Victory Variety Pack Round-Up: Golden Monkey

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from Victory's Variety Pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American-style Tripel, 9.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

I realize that reviewing Victory's heritage brews is like reviewing Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale or Anchor Brewing's Anchor Steam. Here's the thing. The four beers contained in this Variety Pack (PrimaPils, HopDevil, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey) are classics in their own right. But the times, they've been a-changin'. So it reasons that what was once a classic might be viewed differently today than in retrospect. You know. Plus this is my blog/LiveJournal. If you don't like it, suck on deez nuts. But  About Victory: 

Victory Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The brewery was founded by Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski, two avid brewers and lovers of beer. Although Victory opened on February 15, 1996, the duo were brewing brewing beer long before opening their own company. You can read more about their accomplishments on the brewery's about page. The brewery uses German malted barley and European and American whole flower hops (the use of whole flower hops is one unique aspect of Victory). Victory is currently working on expanding to Parkesburg. For more information about Victory, check out their website or their Facebook page. 

The Golden Monkey is a big-ass, American-style Tripel brewed with 2-Row malts and whole flower European hops. They also throw some coriander seed into this one. This is another classic example of an American-style Tripel, albeit one that the Bros didn't like very much back in 2001/2002. Oh wells. 

This pours very much like its name implies: into a golden body, kicking up two fingers of dense, fluffy, golden-tinged head. This is nicely carbonated, and looks the part of a Tripel, albeit less cloudy than some of the Belgian ones. This is conditioned, however, and you do get some yeast sediment in your glass.

Victory Golden Monkey

The aroma here is also classic Tripel, with vibrant grains, clove, banana, funky yeast esters, and deep hops that include notes of citrus, lemon, and coriander. This actually smells really appetizing, especially for a fresh beer. Part of the allure of the style is that you get these aged bangers from Belgium, but us Americans tend to ratchet up the candy sugar and ride the booze and spice train.

This is super drinkable, with big clove and yeast funk crashing down like a tidal wave. It coats your entire tongue, and also delivers some really clean grain and bready notes. This is stupid drinkable, as the style should be, and you would never guess this is 9.5% until it knocked you on your ass. Along with all the clove is a ton of lemon, floral and grassy hops, and some notes that are probably wheat malts (but go unlisted on Victory's website). This is actually super clean, despite being a very straightforward affair.

And despite being straightforward, this has fulfilling palate depth and complexity. It's just big and drinkable and refreshing...without any of the bullshit. Granted, it's not very adventurous, but it doesn't hit you over the head with too much spice or any of that. It lays out the clove and big funky yeast; and then rolls into some coriander spice, dough, bread, banana esters, and big lemon and floral hops; the back end fades with wheat, more clove, and a surprisingly estery and bready finish. I like this beer a lot.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. I really like how simple but refined this beer is. It's not blowing anyone away, but this is a good effort for an American Tripel that has a few bells and whistles...namely a super smooth body, coupled with an insane amount of clove funk, and lots of depth and complexity. I'd bang this again, and pair it with some white pasta, meats, and cheeses. Fantastic, available brew. If you are stumbling onto this beer and are new to the Tripel style, check it out.

Random Thought: One more to go...

Une Année Tripel

Brewed By: Une Année Brewery in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 750ml (1 Pint 9.4 FL OZ) bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2014 (Batch 9 - 10.23.13)

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel, 8.7%

Reported IBUs: ?

Local Chicago Abbey Ales? Yes please. About Une Année:

Une Année is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois located near the intersection of Grand and Ashland in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor (three blocks from the Goose Island Fulton St. production brewery). The brewery was founded in early 2012 by Jerry Nelson, who is "an Architect, Marine, Siebel Institute Graduate, and Chicago native who started homebrewing in 1995 while stationed in California." Currently, Jerry is the head brewer along with Dustin Zimmerman, who also attended the Siebel Institute, and previously brewed at Hamburger Mary’s Andersonville and worked at Nøgne Ø. The name "Une Année" means "one year" in French, and was chosen to reinforce the two main ideas behind the brewery: a focus on Belgian and French style beer, and an emphasis on seasonal beers. For more info, check out the brewery's website.

Tonight's beer, the Une Année Tripel, has the disclaimer: "The Tripel is often considered the most approachable of Belgian ales." I don't know if that is true, but this subtle and boozy Strong Ale punches in at 8.7% and is described as having notes of big fruits, moderate spice, and hints of American hops poking through.

Une Année Tripel

This one pours into a swampy, dark orange/gold body, kicking up a finger of reluctant, off-white head. The head quickly settles into some cauldron bubbles for that nice cauldron effect, with sea foam head on the outer edges of the glass. When held to a bright light, this beer is a vibrant and juicy, hazy orange color. Looking through the beer from the top unlocks those sunset/sunrise tones, and it's kind of a beautiful thing to behold. The head is white with orange streaks, leaving clingy residuals and epic sheets of iceberg lacing. Honestly...it's a good looking Tripel and that's all she wrote.

Apparently Belgium doesn't have a gosh darn thing on Chicago, as this smells inviting with giant citrus splashes, orange, sliced orange, perfume phenols, clove and bubblegum funk, wheat, and boozy perfume. This smells legit like an Abbey Ale, and not at all on the fruity/raisin end of the wheat stick like some imports end up. I'm still not sure if that's an issue of freshness or what, but I know what I like in my Tripels and I'm getting that here.

I'm a little bit less impressed on the taste...but there's a clean elegance to this beer, and plenty of fruity notes in the realm of orange, orange candy, fruity wheat, apples/pear, apple slaw salad, perfume spice. This has a good amount of Belgian funk, with wheat and bubblegum showing up, and some kisses of clove. But the main feature here seems to be the citrus and the hop bitterness. This is definitely in the moderate to higher end of the hoppy Tripel spectrum, but I like it. I'm getting welcomed bitterness that adds a peppery and spicy accent to the alcohol. It kind of reminds me of the Maredsous 10 Tripel, which has some nice spicy booze. As does the New Belgium "Trippel."

At any rate...this is still seductive and hides the booze well. You don't get much of the 8.7%, which is why this style rocks. Give it to your kids/wife. I'm just kidding. Don't listen to me. This is medium-bodied, with good carbonation. It has some creaminess, and the wheat malts help add body. The bitterness from the hops plays off the bubblegum from the wheat, and you get a nice citrus-bubblegum thing that gets bitter like spent gum. I'm enjoying myself here. Palate depth is on point but the complexity lags a big. I mean...this is above-average stuff, but there's a lot of good Tripels out there. Up front: citrus, citrus candy, sweet citrus, perfume phenols, perfume citrus; the mids roll into more citrus, with the addition of some Belgian funk, clove, bubblegum, growing wheat, and hop bitterness; the back end imparts some nice bitterness, and rounds out with lingering orange and citrus. Boozy, peppery, phenolic spice then follows. This is...surprisingly good. This could be a local contender and something I would pick up on the regular. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is one of my favorite styles of beer, and I'm happy to report that they pretty much nailed it. Success! There's not much else to say here...except that I would totally pick this up again, especially at around $10 a bottle. This is a beer to pair with strong cheeses, grilled meats, grilled lamb, and for me tonight...chili. I actually wouldn't recommend pairing this with chili, but you know, I eat what I have on hand. 

Random Thought: I shaved my beard! All of it! AHHHH. I have good reason though...it's getting hot out. I think I'm gonna roll with the stubble look, only I'll probably look like a hobo instead of Ryan Gosling.

Goose Island The Ogden

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company (owned by AB InBev) in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Rayan's Discount Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on April 16, 2014)

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel, 9.0% 

Reported IBUs: 35

The Ogden is one of Goose Island's new beers, which includes their really solid The Illinois, their hoppy and accessible 312 Urban Pale Ale, their Endless IPA, and their Ten Hills Pale Ale. Is The Ogden up to snuff?

About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

The Ogden is a Belgian Tripel, which is a hard-hitting style known for being deceptively boozy and full of big, complex flavors. Goose Island's The Ogden is named after William Ogden, who opened Chicago's first brewery, and was also Chicago's first mayor. He also added the North Brand channel to the Chicago River, where Goose Island would eventually reside and take their name from. This beer is brewed with Citra, Brewers Gold, and Saaz hops; it is dry hopped with Brewers Gold and Citra hops as well. This one features a 2-Row malt base, and is fermented using Belgian Tripel yeast. At 9.0% and 35 IBUs, this is a big, bold beer.

Goose Island The Ogden

This beer pours out the part of a Tripel, into a picture perfect golden/yellow body with some orange tones. The beer kicks up a finger or two of perfectly white head. The head is white, wispy, and looks like clouds. As the head drops off, you get massive webs of lacing. In bright light, this beer is all yellow/gold, with lazy dots of mid-sized carbonation. The beer seems to be filtered or semi-filtered, and the head is vibrantly white. Again, this beer's appearance is the stuff you'd expect from a brewery like GI.

The aroma here is pretty hoppy, actually. This is definitely an American interpretation of a Tripel, with big orange, grapefruit, candied perfume, orange perfume, sugar, clove, banana, and bubblegum funk. The big Citra hops really come over the top, driving the bready malt backing and the clove/sugar/banana/bubblegum funk. It's not a bad aroma at all, especially if you like Citra hops.

Again, the taste is a nice continuation of the aroma, with big Citra splashes up front. I'm getting lots of orange and grapefruit, with big funky Belgian clove, bubblegum, light banana, and tons of sugary caramel. The finish is somewhat bready with lingering sugars. There's a perfume element that shows up in the middle and continues towards the end, and the end drops some mild alcohol warming and alcohol spice on the back of your throat. You also pick up some light grain.

This is full-bodied and feels substantial, which you want at 9.0%. This is remarkably drinkable and hides the alcohol well, but you know something is up here. Palate depth is just okay, and complexity seems a bit low for the style. While I'm enjoying the Citra hop aspect of this, I feel like the rest of the beer is somewhat simple in execution. You get those big Citra splashes up front with grapefruit and orange against a funky Belgian backdrop of clove, bubblegum, banana, and white sugar; the mids dial up the bready caramel, with some serious layers of sugar, candy sugar, and more dark sugar, with some more Belgian funk; the back end cleans up with some bread, grain, and lingering perfume notes. It's very solid, especially for the price. Probably a three point five. 

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'll go with a Strong Average here...when I first had this earlier today, I thought it was maybe too sweet. Now that I'm drinking it again, I think the sweetness is appropriate, especially for the style. This isn't a bad beer by any means, it's just missing that element I can't quite place a finger on. Having said that, at 9.0% this is big and boozy in all the right places. This is a beer begging to be paired with pizza or something doughy. Maybe pasta. My awesome girlfriend made pasta with a white artichoke sauce for dinner tonight, this beer would have paired wonderfully with it. 

Random Thought: Even though I'm not 100% sold on this beer, I'd be happy to see this beer on tap around town or at sporting events. Drinking one of these with a Bulls game? Yes please. 

De Proefbrouwerij / Cigar City Tropical Tripel

Brewed By: De Proefbrouwerij/Cigar City in Lochristi - Hijfte, Belgium  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Fischman Liquors and Tavern in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel, 9.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

I'm really excited about tonight's beer, which was a lucky find for me in the Chicago-land area. Tonight's beer is a "Tropical Tripel," a beer brewed with some of the best things in this earthly existence. But more on that in a minute...

De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot) aka "The Proef Brewery," is a Dutch/Flemish brewery founded in 1996 by Dirk Naudt and his wife, Saskia Waerniers. Their brewery is based out of Lochristi, Belgium. Aside from brewing their own beer, The Proef Brewery also contracts out their equipment to other breweries. In addition to all this, Proef also has a Research and Development department dedicated to making their beer better.

Cigar City Brewing is a brewery based out of Tampa, Florida. The company was established in 2008 by Joey Redner, Jr.. In 2008, Redner met brewer Wayne Wambles, and hired him as the brewery's head brewmaster. The rest is tasty beer history.

Tonight's beer is described as a "Belgian Ale aged on oak chips with coconut and peaches." The back of the bottle reads:

"On February 18, 2013 Cigar City Brewers Wayne Wambles and Josh Brengle brought a bit of the Florida tropics to Lochristi, Belgium in the form of this unique Tropical Tripel recipe brewed in collaboration with De Proef Brewmaster Dirk Naudts.

Tropical Tripel was brewed with a classic Trappist yeast and the lesser known Brux III strain of Brettanomyces. During the boil Magnum and Simcoe hops were added along with Belgian candi sugar and lactose for added mouth feel. The beer is finished with additions of toasted coconut, dried peaches and medium toasted oak. We hope you enjoy this this collaboration of brewing styles, cultures, and climate. Cheers!"

And...of course, this beer is part of the "Brewmaster's Collaboration." Need I say any more? No. Into the glass this goes.

In lower light, the beer pours a radiant, but dark, golden-orange color. This one kicked up 3+ fingers of foamy, soapy, off-white head. I know they are calling this beer a Tripel, but the addition of Brett and American Hops almost has to push this into Wild Ale or Specialty Ale territory. In bright light the beer is a hazy golden orange, with moderately active streams of tiny bubbles rising upwards. The head is still soaking up some of the orange from the body, and it's creamy and sustaining. There is some nice lacing.

De Proefbrouwerij/Cigar City Tropical Tripel

The aromatics on this beer are incredible. This smells like everything the Stone R&R Coconut IPA should have been. Let me preface my thoughts on the aroma by saying that we are in the middle of a heat wave. It is both hot and humid out. The temps are pushing the upper 90s, and the humidity is at Florida levels of sticky. This beer couldn't be more timely. You get HUGE toasted coconut and toasted oak on the aroma right away. Swirling the beer unlocks aromas of orange peel, grains of paradise, mango, peach, pineapple, and even some hints of resinous orange. There's a big mango/pineapple/peach + coconut thing at work here, and it's awesome. Beneath all that is some hint at the Belgian yeast, a little sugary/honey/bread thing, and tons of orange peel/grains of paradise. Fuckin' A.

The taste immediately reminds me of the Founders' Mango Magnifico (without the Habanero, of course). Only instead of getting blasted with mango, you get blasted with huge peach. There's big peach in this, along with toasted oak/coconut, lots of pineapple, mango, and citrus...and bitterness? Yeah, the citrus takes a turn towards catty and fairly bitter mid palate. It's gotta be the Simcoe hops. You get bitter citrus and peach, with some catty Simcoe-hop-kick. The back palate rounds out with some woody Bretty dryness, more oak, and some booze. The booze in this beer has some bite and complexity, with hints of rum...I'm assuming the toasted coconut and the toasted oak add synergy to the booze. The backbone of this beer is somewhat bready and sweet, which is nice.

I've already read one review calling this beer cloyingly sweet. Pffft, talk about amateur hour. It's a Tripel, homie. Brewed with Belgian candi sugar. Do you even Belgian beers? This beer is off the hook in terms of drinkability, with refreshing peach/coconut, solid hop bitterness, and a drying, Brett-driven finish. Do I even need to mention the awesome palate depth or high complexity? At 9.5%, you get some booze, but it's the complex coconut-oak-rum variety. The mouthfeel is medium-full, and there's plenty of carbonation to go around. Peaches, toasted coconut, and pineapple, mango, etc. up front; that rolls into mango, citrus, orange, and catty Simcoe hops; that rolls into lingering coconut, oak, grain, complex rum/booze, and a dry Brett-driven finish. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. This beer is channeling summer vibes, and I would definitely buy this again...and in fact, I just might do that if it's still available later in the week. It's a bit pricey at ~15 dollars a bottle, but this is fairly complicated stuff. What I really dig about this beer is the clearly detectable toasted coconut and oak in both the aroma and taste. You also get tons of peaches and tropical fruits, a nice amount of hoppy citrus, and some really nice Brett dryness. I suspect this will age well, but you will probably lose out on some of the coconut. If this is conditioned, and I assume it is, the Brett will step up to kick some ass. It could be a fun cellaring experiment. I would pair this beer with sushi, a Hawaiian burger, beach food, and a mother fucking beach. Or...a nice summer night. If you like Tripels half as much as I do, check this beer out.

Random Thought: On a serious note, there's some real cognitive dissonance at work. It's 90 degrees out, and I'm seeing pumpkin beers on shelves. That is not okay. I'm going to need the weather to whip into shape so I can enjoy Autumn beers and football in a few weeks.

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. 

Allagash Curieux

Brewed By: Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 (Bottling March 1, 2013)

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel/Strong Ale, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

It's been a good weekend, although maybe a bit too short. But it seems appropriate to wrap up with something classy, classy person that I am. About Allagash:

Allagash is a brewery based out of Portland, Maine. The company was founded in 1995 by Rob Tod, who designed a 15-barrel brewhouse, and began brewing some of the first American Belgian-style ales. Rob found success with the Allagash White, and expanded his operation. In 2001, Allagash began caging, corking, and bottle conditioning their beers. Since then, they have continued to celebrate Belgian-style beer.

Tonight's beer, the Curieux, is part of the brewery's year-round releases. This beer was the brewery's first attempt at a barrel-aged beer. The brewery takes their Tripel, and ages it in Jim Beam bourbon barrels for eight weeks. The beer is then blended back with the fresh Tripel. 

This one pours a golden-orange color in low light, and kicks up a finger's worth of golden-tinted, white head. I'm happy to report that the cork came off nicely, there was no gushing, and the pour was reasonable. In bright light the beer is more of a golden-yellow color, with hints of orange. The head is fluffy, white, and sustaining magnificently for an 11% beer. There's a lot of carbonation rising upwards in this, with tiny bubbles rushing upwards. As you might expect, this is slightly hazy. 

Allagash Curieux

This beer is like Christmas for me. Tripels and Jim Beam? Oh my, yes please. You get big whiskey, Jim Beam, vanilla, oak/wood, and meaty coconut on the nose. You also pick up on some nice orange, light citrus, grass/wheat, some candied/perfume Belgian yeast, yeast spice, and some clove. 

Typically you see breweries throwing Stouts in whiskey barrels, and I get that. But throwing these Belgian ales in whiskey barrels unlocks a whole new spectrum of awesome flavors. I'm pulling out big whiskey, meaty coconut, dried tropical fruits, pineapple, mango, citrus/orange, dried bananas, dried mango/pineapple, and big vanilla. There's a big warming in the mix, but the booze itself is virtually undetectable (aside from the Whiskey flavors). As I go in for another sip, I get a wash of the base beer up front, with big citrus, wheat, grass, clove, and Belgian funk...and then the tropical fruits show up, followed by the barrel. 

This has a palate fatiguing effect, where taking quick sips back to back causes the whiskey to fade a bit. If you wait a bit between sips, you get a fresh wash of big whiskey notes. This is very drinkable for an 11% beer, and the body is creamy, has just the right amount of carbonation, and a medium-full mouthfeel. The beer is a bit sticky on the finish, but I wasn't expecting champagne-dryness at 11%. Palate depth is good, and complexity is good. You get big base beer up front, with Tripel-esque notes; that rolls into tropical fruits, and burgeoning whiskey; that rolls into big whiskey, wood, bourbon; the finish is vanilla, coconut, tropical fruits...slightly sticky and dry.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I will grant this a Light Divine Brew. This is somewhere between the Bruery's very tasty White Oak, and the very tasty Two Brothers' Bare Tree. I'm really feeling the tropical fruit vibe you get with this beer. Lots of bourbon, vanilla, coconut, and mango/pineapple. Good stuff. I feel like this would pair well with mussels or scallops, maybe calamari. You could also pair this with pasta that has a strong cheese sauce, or put it against some peppery chicken/turkey. This could also work with fruity desserts (like pie), or a cheese course. Really tasty stuff, and a nice twist on the Tripel.

Random Thought: Weekend movie recap: This Is The End was hilarious, go see it. Superman was good, but had a lot of problems. Star Trek: Into The Darkness was awesome and good fun.

Boulevard Long Strange Tripel

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 4-pack sampler bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Abbey Tripel, 9.0%

Reported IBUs: 23

What a long strange trip today has been...about Boulevard:

Boulevard Brewing Company hails out of Kansas City, Missouri. They have a very nice website that is cleanly formatted, informative, and is not loaded with Java and Flash scripts. The company was founded officially in 1989, but began in 1988 when founder John McDonald began construction of the brewery. In 2006 the brewery had a major expansion, which allowed for additional brewing capacity. You can find more info on the brewery's history HERE. According to Wikipedia, Boulevard is the largest craft brewer in Missouri, and the 10th largest craft brewery in the United States.

This beer is part of Boulevard's Smokestack Series. If you roll over to the Long Strange Tripel page, you can get all the vitals on this beer. This one clocks in at 9.0% according to the bottle, and 9.2% according to the website. Brewed with pale, munich, wheat, and flaked oat malts; this one uses Magnum and Styrian Golding hops, for 23 IBUs of bitterness. Described as having intense fruity and banana aromas, with some hints of toffee, and citrusy hops...this should be good stuff. Let's see how it holds up.

Boulevard Long Strange Tripel

This one pours a juicy, hazy, orange/yellow color, with a finger of white head. The body has a nice orange juice appearance, and the head settles down into a hazy coating that screams Belgian Ale. There's maybe a little sediment floating around in this too.

The aroma is as advertised, with a big emphasis on big citrus-forward hops. I'm getting a lot of orange, apple, apple juice, and lemon on this. I'm also getting big clove, banana, wheat, vanilla, and white sugar as well. There's some malt on the nose, but there isn't any of that powder/dust you get on a lot of the Belgian/Abbey Tripels. There's some nice toffee and wheat on the nose.

I'm going to let this warm up...but right now I'm getting big apple juice, wheat, and lots of citrus/lemony kick. And...as this warms, you get the same deal. There's a nice boozy complexity on the back end of this, with some mild wheat astringency. I'm also pulling out some apricot, lemon, apple, grape, and a nice sweet toffee note. It's a nice beer, for sure.

This is drinking nicely, with a medium-full mouthfeel, good palate depth, and okay complexity. There's lots of carbonation to help things smooth out, and you get some creamy mouthfeel from the wheat. There's a dash of wheat astringency and hop bitterness that helps clean things up and compliments the boozy complexity. There's booze, but no real heat. It's good. Up front is a lot of wheat, clove, banana, vanilla, and apples, pears, lemon; this rolls into citrus, astringent wheat, wheat, light spice, pepper, apricot; the back end is lingering bitterness, dryness, and some boozy complexity.

Rating: Above-Average (4/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a formidable take on a Tripel, and a very solid American-style Tripel. It gets better as it warms. There's a nice creamy mouthfeel, and big fruity notes. Lots of citrus, apples, apricot, and some nice boozy complexity. This would pair well with chicken, turkey, french fries and potatoes, doughy pizza, cheeses, and peppery foods. You could also pair it with something that goes well with citrus/apples. Nice stuff, and cheap in the 22oz format. 

Random Thought: The Blackhawks are losing...tornadoes are destroying Oklahoma...it's like 90 degrees in Chicago, what is going on today?!?!?

Dogfish Head Positive Contact

Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Saison/Fruit Beer, 9.0%
Reported IBUs: 26

Back in 2000, little known artists Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Dan the Automator got together to turn out what has become a legendary album in the underground hip hop scene: Deltron 3030. If you haven't experienced Deltron 3030, you are missing out. One of the album's most popular tracks, Positive Contact, is the name of tonight's beer. About Dogfish Head:

Dogfish Head is a craft brewery based out of Milton, Delaware. The brewery was founded by Sam Calagione back in 1995.The brewery began as a brewpub (the first in Delaware) called Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, and was originally located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The initial brewing setup included three kegs and propane burners. They brewed 12-gallon batches of beer three times a day, five days a week. In 1996 the brewery began bottling their beer, and by 1999 they had distribution to around a dozen different states. In 2002 the company outgrew their Rehoboth location, and moved to Milton, Delaware. More info can be found HERE.

Positive Contact is part of Dogfish Head's "music series," which includes their Bitches Brew (Miles Davis) and Faithful Ale (Pearl Jam). For the Positive Contact, Sam Calagione and Dan the Automator teamed up to make a beer based on Dan's favorite ingredients. The beer is named after one of the album's singles, and features a blend of cider brewed with Fuji apples, roasted farro, cayenne peppers, and a late edition of fresh cilantro (during fermentation? hmmm...). The original release of this beer was packaged in a box set with six 750ml bottles, a 10-inch vinyl EP with four new Deltron 3030 remixes, and a list of Deltron 3030-inspired recipes from a small group of chefs. Since then, this beer has become an occasional release, and will randomly show up on shelves. That's a good thing, because this beer is delicious. At 9.0% ABV and 26 IBUs, this beer screams cider or Belgian Ale or Witbier...but actually veers off in an interesting direction...

Dogfish Head Positive Contact

This beer pours a slightly hazy golden-bronze color, with three fingers of thick, foamy, white head. The head is remniscent of a Belgian Strong Ale or Tripel. In bright light, the beer is a really nice dark golden color, and the head is slightly off-white pulling some of those gold tones. The head is thick and sustaining nicely, and there's a lot of carbonation in this. This one is transparent with maybe a hint of haze. Overall, it looks like a Belgian Tripel or Belgian Strong Ale.

The aroma on this beer is off-the-charts awesome. You get huge Tripel and Witbier-esque aromas, with white sugar, Belgian funk/barnyard, wheat, cream of wheat, creamy wheat, clove, banana, grain, and light grass/citrus/apple. There's an earthy bitterness on the nose as well, likely from the cilantro, and a bit of spice. I wouldn't be able to peg cayenne on the aroma in a blind tasting, but there is some hot pepper spice on the nose.

I should probably confess that this is one of my favorite beers, and I'm very fond of what Dogfish Head has going on here. This beer is crisp and refreshing, has big Belgian Ale complexity, features a layer of cider-esque fruitiness that is reminiscent of a Witbier, and then drops some serious cilantro on your palate, and finishes with noticeable cayenne spice. You get warming alcohol and literal spicy heat on the back of this. It's fantastic. You get clove, wheat, grain, Belgian-barnyard-funk, clove, big grass, lightly bitter cilantro, fresh salad, apples and light hints at citrus, bittering cilantro that isn't bitter like hops, and a big cayenne finish. This has some wine-like qualities at times as well.

The mouthfeel is light, refreshing, attenuated, and well-carbonated, making this medium-light-bodied beer way too drinkable at 9.0%. This has great palate depth, and even better complexity. You get big clove, grains, and wheat up front; this rolls into fruits, cider, and cilantro mid-palate; the back-palate is lingering cilantro bitterness, and growing cayenne burn. The cayenne just gains momentum as you drink through this. This beer is most reminiscent to a Belgian Tripel, followed by an Imperial Witbier, followed by a Belgian Strong Ale. I wouldn't call this a Saison.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. Like I said, this is one of my favorite beers from Dogfish Head, and one of my favorite beers in general. Since this costs about 10~13 dollars a bottle, I would say it is priced reasonably. I would definitely pick this up if I saw it on the shelf. It's also an awesome collaboration...who doesn't love Dan the Automator? This might even trump the Bitches Brew in terms of coolness with respect to the music. This beer pairs great with pizza, salads, fruit salads, grilled food, strawberry bundt cake, and all things summer. 

Random Thought: Yuuuuppp. I like underground rap and hip hop. How about 'dem apples. I also like jazz. I guess we can let the battle begin. Bitches Brew vs. Deltron 3030. 

St. Feuillien Triple

Brewed By: Brasserie St. Feuillien / Friart in Le Roeulx, Belgium

Purchased: 330ml bottle from a St. Feuillien Gift Set bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Abbey Tripel, 8.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

Wrapping up with the St. Feuillien beers...tonight I'm looking at the strongest (well...tied for the strongest) and hopefully most tasty beer from the St. Feuillien Gift Set. About St. Feuillien:

St. Feuillien is is an Abbey-stye brewery based out of Le Roeulx, Belgium, founded in 1873. The brewery's history goes back to the 7th century, when an Irish monk by the name Feuillien came to Belgium to preach the Gospel. Unfortunately...while traveling through Le Roeulx, Feuillien was martyred and beheaded. In memory of Feuillien, his disciples built a chapel in 1125, which became the Abbey of Prémontrés, later known as the Abbaye St-Feuillien du Roeulx. The Abbey prospered until the French Revolution. St. Feuillien makes use of natural ingredients, centuries-old brewing methods, and (I believe) all their beers are bottle conditioned. You can read more about them HERE. 

Tonight's beer, the St. Feuillien Tripel, is described as having aromatic hops, spices, and a fruity bouquet. Basically...it's a Tripel. There's not a whole lot else to say, except to glass it up. If you're unfamiliar with one of beer's best styles, check out the BJCP and pick yourself up some Tripels. 

St. Feuillien Triple

This one pours a hazy straw/orange/gold color in low light, with a finger's worth of creamy, off-white head. I did pour this one slowly, like a boss. In bright light, this beer is juicy like orange juice, with a vibrant and tropical orange/yellow body. There's a ton of carbonation streaming upwards in this, and the head is dense, white, and sustaining. I know the glass is all sex, but this is a great looking beer too.

The aroma on this is bright, fruity, and malty, with lots and lots of big citrus kick. I'm getting sweet pineapple, sweet mango, oranges, candi sugar, candied fruits, perfume and floral, a bit of clove and white sugar, and some big apple juice.

Mmm..this really has a dense, creamy, oily mouthfeel, with lots of subtle spice, a bit of powder/dust, and tons of completely subtle/hidden booze that goes undetected in the back. It stays undetected until this hits your belly. I'm getting white sugar, clove, white pepper, Belgian funk/barnyard, pears, white grapes, citrus, candi sugar, and some grain/Pils malt. Hop bitterness does make itself present, but it plays off the Belgian fruitiness and sugary sweetness. This is unmistakably boozy, but like the best Tripels, it hides the booze so well.

This is full-bodied, with a creamy/oily/dense mouthfeel, helped out by lively carbonation, and plenty of complexity to boot. You get hop bitterness in the back, trailing booze, and some powder/dust. Palate depth is great. For the style, I feel like you can get more complexity, but I won't dog this. You get cream, fruit, clove, and spice up front; this transitions into spice, bitterness, citrus, Pils malt; the back end is lingering malt/hops, dust/powder, trailing fruit...it finishes fairly attenuated and a touch dusty.

Rating: Above-Average (4/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. I guess I'm not ready to push this into truly divine territory, but this beer is very close. I'll have to revisit this down the road....there's a really nice bitterness on the back end of this and in the finish, which I might keep in mind if I'm recommending this beer for certain situations. For me, I'd pair this with strong cheeses, smoked fish, muscles, a burger, french fries with truffle oil, potatoes with spices, or a rustic and hearty dish. This is seriously solid stuff, and of the three St. Feuillien beers I've had so far, this might be the winner? It's hard to say, since the Blond and Dubbel were both great. 

Random Thought: Wheat beers and Belgian beers got me into craft beer. I've always been attracted to Hefeweizens, and during my true foray into craft beer, I went on a big Belgian kick. I love Belgian Strongs, Dubbels, and Tripels...I also enjoy Saisons quite a bit. If you are new to beer and want to wander off the beaten path of IPAs, try some Belgian beers. 

Tripel Karmeliet

Brewed By: Brouwerij Bosteels in Buggenhout, Belgium

Purchased: 33cl/330ml/11.2oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2011

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel, 8.4%

 

Tonight I am diving into one of the highest rated Tripels available in the world. In fact, Tripel Karmeliet is the number one rated Tripel on Ratebeer and the fourth best Tripel on BeerAdvocate. This is an epic beer, in every sense of the word.

Tripel Karmeliet is brewed by Brouwerij Bosteels, or "Bosteels Brewery." You can read about their beer and find out about the brewery on their website HERE. Their website is flash heavy and features annoying looping music, so be warned. The brewery was established by Evarist Bosteels in 1791, and has been family run by the Bosteels for over 200 years and seven generations.

The brewery website has a very cool section called A Passion For Brewing where they talk about their brewing process, and the way they pick and choose their ingredients. The website states that "water, beautiful plump summer barley, hops and yeast are the most important basic ingredients in brewing beer."

There is a lot of time and attention to detail put into the beer that Bosteels brews, and these nuances are not missed with the Tripel Karmeliet. The Karmeliet is brewed with 3 grains, and is based on an authentic recipe from 1679 from the Carmelite monastery. The 3 grains used are wheat, oats, and barley. The website states that the beer has hints of vanilla and citrus on the nose, and tastes light and fresh from the wheat, creamy from the oats, and slightly spicy and citrus-like. I am beyond excited to try this beer, so let's dive in.

Tripel Karmeliet

The Tripel Karmeliet glass may very well be my favorite beer glass. It is an epic beer glass with a thick stem, wonderful lilies on the base of the glass, and the Tripel Karmeliet logo on the side of the glass. The glass has a huge bowl that narrows towards the top. This is a huge glass. The bowl is as large as the Duvel glass, only on a stem. This is a glass that will hold beers with big heads. And the thing about the Karmeliet glass...you need it for this epic beer.

Forget Duvel. Forget Guinness. The Karmeliet takes the cake as far as beers with huge heads are concerned. I got 7 or 8 fingers of HUGE, fluffy, white head from this beer. This beer is fucking gorgeous, maybe the best looking beer I have ever poured. In low light this beer has a pale orange/yellow/straw color. When held to bright light this beer is clearly a pale/yellow/golden, hazy, straw color. This beer is super carbonated and very effervescent; as a Tripel SHOULD be. There is already great lacing on my glass, and my guess is the head will in fact hang around. 

The aroma on this beer is clutch. This beer smells amazing, and it accomplishes the wonderful aromas without the outrageous malts like the Chimay White. I'm smelling creamy oats, wheat, and grainy malts. This is very creamy and smooth on the nose. I'm also picking up huge aromas of citrus; herbal orange and lemon tea, fresh lemon, lemon grass, sharp orange, lemon wheat, and hints of apricots and honey. I'm picking up hints of sugar, pepper, and alcohol. The booziness is subdued, and fits the 8.4% ABV. It isn't assaulting your nostrils like the Maredsous 10. There are also waves of candied oranges and lemons. This smells fresh, clean, refined, and subtle. This invites you to take a drink. I'm excited!

Wow. Yummy. This tastes absolutely fantastic. You're greeted with a huge creamy head (which is hanging around quite nicely), and then met with creamy oats. This is cut by oranges, lemons, pepper, grain, and a whirlwind of delicious malts and hops. The finish is wheat, candied oranges and candied lemons, and a tingle of alcohol dancing on the back palate. I'm tasting oats, grain, wheat, candied lemon and oranges, hints of white sugar, apricots, and pleasant booziness that meshes with the grains on the back end.

This is refined, mature, clean, fresh, and delicious. The palate depth is wonderful, this is wildly complex, and it drinks very well. The alcohol is subtle like it should be for the style. This is medium-light bodied, well-carbonated, and drinks like an effervescent Belgian Strong Ale should. The front is creamy oats, creamy head, hints of lemon and orange; the middle rolls into pepper and spice, more fruits, grain and wheat, candied oranges and candied lemons, white sugar; the back end is grain, wheat, candied fruits, alcohol. The finish is slightly dry with tingling alcohol. This has so much depth and dimension, I love it. 

Rating: Divine Brew 

Score: 98%

 

There is nothing wrong with this brew. Nothing. If you see this beer, buy it. If you like Tripels, buy this beer. If you want to store a classy Belgian Strong Ale in your cellar, grab this Tripel. It is effervescent, bubbly, dry, and would give any glass of champagne a run for its money. 

This is love. This is a beer epiphany. This is the best Tripel I've had to date...barring some minor subtleties. For example, the Chimay White is a wonderful, raunchy, malty bomb. The La Fin Du Monde from Unibroue is a very yeasty beer with wonderful flavors from the yeasts. The Tripel Karmeliet relies on a wonderful balance of grains and malts, and is just plain brilliant. These are all top-tier Tripels, each with a slightly different approach to the style.

With that said...cheers. If you love beer, you owe it to yourself to try the Tripel Karmeliet.

Chimay Triple / Blanche (White) / Cinq Cents

Brewed By: Bières de Chimay in Chimay in the province of Hainaut, Belgium

Purchased: 11.2oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2011

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel, 8.0%

Chimay will mark the third Trappist brewery to cross my path. I would guess Chimay is the most popular Trappist brewery, usurping Orval and Westmalle in terms of availability and popularity. Chimay is located in the Scourmont Abbey, and they are well known for the three beers they brew: Chimay Rouge (Dubbel), Chimay Bleue (Belgian Strong Ale), and Chimay Blanche (Tripel).

If you check out the Chimay wesbite and look at their history page, you can find out a bit about how the Scourmont Abbey came to brew beer. According to the link, in 1862 the Cistercian Trappist monks of Chimay began to brew beer to support employment in their region as well as to provide for their needs. In 1862, the monks began brewing Chimay Première/Red in acccordance to traditional monastarey brewing. In 1948, the current recipe for the Chimay Première/Red was created when Chimay was able to isolate the yeast strain for the beer. In Christmas of 1948, a Chimay Christmas beer was created that eventually became the Chimay Blue. And in 1966, the Chimay Triple came into fruition. The Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey has been around since 1850. Farming, brewing, and cheese have been a big part of the culture from the beginning. 

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The pour reveals a magnificent looking beer. This beer is on the darker spectrum of Tripels, with a dark, dark yellow-bronze-gold color under low light. Under bright light, the beer is very orange-yellow and almost looks like orange juice. This is hazy and cloudy, and there is a bit of yeast floating in my glass. There was a 3-finger head at first; it has fizzled down into a nice two-centimeter keeper. There is wonderful lacing, and the good head retention suggests effervescence and carbonation. The head has hints of orange, and resembles the slightly darker Tripel.

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Upon pouring it I was greeted with huge bouquets of yeast and malt. Chimay beers dial up the malts, and this beer wallops you with them. Malts, toffee, Belgian yeasts and bready esters, candied oranges, perfume and hints of honey, light pulls toward sugar, nutmeg and coriander, pulls towards apples and lemongrass or lemon zest.

This is really wonderful. Just the mouthfeel is huge, but slightly powdery, there is an alcohol punch that is very subtle but still there, and lots of peppery and clove spices in the profile. You get lots of carbonation and smoothness up front, followed by big yeasty and malty fruits. Huge candied and perfume-like oranges, apples, and lemon. There are toffee and yeast-bread notes in the mix, and touches of coriander. Some slight grainy qualities pop up with the alcohol as well.

This is on the upper end of medium-bodied, with a smooth and powdery/dusty mouthfeel. Very elegant, and complex. This is refined, but modern. Potent, but drinkable. So drinkable, in fact, that you want to watch out for the 8.0% ABV. The front of the palate is all about carbonation, fruit and malts. You do get some Pils malts on the front end, and some light grain. This rolls into a fruity middle, with spices and perfume and malts. The back end is lingering malts and alcohol warming. Fantastic.

Rating: Divine Brew 

Score: 93%

This is one of my favorite Tripels, by far. Not much wrong about this. The spices are subdued and complex, the alcohol is present but in bursts, and big malty notes compliment the huge fruit overtones that drive this beer. Wonderfully big, wonderfully drinkable. This is the type of epic beer that I expect when I am drinking a Trappist beer; and it even comes with an epic glass.

Given how widely available Chimay is, I would suggest this to anyone looking to try the Tripel style. For everyone else, this is just a wonderful beer to fall back on.