Val-Dieu Triple - Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

Jason

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: Short stubby 11.2 brown bottle with no freshness date.

Appearance: Bright and glowing golden hue, haze from both the yeast and chill haze are very light. Thin powdery white lace leaves a beautiful trail down the glass.

Smell: Ripe pear, raw honey and peppery phenols rise into the nostrils. Spicy sweet estery alcohol intoxicates the nose.

Taste: Smooth and creamy with a fluffy crispness upfront. Delicate and supple medium body curls around the tongue with a medium to high carbonation. Esters are solid but not flamboyant. Sweetness pushes forth with ripe fruit and pale honey. Fruitiness is light yet expressive with hints of pear and tangerine. Hop bitterness cuts through a bit and a bite from the yeast tries to keep things in balance also. Slight phenolic peppery flavour adds an enjoyable contrast to the sweetness. Phenolic flavours stay with the finish so the sweetness does not appear to dominant.

Notes: Incredibly easy to drink and dangerous at that being a triple. Very well balanced with a clean palate even with the esters and phenols running around the taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2002 19:48:46 | More by Jason

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

05-12-2013 12:00:16 | More by RedneckBeerz

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Best before May 4, 2013. Served in a Rochefort chalice.

Terribly decanted with chunky rock salt chips of yeast dredge. Color is a very cloudy yellow-brown ochre. Head looks solid. Lacing is committed.

Bready and wine-y. Notes of Zinfandel, huge clove, floral esters, tangelo, pineapple, wheat malts, booziness, pear, and hints of artificial cinnamon. Ridiculously complex. Lightly white grape-y yet spicy.

Heavyweight clove, sweet Hawaiian bread, apricot, honey, pear, artificial cinnamon, and booze. Sweet and rich. Love the honeyed flavors. Yeasts aren't over the top. A great tripel.

Filled out in the mouth. Lightly sticky, quite spicy. Tingling carbonic sensation.

Very impressed by Val Dieu. Highly recommended for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 14:57:12 | More by thecheapies

JSkone09

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +15.3%

04-28-2013 20:38:16 | More by JSkone09

randylangford

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

04-26-2013 22:32:00 | More by randylangford

phpfunk

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

04-24-2013 00:39:07 | More by phpfunk

beerthirtysa

Texas

4.26/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a: cloudy, lemon-colored appearance. white, fairly long lasting head. creamy appearance.

s: lemon peel, grass, alcohol, malt, phenols, maybe a little butter back there.

t: fantastically well blended taste. extremely smooth and well-balanced. hints of aromatic spice, grassy flavors, underlain by a sprightly malt with mild hops. very little alcohol flavor, even at the finish.

m: slightly more effervescent than other triples I've had. creamy and tongue tickling.

o: taste is a definite 5. Hindered by the slightly better than average appearance and smell, this is definitely one of my favorite triples.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 19:33:11 | More by beerthirtysa

kwa357

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

04-21-2013 13:47:37 | More by kwa357

bacasnax

Florida

4/5  rDev -2.9%

04-02-2013 00:25:42 | More by bacasnax

Kuromaru

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

03-28-2013 18:28:23 | More by Kuromaru

alysmith4

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -9%

03-21-2013 18:21:05 | More by alysmith4

spycow

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

03-11-2013 04:40:47 | More by spycow

FLima

Brazil

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Amber color. Poured a two finger head with good retention.
Aroma of caramel, banana, licorice and matured tangerines.
Sweet fruity flavor with notes of caramel, again matured tangerines, pears, condiments, liquor soaked apricots and Belgian yeast with hints of flowers, white wine and earth. Mild dry and refreshing spearmint type aftertaste.
Medium body with low carbonation. Smooth feeling. 9% ABV is felt but improves the experience.
A bit too sweet for my taste but appropriate for the style. This is a beer that definitely improves with temperature. Very good Tripel.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 22:33:57 | More by FLima

VoodooBear

Puerto Rico

4.36/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 11.2 oz. stubby brown bottle. Served in an oversized wine glass.

Appearance: Thick, one and a half finger head that goes down to a thin ring and stays all the way to the end. It has a nice gold color and leaves some great lacing.

Smell: Sweet fruit aroma complemented by some spices, pretty much sums it up. A faint alcohol smell is in there as well.

Taste: A sweet fruit taste is dominant, with a strong alcohol kick a hint of hop bitterness at the end.

Mouthfeel: It's medium bodied with average carbonation. Creamy, smooth, and easy to drink.

Overall: The sweet taste and smell combined, and the fact that this is a very easy to drink brew, are misleading. Not that this is a bad thing, but it's something most people don't expect on a beer with a this high of an alcohol content. But that's what gives it such amazing character and feel. This is a must try.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 19:36:45 | More by VoodooBear

djrn2

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -9%

02-28-2013 22:19:13 | More by djrn2

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.01/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Served an orange yellow colored brew with only a tiny white head floating atop the brew. The small head fades rather fast to leave only a light level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is fruity and sweet with notes of biscuit and doughy bread. The fruity aromas are of banana, apricot, peach and some apple. Mixed with these aromas are a lighter yeasty and spice smell as well as a little bit of earthy smell.

Taste – The taste starts out with a mix of a bready flavor as well as a strong fruit showing. The fruity flavors are all quite light (in color) in nature with apricot and peach the strongest, but mixed with other flavors of orange and tangerine. A banana flavor comes to the tongue more toward the middle and at the end. The banana flavor is accompanied by some sweeter honey flavors as well as notes of coriander and pepper. Toward the end the spice flavors grow more intense and are joined by a lighter alcohol boozy flavor, which leaves a warming and fruity spiced flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the average to slightly below average side for a 9% abv triple with a carbonation level that is a bit on the lower side. The thinner body was quite nice for all the fruit flavors of the beer as well as the drinkability, although a little more carbonation may have been a bit for fitting for the flavors.

Overall – A quite enjoyable triple with sweeter fruit flavors and just enough boozy, spicy and bready flavors to balance out all the fruit. Quite tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2013 01:30:24 | More by Darkmagus82

Philousa

California

3.49/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A golden, tawny yellow beverage, pours very clear and has carbonation to spare. The myriad streams of bubbles float to the top and replenish the two finger head as quickly as the top bubbles burst. The foam seems endless and hasn't subsided for at least a minute since I poured the beer. Settles soon after, but bubbles keep coming. Seems like it's putting on a show. A sweet juice, champagne-like aroma starts things out along with sweet, light fruit: pear & green apple. A mild steely metal aroma lingers underneath. There is a pungent, strong dough aroma that comes though occasionally. Lots of flavors hit at once: sweet fruit described earlier, doughy German pretzel, thin, metallic flavor that often accompanies high gravity pilsner malts, and an earthy bitterness that grows towards the end and lingers on the back of the tongue. Feel is slightly viscous and finish is decidedly dry. Both appropriate for the style.

Though I'm growing weary of Tripels, after having discovered that St. Bernardus makes the best one, this is truly interesting considering it has a limited range. Remind me of champagne so much that MGD should be sued for their "champagne of beers" slogan.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 04:34:42 | More by Philousa

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

02-05-2013 18:42:34 | More by DmanGTR

jmann40

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +21.4%

02-05-2013 02:28:27 | More by jmann40

Chrily

Norway

3.75/5  rDev -9%

01-28-2013 11:07:29 | More by Chrily

JeffreyJDavis

North Carolina

4.44/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Have had this Tripel a few times and figured it's time for a proper review.

Poured from a corked 750ml into a Rhone wine glass.

A: Very nice golden straw color with minor cloudiness but no real visible turbidity. Solid 2-3 finger head from a fairly aggressive pour. Dissipated quickly but laced well. Good looking.

S: Nice nose, but I would comment that from aroma and taste, this beer is on the breadier end of Tripels. I don't get a ton of fruit I might expect in the nose, but a nice bready maltiness and and very appealing yeast profile. Faint honey , vanilla and Belgian candy sugar.

T: Again , very nice Tripel with an amazing yeast profile, but maltier and breadier than many. Light apricot and pineapple, but mostly a solidly balanced biscuity yeasty basket of flavors. Slightly peppery with a bit of booziness in the finish.

MF: Typical Tripel, Crisp and Smooth, on the light side of medium. Refreshing.

Overall: A very nice tripel, though I would put it a bit on the simpler end of the spectrum. I miss a little of the typical fruitiness one might expect from the style. But a very appealing yeast signature which makes it a very solid beer with its own personality.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 23:49:17 | More by JeffreyJDavis

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.48/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From the big corked bottle...poured in small Val-Dieu glass that comes with the 2012 gift pack.
Large white head with lots of lace that lasts.
Light gold color
Aroma of amber malt, grass, bread, lemon-lime spritz.
Flavors of rich amber malts, powdered sugar, citrus zest, French bread crust. Also, subtle funk, minerals, alcohol and melon. Very subtle clove, pear, banana, and white pepper.

I should admit I represented them through the importer in 2006 in California, and have drunk a good amount of Val-Dieu, in corked and small bottles, and sometimes on tap. I love this beer mostly because their yeast is lovely...similar to St Bernardus (whom I also represented) and others. One of my favorites with La Rulles, New Belgium, Unibroue, Allagash....
Rich, full bodied, pleasant complexity...rather easy to drink despite 9% abv. There is a layer of particulates at the bottom, but usually you have to go quite a ways through the bottle to get them agitated.
... Final note: This is my first beer of the night and I've got it to myself. Lots of times in tasting sessions you get a 2 ounce pour and move on, and I can see this in some reviews of any corked beer. You miss the story of a bottle of cork conditioned beer...it pays to in enjoyment to drink a great corked beer over an hour, plus or minus!!
With this beer, near the end, the head and thick lace remains. The gift pack Val-Dieu glass seemed small at the time, but has served wonderfully, keeping the head and keeping me aware when my glass ran low, because I wanted more. The final pour included all the sediment, and became like a good wit in color and with no large floaty chunks. The only taste addition was of subtle yeast complexity. A lovely brew, even cloudy, from start to finish...ayieee!!

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 05:43:42 | More by DenverLogan

Bix

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

01-21-2013 18:58:37 | More by Bix

Docrock

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

poured from 11.2 oz bottle into Westy Chalice.

A - poured a reddish golden brown almost amber with a slight haze, nice 1" head that slowly dissipated into a 1/4" cap that lasted for quite a long time. No discernible lacing.

S - an enjoyable combination of Montmorency Cherry, Comice Pear and Honey, Hay, and light Pepper.

T - earthy breadiness with just a hint of the fruit characters, minimal hops and a slight lingering malt aftertaste.

M - smooth and boozy, carbonation is appropriate and not overdone.

O - I really enjoy this beer, will be buying some more the next chance I get. Definitely going to remain in the Belgian Tripel stable for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 02:09:01 | More by Docrock

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

4.21/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

P: Cloudy golden apricot body with a vast population of floating specks. Good retention on the frothy white head that leaves wet micro bubble lacing.

S: Dried apricots, figs, bing cherries, toasted caramel, earthy yeast, dry hay, lilacs, camomile and subtle peppery spice. Smells like an old wooden crate of fruit.

T/M: Follows the nose and has a medicinal finish. Earthy, fruit and herbs combine to create a trifecta of flavor. Once warm medicinal booze becomes more prevalent. Lush creamy feel with gentle massaging effervesce. Finish is semi dry with a musty influence. Lingering bitter fruit peels.

O: A great musty triple that melds fruit and herbs together. The mouth feel us amazing and the bouquet of flavor tops the chart. Flavor is dialed in and delicate. This is one that I will have to enjoy again soon. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 00:02:15 | More by Hopswagger