Trappist Achel 8° Blond - Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse

bmwats

Louisiana

4.11/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 33 cl bottle into a Westy chalice.

A: Hazy golden hue. Pours about a 2 finger, frothy, white head. Some effervescence clings to the sides of the glass. Craters slowly and unevenly leaving little peaks and valleys, and plenty of dry sticky residue behind as it does. Never fully dissipates. Thick, persistent lacing.

S: Hay, wheat, and lots o' yeast.

T: Yeast and hay with a touch of lemon zest and grapefruit.

M: Crisp and hearty. Yeasty aftertaste lingers throughout. A bit of a coppery finish.

D: Sip and love.

Atmosphere is really good. Hazy and golden, with a substantial head, and lots of thick lacing. Nose is yeasty and hearty. Grainy flavor, very yeasty, accentuated with a citrus tones. Overall, this is a great quaff.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 06:01:02 | More by bmwats

RaphaelSC

Brazil

4.39/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a golden yellow with a thick white head.

S: Fruity and sweet, with some cinnamon and spices.

T: Follows the smell with a fruity and spice flavour, has a good carbonation and hides the alcohol well.

M: The carbonation don't interfere in the aftertaste that is rich and complex with a mix of fruity and moderate bitterness.

O: Achel 8 is a Trappist Trippel of high class, very smooth and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 16:03:38 | More by RaphaelSC

bump8628

Oklahoma

4.31/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Nearly clear gold with a creamy white head that remains dense throughout the session. Excellent balance between fruity esters, hop spice, and a slightly rustic but crisp malt. Faint banana, coriander, nutmeg, pear, black pepper, with a slightly chalky bitterness. Dry and airy in the mouth. Goes down way too easy. An excellent Trappist ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 00:30:45 | More by bump8628

alex_hart

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

appearance: a translucent orangey yellow with a half finger snow, white head that quickly dissipates to a thin layer. Extremely high carbonation visible.

Smell: Pretty simple. Belgian yeast, a bit of sweetness, and a slight wheatiness.

Taste: Much of the same. Pretty simple in flavor, but it is successful in its subtleties.

Mouthfeel: Great carbonation upon the tongue with little to no residue left in the mouth upon the swallow.

Overall: This is a good tripel, not great, but good. Not sure it is worth the $5 per 12oz price tag, but if you have the extra cash, go for it.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:15:39 | More by alex_hart

ZethOfTheNorth

Louisiana

3.48/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle, $4.

This was matched against Chimay White in the first round of my all-triple bracket.

A: Opaque gold, a shade lighter than the Chimay. Extremely clumpy, cloudlike head and a swirling sediment cloud just below it. No visible carbonation, but it's a storm in there.

S: Sweet bread, honey, red bean paste, and an unappealing plastic flavor.

T: Initial prominent sweet bun taste, unpleasant to this reviewer. It spreads out and improves somewhat, but remains problematically sweet even through the multiple layers. A tick of booze at the end.

M: Nice and full, appropriate carbonation.

O: A disappointment for a Trappist tripel and the resounding loser to Chimay White, which I scored 4.23. The unappealing plasticky sweetness is the memorable feature, and that's a drag,

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 16:02:54 | More by ZethOfTheNorth

Parrotshake

Australia

2.68/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Aside from Westvleteren I thought I'd tried at least one beer from every Trappist brewery until I saw this in the store this evening and realised I've never had an Achel beer either. Off we go, then.

Pours a clear... golden colour. Cripes. For some reason I thought I'd bought the Brune. Huge marshmallowy head and lots of little bubbles, looks good at any rate. Smells nice too. Candi sugar, underripe peach, sweet spices, something a bit vinuous.

Taste is a bit of a shock at first. Boy this is sweet. Hard candy, cantaloupe, wet grain and entirely too little spice. A bit of bready pale malt presence but not enough to stop it from being super cloying. Not really noticing the alcohol but in this case it might have given it a bit of sharpness that it seems to want for. Nice finish of medicinal herbs takes your mind off the sweetness until the next sip, which is admirable.

Mouthfeel is a bit sluggish, could use a bit more carbonation, but not bad for the style. Overall a bit of a sweet mess. I wouldn't know what to do with another bottle of this. The kind of thing that that gives Tripels a bad name.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 16:45:52 | More by Parrotshake

Douberd

Netherlands

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330 ml brown bottle, at home. Poured into a tulip glass. I have this bottle for almost one year in my cellar. ABV 8%. Slighty hazy, deep orange colour. On top, two fingers of snow white, sopay head, very good retention. Leaves light lacing around the glass. Aroma was all malts when I opened the bottle, now that it sits in the glass, aroma is fruity, a bit yeasty, some notes of the alcohol too. Very nice flavour, very complex as well. Quite bitter, even from the beginning. Again, lots of fruity notes, a bit of malts. Aftertaste is sharply bitter. Alcohol very well hidden.Great. Full body, a biting carbonation, but only for a second.Quite dry on the palate. Overall, a very good belgian strong ale, the amount of bitterness surprised me on this one. Very refreshing and drinkable, in spite of the high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 17:22:00 | More by Douberd

Maakun

Afghanistan

4.3/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

In Orval glass. Nice light copper color with big white head.

Smell is yeasty, freshly baked cakes, hint of cloves, young banana,

Taste: quite light, yeasty, malts, some spices and then some touches of barely ripe fruits. Light hops and some grapefruit. Aftertase is slighty bitter with light sour notes.

Mouth is medium with really nice carbonation, very good.

Overall: quite complex and very well balanced. A lot of blondes tend to be very big on one note, this one balances a lot of the common blonce notes very well, so it's a real winner in the style for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 19:13:21 | More by Maakun

CStrife187

North Carolina

4.21/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 33cl Bottle into a pint glass

A - Pours a cloudy golden amber with a thick, white, fluffy head. The head sticks around for a good while and leaves behind quite a bit of lacing.

S - Herbed banana bread. Delicious. Definite ester fruit smells with wheat and a hint of clove.

T - Sweet light fruit up front followed by a full, crusty bread flavor. Finishes with a hint of clove and hop bitterness. Very well balanced from front to back. Leaves behind a faint pleasantly bitter aftertaste. VERY smooth for 8% ABV.

M - Fairly heavily carbonated in the beginning, but smooths out over time. Feels fairly thick and bready. Matches the taste almost perfectly

O - I'm glad I didn't let this beer get too much age on it. It will be an interesting experiment to see how it tastes with a few months on it but I'm pretty sure what makes it good will start to fade. This was a great blonde and I'll definitely seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 14:07:39 | More by CStrife187

DoubleJ

California

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

....wait, how have I avoided the Achel line so long? I'll bring in the Hardy boys for that mystery, but for tasting the beer, that's my case. From a 330 ml bottle, on to the beer:

This is a looker. A lovely fluffy head sits on top a golden color of liquid. Retention is very good; it caves at a few spots, giving it a rocky look. The lacing is a show, caking around the glass. Its nose is sweet in the form of toasted sugar and candied apricot, to a blandish note of soaked grain.

Almost there among the typical good Belgian tripel. The one aspect which takes it down a notch is the alcohol is a distraction with its echoing ethanol bite. Regarding the tasting notes, sugared apricots lead the way. A pleasant peppery accent works well with the profile and helps balance the beer out. Its body is medium-full and airy, with a pleasant sizzle of carbonation.

Achel Blond is a fine tripel. "Middle of the road" by Belgian standards, which is no laughing matter. But I wonder if it weren't brewed by monks, would it retain its prestige?

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 06:41:00 | More by DoubleJ

tilopud_rye

4.98/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

In this year 2013 I found this beer on the shelf labeled sept 2009. I was sick at the time so waited til I could properly taste to open. Immediately upon opening the bottle it made a slight hiss then filled the air with the scent of apples. The smell changed slightly in the pour openingup notes of caramel, toffee, honey, smells as if it's going to have a very big thick flavor. Taste starts with a light bread flavor then tastes like there's mixed fruit jam on th bread- apple, raisin, plum, peach with sweet toffee candy on the end of the taste.slight alcohol aftertaste with sugars and candy lingering. The toffee caramel and sugar influence is heightened actually when the sediment is poured. It's an amber orange-brown color with bubbles rising from the bottom towards a thick head that starts 3 fingers and lowers while sipping but never goes away. More toffee and sugar flavor in the head- more bread and fruit jam taste in the liquid. An excellent drink- though I hear some people prefer a young bottle o this. Somewhat warped that my first experience is a 3 yr bottle but I'll remember this beer and come back to this review to compare a younger bottle

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 22:40:08 | More by tilopud_rye

kojevergas

California

2.68/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

11.2 fl oz brown glass bottle with white standard pressure cap served into a Trappist Westvleteren goblet (large format) in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are through the roof since it's trappist. 8% ABV confirmed.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food.

Some liquid started to surge out immediately upon opening, but we only lost a minute amount of foam.

A: Pours a three finger head of beige colour, decent thickness, slight cream, and fantastic retention for the high ABV as well as for the style. Body colour is an extremely hazy pale orange colour. Fairly vibrant. Nontransparent. Translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Champagne, HEAVY crystal malt, pale malts, clove, maybe light honey, and some assorted spices of such subtlety that I have trouble identifying them with me broken nose. A below average strength aroma.

T: Crystal malt, champagne/white sparkling wine notes, clove and other vague spices, pale malts, light specialty honey, and hints of yeast. Even a slight hint of very light funk. Incredibly light and refreshing for a tripel. Some notes of what tastes like what glass smells like - as though it's sat in the bottle too long; this off-flavour really hits the balance hard but I think my local bottle shop is mainly to blame. Metallic on the after-taste.

It's a tough call, but ultimately Achel should have more control over their distributors. These off flavours should not exist.

Mf: Delightfully light and tingly for a tripel; the mouthfeel is marvelous. Perfectly coarse and even a bit dry like a fine champagne or sparkling wine. Very light on the palate but with adequate presence. Ideal carbonation.

Dr: The off-flavours ruin it, but I can tell there's a good beer lurking beneath. I just wish Achel had better quality control. My local bottle shop is usually quite trustworthy, but this is a severe disappointment. I'll be revisiting this beer.

C-

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 01:14:37 | More by kojevergas

blakelive784

Colorado

2.65/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

11.2 fl oz brown glass bottle served in a goblet, reviewed live:

A - Pours a cloudy golden yellow color with a fizzy, champagne-esque head of three fingers. Retention is average.

S - Candi sugar, crystal malts light clove, yeast, and light lemon notes. Mild in strength.

T - I try to ignore the off flavors, but I think this bottle is a bit too old. Delicate pale malts and light yeast are obscured by a medicinal quality and a metallic aftertaste. The abv is entirely too noticeable. This probably is a good beer.... but based on this sampling I can't judge.

M - Crisp and light bodied. Dry. Would work well.

D - I'll give it another chance sometime.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 01:14:36 | More by blakelive784

FLima

Brazil

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pale yellow golden color, a bit cloudy. Head couldn’t be more abundant, very thick with long retention, eternity would be more appropriate. Very interesting aspect, it left a rounded mountain of head in the middle of the glass and laces all over the walls.
Mild aroma of yeast and condiments, touches of bananas and citrus.
Flavorful and refreshing taste. Perfect sweetness level from its malts, with hints of cloves, citrus, tropical fruits, pepper and yeast. The 8% ABV is in harmony. Last pour was quite strong on the banana given the residual yeast.
Aftertaste is dry and mildly bitter with its residual taste. Light body with a good carbonation.
A Trappist with higher drinkability than average, refreshing and still packed with flavors and spices, to a moderate level, which is good for a change.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 13:35:16 | More by FLima

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From the 330 ml. bottle stamped 29/08/13-29H-3:39. Sampled December 24, 2012.

The color is a murky golden yellow with a delicate and soft foamy white head that laces and laces.

The aroma is complex. It is both pungent and mellow with Belgian pale malts, Belgian sugars, yeast, clove, and a touch of citrus zing.

The body falls into the medium range and it is also creamy but it does not holds its consistency too long on my tongue.

The taste is similar to the nose but with a powerful pepper character and a moderate bitterness that lingers for a long while. It has the kind characteristics I like in a Trappist Ale but it has a bit more bite to it than others.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 22:38:51 | More by puboflyons

spoony

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From an 11.2 oz bottle into a chalice. The bottle has a best by date of sometime in 2013 (I couldn't read the other digits).

A-The beer is bright and hay colored with two fingers of dense, off-white foam on top. The head never completely dissipates and leaves chunky lacing on the glass.

S-The first whiff produces a huge, sweet hit of mushy, overripe bananas backed up by a spicy, slightly medicinal alcoholic note of white pepper. The fruitiness mellows a bit with time, but never completely disappears. Sugar is well-represented, as is bready yeast.

T-The brew has a paler, more bitter and herbal taste than the smell would indicate. You still get some of that banana/clove fruitiness, but hops provide a slightly more grassy flavor that I did not really pick up in the smell. The yeast is dry and slightly chalky.

M-The carbonation is very fine and brew has a creamy feel that devolves to almost watery by the finish.

O-I found this to be an above-average beer, but not in the same league as my favorite tripels (Karmeliet, Fin du Monde, or Tank 7, for example). The flavors are solid, but not as well-integrated as the leading beers of this style and the mouthfeel was a little lacking. My criticisms, however, are all relative, and I would readily drink this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 03:21:02 | More by spoony

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Strong, malty aroma has a fruity overtone that is crisp and cider-like rather than sweet. Pours a bubbly clear solar yellow with a thick, fluffy white head. Crisp, malty flavor has a firm fruity note, mostly apple with a hint of pear, and a hoppy green wood undertone, just a little bitterness. Smooth flavor has good body and plenty of tingle. You go, monks!

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 02:47:34 | More by Cyberkedi

magictacosinus

California

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into chalice from an 11.2oz bottle. Freshness date is "29/08/13," but I purchased this in France around early December.

Pours a delightful golden, pale yellow color that's clear and barely filtered looking, even with the inclusion of yeast. There's a generous head that lasts the entire time in which the beer was consumed, which is fantastic considering there's barely any carbonation, as well as a relatively high ABV. Inviting as a top Trappist product should be.

Scents are fruity and herby all around, but there's a huge backdrop of sweetness no doubt produced by the alcohol quantity. Chardonnay grapes seem to permeate, as well as banana, pineapple, and lots of other tropical fruit. There's no malty whiff to speak of, which is fine by me, and it definitely is aromatic enough to hold up well.

The initial flavor is anything but alcoholic, but instead quite yeasty and sugary. The tropical fruit flavor continues, but definitely seems to reach levels I haven't encountered before in any Trappist product - or hell, tripel for that matter - which includes mango, passion fruit, and definite notes of banana. Hops persist and spice up the beer, but only so much. There's a bit of an alcoholic burn at the back, but it's warming and toasty overall. There's substantial carbonation jets with every sip, and it's thick and syrupy no matter how it warms up. The proof is in the never-ending head!

A great tripel, and while I wouldn't rate it higher than Westmalle's, it's still one that I enjoyably return to again. I love the fruitiness, but the excessive sugary taste over a more bitter option might make it considerably less enjoyable over time. Still a good starter for people wanting to try nice Belgian beers!

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 07:39:43 | More by magictacosinus

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Will pour a five+ finger cream head that fades quickly leaving some lace. Cloudy amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Apple and Belgian yeast nose and flavor is light fruit, light malt and Belgian yeast. Good but not great Trappist. $4.49 for a 330ml bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 22:30:07 | More by jdhilt

Philousa

California

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best by date: 15/2/14.

Pours a crystal clear metallic gold wit hbillowy head that settles to cover the top with a single layer of bubbles. Aromas starts with big clove, allspice, banana with honey and nectar sweetness over a Belgian barley malt bill. Smells sweet with candied or beet sugar. Some floral element in the sweetness from the yeast, I'd bet. Flavor starts sweet and carries through the tasting experience. Tart Belgian malt pairs with bitterness from noble hops, which compliments the sugar. Seems like Achel knows how to balance the trio. Much more pungent with the yeast poured in, more bready too. To be expected I suppose. Better body, too. I always like a Belgian with the bottling yeast. Finish is dry but not too dry. Mouthfeel is middling.

Very crisp and clean without yeast, this turns into a bigger, more balanced beer. Different experience for sure, and both are interesting, though I'd add the yeast from the start next time. Can't beat that aroma and more balanced mouthfeel with the yeast. While this is a great Tripel, it's overpriced considering St. Bernardus is a couple dollars cheaper and tastes better.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 00:44:33 | More by Philousa

superspak

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330 ml bottle into chalice, best by 7/5/2013. Pours hazy golden amber color with a very nice 2 -3 finger fluffy white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some nice thick foamy lacing clings to the glass, with a lot of carbonation streaming up retaining the head. Aromas of pear, pepper, apple, herbal, clove, banana, bread, candi sugar, grass, earth, and yeast spices. Very nice aromas with nice balance and complexity. Taste of apple, pear, banana, clove, pepper, bread, earth, grass, candi sugar, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of light fruits, clove, pepper, bread, candi sugar, clove, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Great flavor balance and complexity; with no cloying flavors at all, very crisp. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a lightly slick and very crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very excellent tripel! Great flavor complexity and balance; and very smooth and crisp to sip on. Really enjoyed this one. I also had a bottle that was 3 years older recently, and this fresher bottle was far superior.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 05:43:29 | More by superspak

neophilus

Massachusetts

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

A solid wall of white foam explodes when I pour this beer. Brilliant golden color, very clear, stream of tiny bubbles marching to the top. Thick, rocky foam head floats on top, tremendous lacing clings to the sides of the glass.

Grainy cereal aroma topped off with a little bit of boozy heat. Then, slowly, subtle esters are coaxed out of the glass. Rich, fragrant aroma of banana, pears and peach emerge tied together with spicy hints of clove. A veritable fruit basket on the nose.

Spicy on the tongue, with a little bit of heat. Heavy dose of sweetness and then cloves. Flavor is predominantly toasted cracker malt with some grassy hop bitterness. Some metallic taste coming through as well.

Thinner than I was expecting - sweet and thin as it goes down. Some residual dryness in the aftertaste but not much against the initial sweetness.

There is an odd metallic taste that slips through repeatedly and I can't put my finger on it, but it is very distracting from an otherwise solid beer. It's like sucking on a copper penny.

This is a very drinkable beer. I was left wanting for more flavor - the aroma promises so much but the taste is an odd combo of dry cracker and sweet malt. After a while though if you're not over-analyzing it, it starts to go down real smooth and refreshing. It masks the 8% abv very well, but the copper penny taste drags it down a notch.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 02:32:52 | More by neophilus

NardiByNature

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pale, clear gold with a pearly white head, sticky lacing, and it’s all around attractive. Pretty clear for a tripel. Nose is nice – usual suspects like green apple and that phenol smell that reminds you of aspirin, powder, etc. The taste takes a nice turn in that it’s sort of herbal and bitter in addition to the typical fruity, chalky tripel-ey taste. Mouthfeel is a little fizzy. Tasty beer but nothing to write home about. I appreciated its appearance and nose the most.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 22:09:23 | More by NardiByNature

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle. Achel Chalice glass. Revisited on jul´12. Pours shining gold in color. Hazy & glowing appearance. Off-white, very small size bubbled, froth. Thick crown & fairly good retention. As expected, complex aroma profile: Belgian yeast, ripe fruits, floral/herbal notes, spices, brown sugar & alcohol to the nose. Flavors are: pale malts & subtle bready touch, medicinal/phenolic hues, warming alcohol with fruity/spiced hints. Medium but viscous body. Moderate carbonation. Slightly citric bitterness is shown to the finish. Highly recommended as every Trappist beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 20:21:18 | More by GONZALOYANNA

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle poured into a 14.9oz goblet.

A - Pours a medium golden-yellow hue with a bubbly but sticky white head. Effervescent and hazy with lots of yeast. The head slowly settles down to a thick layer of frothy white foam that stubbornly clings to every bit of glass it can touch, resulting in a thorough sheet of sticky white lacing. Looks pretty great.

S - Spicy and grassy, with some sweet pale malt in the base. Bready malt and yeast character are reserved, but present. Some subtle citric notes here and there with some fruit as well; namely pears and white grapes. Light hops and a touch of booze are detectable. Some bubblegum, sweetness and yeast become more apparent as it opens up.

T - Pretty basic for the style. A fair helping of bready, pale malt upfront, with grassy hops, Belgian spices, and some subtle fruits in the finish. Yeast is more prominent than expected as well. Notes of citric rind, white grape, and grassy hops linger in the finish. Mild boozy character, although it isn't really obtrusive in any way. Sweetens up as it warms. Simple, tasty, and very drinkable profile.

M - A weak point for sure. Over-carbonated to the point where it stings my lips, throat, and I can feel it bubbling in my stomach as I drink. I find this surprising as I often find Belgian ale to be exceptionally smooth, with very fine, understated carbonation; but not this one. Other than that this is pretty typical. Medium bodied, slightly dry, and after a while a film of yeast builds on the palate.

D - Other than the blatant over-carbonation, this is an all around solid, drinkable tripel. As a side note, I'm beginning to think lacing is really dependant on the glassware used. I typically use a tulip or balloon shaped goblet for beer like this, and don't usually see a ton of lacing... but this glass, which has sides that are more vertical seems to allow for much more lacing to occur... Anyways, a solid beer save for the one carbonation flaw.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 15:30:16 | More by Converge