Triple - W.H. Brakspear & Sons plc

ADZA

Australia

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark copper hue with a off white two finger head and very nice clingy lacing everywhere,the smell is fruitcake,strawberry jam,boozy alcohol,brandied raisins and herbal hops,the mouthfeel is medium bodied,moderately carbonated but still rounds the palette with tastes of chocolate coated cherries,booze,roasted nuts,herbal hops and finished with a caramel candy bittersweetness and overall i like it and the perfect after dinner drop and would buy again as would age well cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 09:41:29 | More by ADZA

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

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

A deep chestnut to copper colour with a small, foamy head that is slightly off-white in colour and settles to a thin lacing after a few minutes.

Strong malt aroma to begin that is paired with a sweet and rather fruity aroma that has hints of darker fruits and a noticeable caramel smell that is quite pleasant. There is a little bit of apple, some spice and a touch of sugar.

Very rich and sweet with a good mix of caramel, toffee and dark fruit to begin with, coupled with some sweet sugar and a rich, malty base. There is some dates and apple along with a hint of vanilla too.

Very smooth with a medium body and medium carbonation as well. There is some definite spice and a very slightly dry ending.

An excellent beer with tonnes going on and a beer that strikes a great balance between the rich malty flavours and the sweet, dark fruit like ones. The caramel that both the aroma and taste start with are a lot stronger than I would have expected but this is a beer that I will be seeking out again in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 22:56:35 | More by flyingpig

BS-

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a highball glass.

A: Deep copper with almost no head. Almost absolutely clear with no visible carbonation.

S: Malts, some spiciness and a bit of hops. Just a hint of sweetness.

T: slightly malty with a lot of hops. A hint of citrus and spice is present. Aftertaste is hoppy with a tinge of citrus and an almost honey-like sweetness at the tip of the tongue. Alcohol is uncensored, but pleasant. The citrus sat a little bit oddly on the tongue, almost bordered on becoming unpleasant. Everything disappears within 20 seconds.

M: Very light with slight carbonation. Very easy to drink.

O: It's a good beer, but far from outstanding. While I might still get this beer every now and then, I could live my life without ever having this again. A good beer to drink if you're looking for something easy but with character.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 16:32:51 | More by BS-

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.78/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Amazing how accounts vary of this beer. It's one of the best I've ever had.

A: Huge beige head. Dark copper body. One bubble at the bottom.

S: Caramel / honey. Unrevealing - typically English.

T: Wousers! Lots of caramel. Very sweet, complements the alcohol to perfection. Nutty. A touch of dandelion & burdock, or phenols as they're known.

O: Not overly complex but perfect tasting. One of the most balanced beers I've ever had. Absolutely beautiful.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 07:08:41 | More by Hoppsbabo

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A Pour is deep amber with a rather small off-white compact head that dissipates slowly into rather nice lacings.

S: Sweet, roasted malts, caramell. Nuts and some butter. Dark dried fruits.

T: Syrupy sweet, almost like dark bread. Bitterness and roasted notes. Fruity, both ripe (apples and oranges) and dark dried. Taste is actually "darker" than one could guess.

M: Aftertaste is mostly bitter, and rather long. Body is smooth and full, while carbonation is mild.

O: Nice, on the lighter side for a Strong Ale, but still nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 16:38:09 | More by Sunnanek

rarbring

Sweden

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

The brew is clear deep amber, has an off-white head, some lacing and good curtains.

Sweet honey, nuts, turpentine, bitter oranges.

Starting with dark syrup bread, nutmeg, raisins, ethanol, bitter orange peel.

Low carbonation, soft, slightly sticky and oily, a medium body, a slightly dry finish.

Actually too boozy and sweet, lacks freshness.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 19:49:40 | More by rarbring

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark copper with a slight haziness. Moderate head that goes to nothing as you drink. No lace.

Dark fruit nose. Slightly sweet. Tastes like it smells - fruit and malt, slightly treacly, some toffee. Initially bitter, followed by some sweetness and bitterness again. Seems like a lightweight barleywine.

Pretty one dimensional. Meh.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 03:23:58 | More by TerryW

bark

Sweden

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The colour is deep red, almost brown. The small head white, it sinks slowly to a very thin lid, leaving minimal lacing.

The smell is smooth, sweet and very malty. Some oak-barrels, alcohol and dried fruits (ripe apples). It is luxurious, although not very strong.

The taste is surprisingly fresh and smooth, making the beer highly drinkable. Fruits, some of them dried, sweet toffee, clean bitterness and perhaps some flowery notes from the hops. There is alcohol, but it is smooth and warming. Some wood and tree sap. Medium body. The aftertaste is not that sweet with more malty caramel notes and less bitterness. The finish is smooth with some toffee and alcohol.

The carbonation is medium to smooth, the few bubbles mild. The liquid is semi-smooth and a bit dry.

I had expected a heavier and sweeter brew, but I got a tremendously drinkable and quite hoppy one. Will probably gain some complexity over the next years.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 17:51:52 | More by bark

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From notes:

Appearance: clear with slight haze; nice head with fine suds; light brown/amber colour

Aroma: hops jump out, as in a pale ale, but balanced with a light maltiness; citrus and banana

Taste & Mouthfeel: great balance - bitterness and mild sweetness bounce back and forth; not a definable flavour; hint of spice; moderate carbonation and smooth mouthfeel; tinge of the flavour of Belgian yeast

Overall: great texture and complex taste, keeps you guessing at what the flavour is which is exciting

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 00:14:36 | More by BGDrock

EmperorBevis

United Kingdom (England)

4.47/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle conditioned and poured into a dimpled handled pint pot to reveal a rich brown sugar body with a strong thick head that halved but kept.

Lovely rich strong aroma of sugar cane, brandy and toffee.

Real old ale taste with the alcohol flowing through the rich sugary butter fudge notes that are snapped up at the end with a bitter kick of hops before becoming sickly with coffee regular overtones.

Fantastic mouthfeel with perfect carbonation makes the alcohol kept from becoming over bearing.

A really really good tasty ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 23:40:37 | More by EmperorBevis

dansmcd

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A honey-like brown colour in the body, creamy smooth head and well defined rings of lace. Very attractive.

S - Vanilla, honey and caramel. Sweet dessert fragrance.

T - Follows the nose, with the addition of nutty nougat. Abv shows with a spot of heat.

M - Low carbonation, chewy and creamy.

O - A rich, complex, full flavoured beer. Best sipped and savoured.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 10:22:25 | More by dansmcd

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Sept 2010, so this is well past the recommended date for consumption! I think I must have bought it in Autumn 2009 and stored it in the garage ever since. Still, the label mentions that it is bottle-conditioned and will improve if matured (fingers crossed).

The front label features a unique number that allows you to look up the bottling date - an unusual but useless feature in my opinion. When looking up this one (B553484), I discover that it is so old it isn't listed :)

Poured into a Sam Smith's pint glass. A rich coppery-amber hue with low carbonation and loads of floating sediment. I probably moved it around too much prior to opening. Produces a decent head of tan foam that doesn't last long before disappearing. Aroma of sweet roasted malt with notes of caramel and dried fruits. Also a considerable whiff of booze.

Tastes of sweet, dark malt with a mild dry bitterness. Notes of caramel, brown sugar, dried fruit, yeast and stewed hops are all discernible, along with a distinct warming note of alcohol.
Mouthfeel is smooth and prickly - more ethanol than CO2 I think. Nice body, neither too thick nor too thin. Astringent, with a boozy malt aftertaste.

Nice - a quaffable strong ale. Subtle and sweet; a good sipping ale that suits winter more than summer. The reduced score for appearance was due to the excess of floating yeast. I like this one, and commend it to all who encounter it.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 23:43:22 | More by jazzyjeff13

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from my local LCBO, 500ml into a tulip. Bottle no. 1767956. Don't know what that means, but I'm guessing they made a helluva lot of this stuff.

Pours mahogany with a bubbly cream coloured head. Translucent body, with moderate head retention and good lacing. Nose is bready, alcohol, sweet and mildly acidic grape skins, a very fine and extremely mild acetic note and caramel overriding most of this. Notable English character in the mild hopping and malt. Taste is interesting, again an English caramel and bready quality, with some slightly sharp alcoholic notes. A fine hint of balsamic vinegar, some pear and a general fruitiness - berries and some other dark fruits. Touch of spice. Mouthfeel is moderate with a medium high carbonation, alcoholic for the most part however. Interesting, yet quite confusing as to what I should be rating this as - foreign to almost anything I've tried. Pleasant to try, doubtful that I'd revisit.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 17:24:39 | More by liamt07

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on Feb 19, 2011.

Pours a mildly dark amber with a finger-width of frothy slightly off-white head which dissipates to a thin film very quickly.

The malts are the strongest element of the smell but are quite balanced by the hops. The smell is fruity but I find it hard to place what the fruits are- fig, perhaps poached pear. A bit of a toffee scent accompanies. Generally, I find the scent hard to pin down- reminiscent of many things, but I can't be quite sure what any of them are! Anyway, a generous and pleasant scent.

After the smell, I was quite surprised by how subdued the taste was. There is a fair bit going on, but all quite faint. Surprisingly light, it starts fairly sweet, with similar fruity aspects as were found in the nose: raisin/fig, baked fruits such as pear. The finish is mildly bitter, which is really not noticeable until the end. Very slight hint of spices. It sounds quite exciting, but I actually found it underwhelming. Enjoyable, but not exciting or particularly interesting. Alcohol is noticeable but not overpowering.

Mouthfeel I was not too fond of. It felt too thin and weak, which was a surprise given both the smell and the strength of the beer. Carbonation is moderate to low, which I generally enjoy, but couple with the thin body, the beer felt quite lifeless to me.

Overall, I would not seek out this beer again. but am happy to drink the bottle that I have. I knew going into it that this was not a Belgian tripel, but I wish it had been!

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 22:11:44 | More by jrenihan

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

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

Bought 2 bottles, reviewed the first march 2011. Half litre bottle. Dark ruby mahogany colour. Clear. The head goes fairly quickly. The malts dominate the smell but some sour pear comes out as well. The 7.2 percent comes through strongly, its too much, it dominates. I got a bit of smoke with some apple. This isn't a smooth beer. Not easy to drink. Have to say I expected a bit more. Second bottle reviewed one year later. Aging the beer really worked, it had a nice fruity aroma, a much smoother texture and the alcohol was so well hidden. This is definately a beer to age before drinking.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 19:35:01 | More by jonb5

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from the LCBO, website tells me it is bottles in September 2010. Pours a crisp, clear burnt amber, couple fingers of head leaves rings of lacing.

Nose is exceptionally floral and fruity, loads of green apples and flowers. Hints of honey and caramel malt. Flavor is clean and approachable, while not altogether noteworthy. Middling sweet, pleasant hints of bread and honey, light cocoa, caramel; quite a bit of bittering hops in the finish which provides a really grassy, dry finish. Extremely light body for the ABV which is hidden - nowhere to be found except in your head as the bottle progresses.... Drinkable and pleasant, could use a little more complexity but for what it is, it's a pleasant beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 03:40:06 | More by ritzkiss

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Saw this on a shelf. Got excited because it said triple. Realized it didn't say tripel. And now I am drinking it. True story!

Bottle number 1396056. Yeah, I don't care either. Is this a limited edition or something? I still don't care.

Pours a rich, clear burnt caramel colour topped by a loose foamy head. Drops small spots of lace. Poor retention.

Is it me or do all English beers smell the same? This one has a slight burnt roast to it along with rich caramel and toffee and a light tinge of booze.

The taste is very striking, as a sweet caramel malt meets a grassy earthy bitterness. Alcohol is omnipresent--odd for its ABV. Has a certain staleness about it. The finish is a quick toasty flash of hop bitterness and then a lingering something that reminds me of an industrial cleaning solution.

Medium to full bodied with a crisp carbonation.

According to the label hops are added three times. So you know it's going be good like Miller Lite. It's also triple fermented. Which seems like a lot of work when the net result is this.

Why has it got a bee on it?

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 00:17:02 | More by MeisterBurger

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep ruby red, thin creamy white head that settles at the edges with slight lacing showing up. Smells malty with caramel, toffee, slight lemon zest with hops revealing themselves toward the end. Tastes malty with caramel, sweet candy like notes, noticeable alcohol with a medium bitterness and a sweet aftertaste. Medium to thin mouthfeel that was watery at times, good light carbonation though. This is above average but thats it, I feel like this would be good on tap as opposed to bottle, I would have it again but not for some time though.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 23:17:29 | More by peensteen

paxkey

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottle No. 1463363
the bottle says to check the website for bottle fill date but the website numbers end at 1299988 bottled 17/7/10.
not impressed.

great looking bumblebee on bottlecap.

pours out orange/amber with no head or lacing. and no evidence that it is bottle conditioned. clear through no cloud or sediment at all.

The smell makes up a bit for its lack to stun visually. great blend of hops and malt in the nose. the malts are complex and deep.
candy-like smells like an orange lifesaver candy. I'm having trouble to determine if i am smelling really juicy malts or artifical aroma.
i am hoping for the former.

The flavor is big. really big. but again i'm not entirely sure what i am tasting. Maybe its more hops than i am used to but there is a certain artificial chemically overtaste to this.

Im intrigued and a little cautious at the same time. i have not tried a whole lot of different beers and this is a taste i am not used to.

the alcohol is also hitting me really hard. i'm gonna go high on this even though i'm not sure exactly what i am tasting. it is very flavorful and compelling but has some mystery to it that i cant quite grasp.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 03:37:07 | More by paxkey

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rusty copper colour with a ruby tone to it. Off white head settles quickly, but is retained as a thin layer and leaves some thick lacing. Very little sediment made it into my glass.

The aroma is rather hoppy and a bit boozy, with some deep dark fruit and malty bread character and rich pepper and vanilla tones.

Taste is also quite rich, malt forward with strong wood, cocoa and dark fruit tones. Its earthy and a bit like a brown spirit in taste. There is a very well-balanced bitterness. Very complex, very rich and very satisfying.

The body is surprisingly smooth, but at the same time very robust. There is a malty thickness to it and the slightly above average ABV really comes through on the tongue.

Very glad I took a chance on this one, I'll definitely seek out a few more bottles.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 18:11:47 | More by bryehn

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle No. 1577198 and as mentioned elsewhere this is NOT at all a Belgium tripel.

Appears clear dark brownishly orangy. Thin but very firm magnolia head which leaves some intricate sticky lacing.

Has a dark musty sharpish bitterness that really hits at the end of the palate which is then strangely followed by some fruit. A fairly rich vinous quality too with some tartness.
Starts lightly spritzy which is quite light for the alcohol and leaves a slightly cloying feel to the tongue. Potent over time.

Could do with being a bit more supple but still tastes pretty good to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 21:07:15 | More by Zimbo

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml Bottle

Appearance - The beer pours a clear amber/orange colour with a massive size beige coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is an excellent amount of lacing all over the glass. The head lasted for a long time before it began to dissipate.

Smell - malts, light hops, tea, pears

Taste & Mouth - The beer has a low amount of carbonation and it feels creamy but also slightly watery. There is a lot of malt flavour mixed with light hops and some pear. Also there are notes of wood and a tea taste. The beer finishes with a malty slightly bitter aftertaste.

Drink - The beer really had a fantastic appearance, not sure I've ever seen so much lacing. The taste reminded me of an ESB with a higher level of alcohol. It's an above average beer that I'm glad I tried.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 12:58:42 | More by spinrsx

Seanstoppable

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up on a trip to Ontario earlier this year. No best before date, but has a bottle number of 917752. Originally thought this was a tripel, not triple referring to three levels of fermentation.

Pouring into a glass results in a ruby red color with barely any head. Very thin crown results, though there is a bit of active carbonation visible both in the glass and on the surface.

Booziness is apparent from the scent. Nose also contains things such as dates, molasses, toffee, and maybe a hint of vanilla.

Taste follows the nose. Plenty of malt characteristics, with further flavors of toffee, molasses, dates and other dark fruits, some spice. Fairly chewy, with an apparent boozy character throughout. Some slightly piney hop flavor as well.

Very interesting beverage. Smooths out after repeated sips, though you still end up feeling the booze.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 00:54:57 | More by Seanstoppable

eric5bellies

Australia

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank drom my Bombardier Conis Pint Glass.

A - Pours a red copper colour with a nice ivory coloured head that retains quite well and laces.

S - Aromas are very well balanced between various fruits and plenty of hop.

T - Really nice fruits up front followed by malts of toffee and caramel, has a classic bitter finish with a hint of booze.

M - Medium body a nd low carbonation and very smooth.

D - This is a top quality English Strong Ale

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 14:51:39 | More by eric5bellies

Swedes21

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle poured in a chilled pint glass...

Appearance - VERY NICE pouring beer, glass fills about 3/4 head then works its way down. Head is slightly brown and very "foamy" type. Head lasted a long time and was down to about 1/2 an inch within 5 minutes. Very nice carbonation and a gorgeous amber red colour appearance.

Smell - nice combination of hops and vanilla/pepper scents. Beer is warming and inviting one to drink based on the smell

Taste - nice tasting beer, very sweet taste right at the start then polishes off to a slight bitter. Again, i feel the vanilla, maybe caramel taste comes through right away. Slight bitter taste near the end, alcohol is seamless.

Mouthfeel - nice mouthfeel to this beer, come carbonation, the hops are really present. considering there is still head on the beer at this point, it actually had a light presents in my mouth. The bitterness at the end seems a little more active.

Drinkability - I am really impressed with this beer. From the appearance to the tasting, this was a full package beer. Something i would seek out and have on hand. It pours nice and serves well.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 00:59:16 | More by Swedes21