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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle into chalice, no bottle dating. Pours lightly cloudy golden amber color with a 1 finger fairly dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some good soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big apple, pear, grape, honey, herbal, earth, and light yeast spices. Nice and well balanced aromas with good complexity and strength; very malty but not overbearing. Taste of apple, pear, grape, pepper, herbal, earth, honey, floral, bread,and light yeast spices. Lingering notes of light fruits, herbal, floral, honey, bread, and earth on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of flavors; with nearly zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a fairly slick mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice tripel. Nice flavor complexity and balance; very smooth to sip on. Very enjoyable offering, though I think it could use some more spicy esters.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 03:38:47 | More by superspak

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.55/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It's got a tiger wearing sunglasses! Of course, the beer has got to be awsome- right? Nothing inside the bottle could possibly compare to the sunglass-wearin' tiger! Raahrrr!

But the appearance of the beer is every bit as confidence as the label. Pouring a bright yellow color, the beer's yeasty haze allows for a supple diffused glow. Strong streams of carbonation constantly feed a fluffy and creamy white head that tops the beer. Lacing marvelously and with great retention, this beer looks as tripel-like as any I've seen.

Sweet and spicy aromas seem to blend elements of honey, sugar cookie, and mild bready grain mixed with white and black pepper, mild peaty smoke, and softer coriander and mint. Quite aromatic, but less zesty from the normal lemongrass character of Belgian hops and this leaves the beer lacking a bit.

Flavors follow suit with the sweet smoky interplay working out nicely. Malty-rich to taste, the grain and light starch introduces light sweetness of powdered sugar and bread dough. The middle palate continues to introduce layers of taste beginning with white pepper, then fresh cracked peppercorn, and ending with the taste of peat-smoke. Lightly acidic with apple and lemon esters and mildly sulfur, and this suffices nicely as the taste and bitterness from hops struggle to balance the rich malts.

Slightly fuller in body than expected, even with the strong effervesence from carbonation. The malt presence sticks with the beer deeper into the taste and with a patient dryness that finishes the beer with light acidity, mineral, and hop bitterness.

The glass wearin' tiger represents an assertive tripel taste but does so with more heft in taste and texture, light hop presence, and unexpected smoke flavor. As for an inviting and oddly placed combination of taste, this beer works well. But as for a classic tripel, it's not quite there.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 16:09:08 | More by BEERchitect

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this up about 9 months ago and let it age in my cellar. I thought that it would make for a fine sipper (it didn't pair with empanadas, but it never should have).

They mention how hard tripels are to make on the label. That may be true, but I have been lucky to find many good ones so far. Nonge did a good job on this one... you might say that they hit a triple.

Tiger is a well made beer. I like the mix of sweetness, hops, and distinct malt presence. There was also a decent amount of fruitiness. The multiple flavors worked into a very strong balance.

I'd recommend this beer, but I imagine that it is pretty hard to find. Beyond that Nonge is pretty expensive. Still, pick up a bottle if you find it.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 23:40:12 | More by ummswimmin

katan

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased in Norway - lets see if it is fresher

A - Pours a hazy deep golden color. Bright and sparkling carbonation, leaving a light white film behind.

S - Lightly spicy nose leads off, with some white pepper and a little bit of coriander. A hint of citrus in the back ground.

T - Starts off lightly sweet, a little pilsner like malt and some white pepper. Mid-stream gets a little bit dry, even a little bit grainy. Finishes with a orange sweetness and a little bit of spice. Hot in the aftertaste.

M - Moderate body and a little bite of carbonation. A little bit sticky in the finish. Alcohol burn is noticeably strong.

O/D - A solid and interesting tripel. It seems they did a good job of cleaning fermenting it, with more dry notes. A little bit filling from the carbonation. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 13:07:15 | More by katan

PatrickSwayze

California

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crisp light yellow copper with little to know head retention. 

S: Light hints of apple and oranges grace the nostrils.

T: The fruit flavors in this beer dominate the palate. Super smooth tasting of apples, pears, and a hint of alcoholic heat. Resembles an alcoholic apple juice.

M: Very crisp and refreshingly dry that you could drink for days. 

0: I wouldn't say this resembles the traditional tripel but my oh my is this an easy drinking brewski that i enjoyed to the fullest. Quite unique in flavor bringing out great fruit characteristics. 

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 03:18:36 | More by PatrickSwayze

BrownNut

Florida

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Lots of loud foamy head that sticks around long enough that you have to wait a bit before you can drink it. Light apricot color.

S - A mix of apply fruit and, I swear, a bit of leather like you get in some scotches. Interesting.

T - Fresh, bright, and clean. The booze is just prominent enough to be noticed but not enough to be distracting. It's well integrated as a flavor component. The warmer it gets, the more of an apple cider flavor I get. It's interesting and crisp while colder, sweeter and maltier when warmer. Neat.

M - Somehow this is sort of dry while at the same time ending a bit sticky and nectary... and then slightly dry again. Fun.

O - This is really pleasant, and I'm not big on this style. Very well balanced, tight, classy. Another winner from Nogne O. My reigning champ favorite brewery. I won't say it's remarkably robust or complex, but it's a surprisingly easy drinker, and well done.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 01:33:54 | More by BrownNut

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 500 ml bottle into a chalice. The bottle's label has a spot where the brewer was supposed to stamp a "bottled on" date, but no such date is present. The bottle, despite having sat still for a very long time, still had a minor eruption of foam when opened.

Pours a hazy golden yellow, with a 1/2" white bubbly hea that quickly disapates, leaving a ring of white around the edge of the glass.

Bubblegum, sourpatch kids, banana, clove and creamy malt combine for an intersting aroma. Being a noob on what tripels should smell like, it is hard to say if this is typical or not.

Has a tart, acidic flavor to start, with sweet funk, floral notes, honey and a slight doughiness rounding and smoothing its start. Finishes dry and sticky on the tongue.

Medium bodied, this Belgian-style ale lacks the "softer" feel so many ales of this genre seem to have. Carbonation is also lower, and the tongue is left rather dry.

A decent ale, and one whic I am enjoying. It is opening up and becoming sweeter as it warms, with an almost yam-like flavor that works well. This would have been a great brew to crack open at Thanksgiving; maybe I'll grab another for next year.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 01:44:58 | More by TheHoppiest

Mar02x

Netherlands

2.4/5  rDev -36.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A - A promising golden hazy fluid with a real nice white head. The head looks creamy and thats always pleasant to watch to.

S - A citrus and pine like hop scent that is just over the top and that makes it unpleasant.

T - A little sweetness upfront and the pine and the citrus set in. Almost immediately you notice a flowery taste to it as well, it was totally unsuspected. It doesn't make the beer better tasting though.

M - A soft to medium carbonation, a soft and creamy body (which is nice) and a bitter aftertaste.

O - Something is really off in this one, it isn't sour though, so I don't think it's infected. I think it is the hop combination or choice that makes this beer weird.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 09:15:10 | More by Mar02x

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this 16.9 months ago up in Portland at RSVP on 302 after a trip back from Ebenezer's. Chris had introduced this beer to me hours before the purchase. Beer was poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance: The beer pours a two finger head. A nice hazy golden straw yellow with signs of carbonation coming up the side and the center of the glass. No clarity of the beer due to the fogginess and haziness. Super awesome. Head has reduced to a thin layer and left some nice lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell: yeasty, grainy, spiciness, some breadiness, sweet aroma from malts and sugars, and citrus too

Taste: Same as above, but blended very nicely. Just like I remember up in Lovell months ago. Happy to see it is still the same. Some biscuit going on too. Grapefruit citrus flavor is nice. A nice bitterness that balances off the sweetness of the malts and sugar.

Mouthfeel: smooth, a little chewy, medium bodied, medium carbonation, and easy to drink. Alcohol is hidden very well.

Overall: This brings me back to summer months when we went up to Maine to go golfing, stop by Ebenezer's, and then the RSVP on the way back to OOB. Happy to enjoy this treat once again.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 07:22:29 | More by Flounder57

RuckusDu

Colorado

2.4/5  rDev -36.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

It's review night, so I'm getting through some things. Think I picked this up randomly one day at my local store, so no special remarks on it.

A - Pretty basic tripel. Clear, maybe a little darker than the average tripel and I would call it a light amber. Head started at about 1 finger and mostly white.

S - Chalky vitamin C but without the sourness. That is all I'm getting.

T - I'm not sure what they were going for here. A little Belgian yeast You get some light sour fruits and a light vitamin flavor as noted above. Then the vitamin flavor takes over and ruins it.

M - Decent carbonation and mouthfeel.

O - Almost had to DP this but it was not that bad. Don't need it ever again and will steer others away if I have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 04:49:30 | More by RuckusDu

drpimento

Wisconsin

2.4/5  rDev -36.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Not sure what the deal is here - I let the bottle warm a bit out of the fridge. Poured with a small to medium sized off white head that quickly settled down to a partial cover and no lace. Color is a clear amber with plenty of small bubble trails. Aroma is very yeasty, grain, malt, a little caramel and spice. Flavor is a little wet paper, stale, dough, malt, odd mix of bitter and sweet with little tang. Body seems ok, but carbonation, despite the bubble trails seems kind of flat. Finish is like flavor and I can't drink the rest. Wah. I thought this was going to be pretty good.

I went and ate a piece of fresh, plain whole grain bread and a piece of mild cheese to try it again with no improvement.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 04:38:58 | More by drpimento

JohnnyP3

Alaska

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

.5L Bottle. Batch 571. Brewed 13.12.10, best before 13.12.13. Poured into a wine goblet. Pours a clear gold color with about one finger of white head that thins out pretty quickly. Looks like there is some sediment at the bottom of the bottle that may cloud the beer on the final pour. Carbonation looks vigorous. Lacing is fairly moderate.

For the nose, I am getting a fair amount of sweetness from the sugars. Malt, Belgian yeast, and sugar seems to sum things up pretty well. Hints of pear, sugary pastries and tartness round things out.

Taste is comprised of tart fruits, such as apple, followed by sweet flavors from the sugar and a little bit of booziness. The finish is crisp, dry, and tart. I'm also getting a little nectarine and some pepper to spice things up.

Mouthfeel is crisp and dry. Well carbonated. Nice lively feel on the tongue. Overall a quality stab at a Belgian tripel. While perhaps not on the same level as some of the Belgian classics, nothing to sneeze at either. Try with cheese, fresh vegetables and seafood.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 17:55:52 | More by JohnnyP3

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a cloudy golden yellow color. There wasn't much head, I was a bit surprised by that. No head, so there really wasn't any lacing here either. The smell of the beer was citrusy, floral, and yeasty. The taste of the beer had some decent spiciness to it, there was a fruity flavor flowing through there as well. The mouthfeel was a little thicker than expected but it wasn't heavy either. Overall it was a decent Tripel, I wouldn't rank it amongst the best but it's still work trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 03:17:30 | More by Knapp85

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Not much of a head to speak of but I attribute that to the 9% alcohol. It's a slightly hazy golden honey color with visible carbonation.

S: Fruit basket with slight peppery and yeasty notes.

T: I get no pepper on the palate, but the fruit comes through rather nicely. Peach, apricot, and plum is the pattern.

M: It isn't boozy, but you can defiantly feel it right away. This beer is medium-full bodied with (surprisingly) low carbonation.

D: High alcohol that you can feel, it has low drinkability and becomes a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 19:15:51 | More by tlazaroff

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME

Pours a nice golden-yellow color, with a slight haze, moderate carbonation, and two fingers of creamy white head. Aroma of light malts, citrus and light fruits, yeast, and floral notes. Light, pale malts in the taste, backed up by floral hops, and bitter citrus zest, with some mild pear and peach flavors, and just a hint of spice. Slight alcohol bite. Medium mouthfeel, and quite drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2011 13:57:32 | More by Rifugium

Gmann

New York

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy golden orange color with a dense pure white head that settles into a light ring.

The aroma is fruity, with apples being the main component. There also is a floral, perfumey scent from the yeast. A good amount of clove picked up in the nose.

The taste is sweet from the candi sugar. A floral honey flavor, with clove, and a grassy hop bitterness in the end. There is some light apple skin flavor but it is quite subtle. A bit of an alcohol flavor but its not harsh.

The feel is light to moderate with fizzy carbonation, drinks easy. There is a bit of a grassy bitterness from the hops which helps balance the brew.

This is pretty good representation of the style. It could use some bolder flavors but it drinks quite nicely.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 00:36:40 | More by Gmann