Tiger Tripel - Nøgne Ø - Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lightly hazed golden blonde colour, about a finger of white head, some lace. Smell i sfairly spicy, interesting yeasty notes, banana, fruit, light green apple, coriander and pepper. Taste is spicy and smokey, peated malt and light salty flavour, yeasty with a fruity-bubble gum finish. Medium-high carbonation, medium bodied. Enjoyable and a bit different for the style, peat malt flavours were a bit distracting at times but still quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 21:09:03 | More by peensteen

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.64/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle. How do we make our mark on this venerable style? Why, take something fully foreign, and just toss it right in there. Sigh.

This beer pours a hazy, murky medium golden straw hue, with two fingers of loosely foamy, bubbly dirty white head, which leaves a low-lying, seemingly undulating vista of wavecrest lace around the glass as it duly evaporates. Kind of weird not to have to clean up overflow on the counter from an overly aggressive head.

It smells of mildly peaty smoke, brine, semi-sweet pale malt, acrid yeast, a middling pome fruitiness, some suppressed candi sugar, and a bit of witbier spiciness. The taste is more thankfully restrained phenolic, forlorn Scottish isle medicinal peatiness, tacked on, rather than deftly blended, to a yeasty, sugary pale Belgian maltiness, with a white pepper and blotted coriander spiciness standing by in the wings.

The bubbles are pretty laid back, like a lolling Lowlands brae (keeping with the theme here), the body an indistinct medium weight, and actually rather smooth, the Island effect choosing to fully cease operations here and now, as a slight creaminess burgeons.

Thankful am I to Nøgne Ø's acquiescence in keeping this particular Scottish malt mostly on the down-low, as eventually the standard Tripel offerings come bleeding through. I know they lie just across the North Sea from Scotland proper, but this just feels like they had a bit of Islay malt left over from that mindfuck of a brew called Sunturnbrew, and had to find a use for it. Unnecessary, when the underlying Tripel may be (we shall never know now, with this one) well worthy all on its own.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 02:31:08 | More by biboergosum

beerhunter13

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%

04-26-2013 10:39:24 | More by beerhunter13

DGSchmitt

New York

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%

04-24-2013 01:57:21 | More by DGSchmitt

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%

04-20-2013 06:47:16 | More by schnarr84

eric5bellies

Australia

3.61/5  rDev -5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Drank from my Duvel Tulip

A - Pours a murky yellow colour with a head that reduces quickly to nothing

S - Small phenols of spicey yeast and malt

T - Nice balanced flavours of spice and yeast with a malty aftertaste. The booze is well hidden. The finish slightly sticky.

M - Medium body and carbonation.

O - A very good example of the style let down by appearence and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 14:53:06 | More by eric5bellies

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%

04-17-2013 22:24:46 | More by PEIhop

TallSaint

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4/5  rDev +5.3%

04-08-2013 09:04:28 | More by TallSaint

phirleh

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%

04-04-2013 13:16:19 | More by phirleh

valianes

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%

03-22-2013 19:33:11 | More by valianes

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.96/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

I'm always skeptical of a tripel that doesn't produce a big, dense and creamy head (more so when the label promises it). A beer in this style without the fluffy white topping is like a rock star without piercings or tattoos or an NBA player under six feet tall - it just doesn't look right. The total flatness is concerning, though otherwise this foggy honey-golden liquid seems the part.

It is typical for most tripels that all their power radiate from the esters and phenols of their yeast. The yeast spice in this offering, however, is actually rather inconspicuous. While I appreciate the indirectness of the white pepper spice and orchard fruit notes in the mouthfeel, I'm finding it too vague for the bouquet and wish it could be ramped up a bit.

The taste is candy-sweet and ripe with banana flavour. The hops add a very concrete herbal, almost grassy dimension to the beer that pairs well with the fruity notes of peach, clementine and pear. That generic citrusy quality is inferred in part because of a coriander-like spice (coriander and orange peel often go hand-in-hand in the beer world). It's quite refreshing for a beverage with almost double-digit alcohol.

The taste of peat smoked malt is present, albeit subtle. That lightly ashy ("campfire") character is, in a small and superficial way, insinuative of a well-oaked chardonnay. As mentioned, compared to typical Belgian tripels the difference in the impact of the yeast spice is like that of dial-up to broadband - I don't mind the spicy phenols being subdued, especially as this benefits the illusive peaty notes.

As far as tripels go, some of the greatest masters (Westmalle, Karmeliet, Gouden Carolus, etc) were so good that they left little room for those who came after. This Norwegian brewer, however, managed to add a little hint of originality (peat smoked malt) without compromising those features (spicy, fruity and soft malt flavours) that make this style so appealing. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 00:05:50 | More by biegaman

ThinkAgain

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%

02-19-2013 04:35:18 | More by ThinkAgain

gavroche

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%

02-18-2013 04:02:22 | More by gavroche

Jordantb313

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%

02-11-2013 22:01:02 | More by Jordantb313

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%

02-11-2013 14:44:03 | More by NightINgale

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

(3.75) A: Hazy straw-like copper colour with a creamy and bubbly head. Blanket recedes promptly and minimal lacing evident.

(4.25) S: Oak, peat, fresh grasses, banana, green apple, bit of balsamic vinegar, and spice (mainly cloves and pepper). I find the earthy oak and peat factor works well and compliments the other aromas nicely.

(3.75) T: Very malt-forward with cane sugar and overripe banana upfront. Oak and peat flavours follow that certainly adds a different dimension to a tripel but doesn’t quite fit in. Spice in the finish with clove and belgian yeast coming through. Generally not as bitter or dry as a traditional tripel.

(4.0) M: Medium-full bodied with medium-low carbonation. Syrupy with a slight chalky texture.

(3.75) D: Oak and peat came across very nicely in the aroma but didn’t have the same effect in taste. Nonetheless, still a good tripel and nice to see some creativity with this style.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 01:50:59 | More by Digimaika2

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: dull gold, hazy; egg white head fades after a few minutes to a film

Aroma: sweet fruit - pears, tangerine; just a hint of tang; yeast spice; smoky mold

Taste & Mouthfeel: wow, intense flavour! an onslaught of sweet and tangy, although hard to really define, not as fruity as the scent, it's a blend and more candy like; sharp and cutting, with a dry finish; getting some butterscotch; there's complexity with hints of spice, breath of alcohol, and pleasant texture (silky smooth, buttery); didn't pick it up at first, but the bottle mentions peat smoke and then it clicks as one of the mystery notes - it's subtle but is a vital part of the character

Overall: the sweetness is cloying, in a mouth puckering way, which distracts from some interesting (and powerful) flavours

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 01:55:59 | More by BGDrock

Dank26

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.3%

01-29-2013 14:33:08 | More by Dank26

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.74/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle from the LCBO, 500ml into a tulip. Best before July 14, 2014.

Hazy orange, with a finger or so of white head. Typical tripel nose of pears, green apple, sweet sugary malt, spicing and even the slightest peat which I could pick up on. Peat (increasingly prominent with warmth), earth and more traditional tripel notes on the palate, in terms. Light metallic, but a sugary finish. Medium high effervescence, and some peat into the finish. A curious take on the style, and it doesn't turn out to be all that bad, considering I've been relatively adverse to peat lately.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 01:07:15 | More by liamt07

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 mL bottle from the LCBO. Bottled on July 18 2012, this is one of several Nøgne Ø brews I picked up in London last month. Tripels are one of my favourite Belgian styles - but the key word there is 'Belgian', because honestly a lot of non-Belgian-made tripels leave me underwhelmed for one reason or another. Not gonna get ahead of myself though, because the last Nøgne Ø brew I cracked open was superb. Poured into a snifter.

Pours a cloudy golden-apricot colour, and even though the pour was fairly aggressive I didn't get much more than one fingers' worth of soapy white head. It wilts quickly, leaving nothing more than a thin collar and film on the surface in its wake. Subsequent pours from the bottle were equally flat. The aroma is yeasty, with big red apple and pear notes, as well as hints of orange zest, coriander and clove. Slightly herbal and spicy. Enjoyable enough, but not very complex and kind of subdued. Kind of reminds me of a witbier.

I wasn't terribly impressed up to this point, but it does taste pretty good I suppose, with the profile accomplishing most of what I expect from a tripel, with a few odd additions that switch the formula up a bit. It starts off sweet, with wheat malt, candi sugar and lots of the usual orchard fruit notes - red appleskin, apricots and orangepeel being the most noticeable features. The citrusy notes give it a slightly unusual tartness mid-sip, but this quickly gives way to clove, coriander, and white pepper spice, as well as some faint smokiness, lots of yeast and overripe banana in the finish. A little boozy, but not to an unusual degree for the style, and it works fairly well in the context of the other flavours. Spicy, sweet aftertaste with some lingering heat. Medium-bodied, with perfectly restrained carbonation that gives it a spritzy mouthfeel without being distracting. A good sipper that improves markedly as it warms.

Not the best tripel I've ever had, but a pretty good effort nonetheless. The addition of Scottish peat-smoked malt isn't too prominent in the flavour, but might explain a few of the departures from more traditional features of the style. My only real complaint is the spiciness, which becomes tiring quickly - this pint bottle is probably the ideal serving size, and I doubt I'd be up for seconds. To be fair though, it does become smoother as it warms.

Final Grade: 3.79, an acceptable B+ grade. Nøgne Ø's Tiger Tripel is a solid Belgian-style ale, but in my opinion it doesn't quite measure up to the true heavyweights of the style - the titans of Tripelitania like Chimay or La Fin du Monde. Not a completely orthodox example of the style, so the minor tweaks may be enough to make this one worthy of a try - assuming you're looking for something that follows a slightly different vein than those classic tripels. I wouldn't go out of my way seeking it out though, and I doubt I'd pick it up again (mostly because of the price). I still enjoyed the glass, so I wouldn't necessarily discourage others from trying this, but it's not a standout in its category.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 01:24:39 | More by thehyperduck

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled July 18, 2012.

Beer is clear golden in colour. A vigorous pour results in a smallish white head that dissipates very quickly.

Smell contains a pretty balanced mix of fruit and spice, along with some malt. Pear and apple, white pepper, some bread and a touch of honey.

Taste is similar to the nose. Apple and pear, some light spice flavours, honey, and a bit of yeast. Booze is noticeable but not too strong. Fairly sweet.

Full bodied, moderately carbonated, a bit sticky.

Overall, a pretty good but not great tripel. Enjoyable but there are certainly better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 00:44:39 | More by jrenihan

jmkoscie

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%

12-05-2012 06:27:56 | More by jmkoscie

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%

11-28-2012 05:42:54 | More by t0rin0

Halcyondays

California

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%

11-25-2012 23:28:16 | More by Halcyondays

Akilles047

4.75/5  rDev +25%

10-11-2012 14:05:18 | More by Akilles047