11.05 Belgian Tripel - Sawdust City (Canada - Ontario - Gravenhurst) 11.1%

11.05 Belgian Tripel - Sawdust City (Canada - Ontario - Gravenhurst) 11.1%

I enjoyed this beer on tap at the new (and fabulous IMO) Bar Lupulus in Ottawa on October 25th, 2017. It was served in a stemmed glass that really brought out the strong red hue and showed off the big frothy cream coloured head. The aroma was of light blossom and a touch of white raisins. A bit of apple but not much alcohol to my surprise.

Very sweet, alcohol buzz on the tongue at the first instant then a light hops and a fruity sourness intercepts the building sweetness. Fruit flavours (a discreet white wine-esque mix of sweet apple, grape and melon) and peppery notes become clear on subsequent sips.  Beyond the first impressions, the sweetness is not a prominent feature. 11.05 drinks as a lightly tart, lively beer that hides its jacked-up ABV well (dangerously well when cool) and has an aftertaste that I think is best described as barley candy but bitter.

None of the flavours take a pronounced lead in this beer and the result is a subtle and finely balanced Belgian Tripel. The brewer notes that the cans have Brettanomyces Bruxellensis added to them which will change the beer over time which sounds like a fun reason to buy several of them.

Chimay Blanche (Belgium)

Chimay Blanche (Belgium) 8.0%

Sweet, clear, subtle nectar aroma with light spice, tones of pear and light wood. Somewhat cloudy gold with a white, resilient head of foam.

The flavour is quite spicy, flowery touches to the nectar, hints of alcohol with similar light flavoured fruit touches (pear, white grapes) as were found in the aroma. This is an interesting Belgian Tripel as it has the lighter, flowery sweet flavours without that very sweet flavour and somewhat heavier texture of other Belgian Tripels.

Duvel Tripel Hop (2014) (Belgium)

 Duvel Tripel Hop (2014) (Belgium) 9.5%

Grassy, unripened mango, passionfruit hop laden aroma also with sweetness and a herbal hint typical of a less hoppy Tripel. A pale, cloudy gold in a glass with a frothy and resilient head of white foam.

Hoppy, bitter flavour at first, pine, sweet tangerine (got that from the Untappd description), something between the green (aka unripened) mango and passionfruit I got in the aroma but with a sweet herbal, floral finish of a Tripel. Interesting hops character and a flavour that is otherwise true to the Tripel style. Nice beer.

Maredsous 10° Tripel (Belgium)

Maredsous 10° Tripel (Belgium) 10.0%

A slightly reddish full gold colour, just barely cloudy with a large, creamy head of white foam. A sweet toasted malt and herbal aroma with hints of apple, pear, touches of alcohol and honey.

Honey and nectar-like sweetness, apple blossoms, toasty malt and a slightly herbal flavour; a bit of seeds of paradise and maybe even light licorice at times. The high alcohol is exposed at times and Maredsous 10° Tripel will certainly warm your chest but most of the time it doesn't taste like it is 10% ethanol.

Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel - Brasserie D'Achouffe (Belgium)

Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel - Brasserie D'Achouffe (Belgium) 9.0%

Gold, slightly cloudy in a glass with a big head of white and very light foam. A yeasty, nectar and herbal aroma with hints of mint and flowers. There is a bitterness of hops lingering in the background. The sediment at the bottom of the bottle is very fine but it does add to yeasty characteristic of this fine Belgian ale.

Bitter taste but also sweet and yeasty. Pine hops flavour without any sticky resin flavour; more like a dry bitterness that has flashes of pineapple to my taste. The pineapple may be as a result of mixing with some of the nectar and floral flavours of the yeast. The flavour is just what I expect from a Tripel: herbal yeast notes with floral hints while being sweet with some honey tones except it also has strong hops flavours and is not heavy on the tongue. In fact, many Belgian Golden Ales, Dubbels and Tripels are often a little syrupy (though in a good way) but I think Chouffe Houblon high alcohol content thins this beer a little so it plays lighter and thinner on the tongue, even though it is quite deliciously sweet. The bitterness of the hops also cleans out any very sweet highs. This is a really nice Belgian IPA or Double IPA if that's what they are calling it.

Gouden Carolus Tripel - Brouwerij Het Anker (Belgium) 9.0%

Gouden Carolus Tripel - Brouwerij Het Anker (Belgium) 9.0%

Very fruity bouquet. Frothy tasting with a lovely apricot taste and an alcohol burn. Mead like but pleasantly balanced. This Belgian Tripel is a great choice to try out how many Belgian brewers brew a beer without any fruit ingredients but that ends up tasting very fruity.