Tripel Nova - Ale Asylum

Vitals:

Name: Tripel Nova

Style: Belgian Tripel

IBU: ??

ABV: 10%

Gravity: ??

Purchased at: Riley's Wines of the World

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a very light straw color with about a half-finger of head that is bone white. Poor retention, with no cap or lacing...disappointing in regard. This beer is CRYSTAL clear - usually you get that yeasty/cloudy look in a tripel, but this is incredibly clear.

Smell: Smells great - mostly overripe banana and oranges, with a tiny bit of piney aroma. What strikes me most is the softness of the Belgian yeast notes...you don't get nearly as much spiciness or nearly the amount of Belgian funk that you normally do. Good, soft nose on this one...

Taste: VERY sweet up front and you actually get the alcohol warmth coming on in the middle of the taste (as opposed to most beers, which normally have it at the finish...in my experience at least). It actually does a reasonably good job of hiding the 10% ABV (YES, 10% ABV...wow! have one of these and go about the rest of your evening...these will lay you out!). You get the overripe banana and orange tastes as well, which pair nicely with some other esters. The taste follows the nose with the yeast/spice aspect, which is good and different...it seems almost like the normal spice is replaced with a honey-like sweetness.

Mouthfeel: This is rather thin for the style, but still retains a little bit of creaminess...not too much carbonation. This is definitely not typical, but is pretty good in all aspects.

Overall Grade: B+

Comments: Very good triple...not quite "Belgian" though. This is a lot different than most tripels I have had, but it's pretty darn good IMHO. Check it out! Another good Ale Asylum brew.

Cheers,

Hurls

Abbey Triple - Sprecher Brewing Company

Vitals:

Name: Abbey Triple (yes they spelled it different than the style)

Style: Belgian Tripel

IBU: 13

ABV: 8.41%

Gravity: 19 deg. Plato --> 1.076 OG

Purchased at: Riley's Wines of the World

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a dark orange, almost a University of Texas burnt orange. ZERO head on this beer, no cap, no lace, NOTHING...so weird. Seems very lightly carbonated, translucent and hazy. To be honest, this looks quite lackluster.

Smell: Fruity (banana) and spicy (cloves) with some yeastiness. Smells good but there's not too much else here. Maybe some other fruits on the nose and there is definitely a faint alcohol smell to it. Smells good but nothing else special.

Taste: Starts with very sweet notes (maybe caramel?) and the fruity banana kick which turns over with the spicy clove and slight bite of alcohol. You get some of the good old Belgian yeast flavor, which is good. Leaves you with a sugary and boozy aftertaste; slight detractor. The middle of this beer is very strong and then fades out, but you get some alcohol heat...hides it's ABV very marginally at best.

Mouthfeel: Lighter side of a medium bodied beer and not much carbonation. Provides the interesting spice/alcohol heat which is interesting...I can't figure out if I like that or not. That feeling rolls down the back of your throat throughout the experience.

Overall Grade: B

Comments: I had this at Quivey's Grove Beerfest last year and thought it was amazing. Now, placing it in context, with more experience with different styles, I think it's still a solid beer, but not as complex as I remember it. At ~$8 for 4 pints it's not a bad deal and is a slight step up from Leffe Blond. I still prefer Bedlam from Ale Asylum or Delirium Tremens if I'm having a Belgian beer at this point. Try it if you're interested, or if you're a Belgian beer connoisseur, but you can probably find something as good or better if you try.

Cheers,

Hurls