Val-Dieu Triple

Brewed By: Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu in Aubel, Belgium 

Purchased: 11.2oz/330ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel, 9.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Fuck Sunday nights. About Val-Dieu:

The Cistercian Abbey “Notre Dame du Val-Dieu” was founded in 1216 by monks from Hocht, near Maastricht (the capital city of the Dutch province of Limburg) and the county of Dalhem. The legend goes that the uninhabited valley into which they settled was so hostile the locals called it the "valley of the devil." The monks renamed it "Valley of God," or Val-Dieu in French. Val-Dieu was the only Belgian abbey to survive the French Revolution. Today, the abbey is still linked to the Cistercian Order, and the abbey of Lérins.  

According to Wikipedia, the abbey's original church was destroyed in 1287 during the War of Limburg Succession, and again in 1574 during the Eighty Years' War, and again in 1683 by the armies of Louis XIV. Under Abbot Jean Dubois, from 1711 to 1749, the abbey flourished, until the church was destroyed again in the French Revolution. 

The brewery (Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu) was established in 1997 at the abbey farm. Originally, the monks of Val-Dieu brewed beer to make the water drinkable and to avoid diseases like dysentery, cholera, and typhoid. The beers brewed at the abbey today are inspired by the original recipes of the monks. The abbey emphasizes basic ingredients, a rigorous brewing process, and straight up legit water from the regional Gileppe dam. For more info, check out the abbey's website, or the Val-Dieu website.

The The Val-Dieu Triple is the result of a long fermentation and lots of sugar...I dunno, the Val-Dieu website doesn't really elaborate very much, and why the fuck should they. If you are buying offbeat Abbey beers, odds are you know what a Tripel is.

Val-Dieu Triple

I shook this beer like a satanic baby prior to pouring it, but damn this is some dark, murky stuff. As you can see, the beer takes on a dark gold/brown body, and it's swampy and gritty. The head is pristine, all white and elegant and coming with two fingers. Oh, entendres. In bright light the beer is a hazy golden-orange. Head retention is nice, there's some lacing, and if you brave a full pour you'll see lots of suspended yeast in the mix. Good times.

Honestly, the aroma here is kind of one-dimensional. I'm getting a lot of floral notes, and HUGE apple juice. Lots and lots of apple juice. Along with the apple juice is some shades of raisin, wheat, and some clove. And that's about it.

The taste is creamy and smooth, and hides the booze magnificently. You wouldn't know this was punching in at 9.0%, and that's the intent. There's a lot of wheat notes in this, with some light bitterness towards the back, and some peppery/phenol spice. The front is loaded with lots of apples, some lemons, perfume, a touch of Belgian candi sugar, and hints of hop bitterness. Notably absent is any dominant orange, but I suppose that happens. 

I see now why they don't go into great lengths to describe this beer...this is very much standard stuff, if that. This has a creamy, smooth, medium-full mouthfeel. Palate depth is par the course, as is complexity. The 9.0% is hidden well, but the taste is mostly apples and wheat up front with creamy head; some creamy head and clove in the middle, with some growing apple/lemon hop bitterness; perfume/spices/phenol on the back, with lingering wheat and apples. The finish is a touch dusty, a touch dry, and works.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this beer. There's nothing going on here that exceeds expectations or anything like that. This works: it hides the booze well, has a rustic vibe, and finishes with a nice dusty/cellar twist. Aside from that, you get a lot of wheat, and some sweeter apples with hints of raisins and lemons. I would pair this beer with chicken or turkey, or a peppery steak, and some potatoes and carrots. This is about on par with the Val-Dieu Blond, but right now the Val-Dieu Brown/Brune/Dubbel is the clear winner.

Random Thought: I had the most amazing burger today at Au Cheval. The burger was greasy, dense, and topped with bacon and cheese. It was over-the-top and will be one of many things that results in my heart attack, but it was worth it.