:48 | More by zeff80

PartyBear

United Kingdom (England)

2.55/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Petrus branded goblet. Super lively beer, took me a while to ease the cap off without it exploding - you gotta love these bottle conditioned beers.

A - Golden in colour with a small head (when settled). To say that it is lively is an understatement. Quite a bit a yeast sediment floating about, though this is probably due to my rather hurried pouring technique, and that is par for the course with bottled conditioning I suppose.

S - Very spicy scent, possibly Cinnamon, with a slight twist of lemon.

T - The initial taste is of a sharp citrus, followed by slightly softer hops. Quite dry in the finish.

M - Very active, and light bodied.

D - Really not too impressed with this Petrus offering, in the past I have enjoyed their beers but this one doesn't seem to follow suit. The taste is somewhat bland, like it's not really trying hard enough, and as for the bottle conditioning lark, I think it was more trouble than it was worth.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2009 20:04:04 | More by PartyBear

JBogan

Nevada

4.4/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The pours reveals a bright golden color with a full one finger head which remained throughout the duration and left moderate lacing. A nice looking brew.

The aroma greets the nose with a sweetness of honey followed by some floral and fruity notes.

Taste was also a mixture of honey and fruit such as pear along with a spiciness. Very well balanced and enjoyable.

Plenty of prickly carbonation left a dry, clean finish in the mouth. Very crisp and refreshing.

I was quite pleased and surprised by this tripel. It's a style I usually like but for some reason had passed this particular beer by up to this point. That won't happen again, I'll make this a regular in my rotation.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2009 01:03:27 | More by JBogan

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This bottle is listed as "Gouden Tripel Ale", so I wonder about the age on this thing. (scarey). Identified as "38967", but I certainly don't know what that means.
Definitley pours with full head, which will require more than one pour into this goblet.
Intially sweet and a little spicy with alcohol notes but followed by grainy malt and possible a touch of oxidation. Settles into a malt base with a mix of yeast, sweetness and spice. Not bad.
Darker golder color and basically clear. Lots of bubbles and a very persistent, thick head that leaves a rather dense lacing. Love the head.
Flavors mimic aroma quite closely. Strong malt base surrounded by yeast (mild phenols), sweetness, soft alcohol (with rapid warmth inside). As I feared there is an aged quality to the malt base, but overall it has held up pretty well. Bitterness is quite mild and largely balancing (another factor of age?). Dryness is on the softer side but there is some length to the finish.
Nicely and fully carbonated with abundance noted in softness of bubbles. Creates an acceptable lightness and stops heaviness and fullness.
Unfortunately the age did show forth. I'd like to try a fresh bottle as it has potential to be solid, although probably not great. Drinks adequately for style.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 17:30:19 | More by garymuchow

Sweasty

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked and caged bottle.Opened with a premature cork ejection. The beer pours a hazy straw color. Clears up a bit as it warms. Three fingers of white creamy head tops things off. It eventually settles to a ring. Leaves behind adequate lacing.

The aroma gives us that classic Belgian yeast funk. Tart green apples upfront. Thats followed by some peppery spice. A touch of bubblegum rounds things out

The flavor follows the nose. Tart apples start things out. Spice - pepper and a hint of cinnamon - follow. A bit more bubblegum than the nose suggests. The finish is a bit drying with an herbal quality. The light medium body and carbonation really livens things up.

This is a tasty tripel. Its not the most complex tripel on the shelf. but its very quaffable. A nice thirst quencher, despite its 7.5% abv, during the hotter months. I will definitely be going back to this one regularly.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2009 01:36:58 | More by Sweasty

roblowther

Texas

3.4/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750ml, corked & caged, champgage-syle foiled, and labeled as "Petrus Gouden Tripel". Gotta love the presentation. An assertive "pop" and then a light golden color with a thick soapy head that condenses into a rocky landscape. Smells of apples, pepper, and bubblegum. Tastes sharp, peppery...apples in the aftertaste. Nice but a touch....thin? The mouthfeel is soft, not noticibale really. Drinkability is good. Its a beer that doesn't grab your attention. It's the Honda Accord of beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2009 01:01:17 | More by roblowther

tronester

Oklahoma

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow, into a Petrus Chalice. The head is large, white and fluffy, and dies fast. Smell is of candi sugar. Taste is extremely light, the yeast plays a large role in the flavor due to not much coming from the malt. Slightly cidery, and surprisingly I can taste a touch of hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel is somewhat rough and coarse, super high carbonation levels from the bottle conditioning.

Rather drinkable, very light in flavor, though it has a bit of a tangy aftertaste. A decent beer, but for the price, and as a tripel, there are much better examples out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2009 23:31:37 | More by tronester

stumac

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

this brew pours up a pale straw color with a nice bubbly white head. the nose is very graniy, sweet candy sugar, faint fruit in the backdrop, lemons are possibly those fruits, I also get notes of bubblegum! The taste is the same as the nose, tastes similar to Delirium Tremens. heavy carbo, medium bodied, a very filling beer indeed....

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 23:22:47 | More by stumac

deanhead

Vermont

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Straw colored and highly effervescent. Huge voluminous head which reduced to a a one finger head that stuck with the beer to the last drop.

Little to no aroma. Beer tastes mildly spicy with hints hints of coriander and honey. Grassy and alcoholic.

Beer is thin with hints of acetone. Very light bodied but easy drinking. this makes the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2009 01:53:50 | More by deanhead