Mike's Beer of the Week

Beer Information

Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus

Beer Name: Tripel

Beer Style: Tripel

Abv.: 8.0% 

Serving Glassware: Chalice

Serving Temp.: 45-50 deg. F. (BeerAdvocate.com)

Packaging: 750 mL bottle, 4-pk 12 oz bottles

Price: ~$10 (750 mL), ~$12 (12 oz)

Availability: Year Round

Pairings: Dessert (Angel Cake), Fruit (Peach)

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Mike's Ratings (1-5)

Overall Grade/Rate: A/4.43

Appearance: 4

Aroma: 4.5

Taste: 4.5

Mouthfeel: 4

Drinkability: 4.5

BeerAdvocate Avg. Rate: A-/4.24

Mike's Description

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a Chimay chalice...

Appearance - Pours with an inch of snow-white head and a bouquet of lace. Moderate head retention that lasts through roughly half the experience. Golden opaque tone.

Aroma - Strong and complex floral notes with characteristic Belgian spices ever-present. Slight hop bitterness, but the malty sweetness, that Tripels are famous for, balances the aromas out nicely.

Taste - The floral facet of this ale is present in the taste as well and the distinct Belgian spices are much more pronounced. The unique bottle-fermented yeast strain that Abbey Ales are celebrated for provides a solid backbone for this dessert-like beer.

Mouthfeel - The complex spices involved provide most of the lingering aftertaste that Belgian beer connoisseurs crave along with the supporting characteristic Belgian yeast. Some fruit lingers as well...mainly peach and maybe some raisin.

Drinkability - St. Bernardus satiates yet again! Aside from this Tripel, I've also had their Quad (Abt. 12), which is my favorite beer of all time. This beer comes close and is a perfect Tripel, in my opinion, followed by Unibroue's La Fin Du Monde. Highly recommended for those that appreciate sweeter dessert-style beers.