In-Between Winter & Spring

With the first day of spring still a month away, and warmer weather seemingly nowhere in sight, I don’t yet feel the need to break into the moderate beers. It seems that many breweries use February to release several big beers. After pints and pints of double this, and imperial that, I was recently looking for a less-dense beer. I’ve not yet put away the big stouts and strong porters, the barleywines or barrel-aged ales, but it never hurts to change things up. In my ongoing search for the perfect seasonal beer, I have come back to a complex and strong beer masquerading as mild-mannered Belgian ale. Don’t let the body and crispness fool you, the Belgian Tripel is a monster of a beer.
Belgian beers are a unique breed, from the unassuming Blond to the all mighty Quadrupel. What is it about Belgian beers that make them so unique? There are many hypotheses, and each may hold grains of truth. Some believe it’s the water in Belgium, soft and acidic, that lends itself to the creamy nature of the beer. Others believe that this velvety characteristic is a result of certain types of yeast, used in no other beer style. Not held back by purity laws like German brewers, Belgian brewers often use candy sugar and other odd additions to give their ales amazing tastes that pair well with food, and can evolve over time in a cellar. Still others think the extremely high temperatures that Belgian beers ferment at bring about flavors not found in other beers.
In the class of Belgian strong ales, somewhere in the middle of alcohol strength and flavor is Tripel. Belgian Tripels tend to be quite spicy, often fruity and tangy, and wonderfully alcoholic. Tripel was originally used to signify three times the malt used in a particular beer, compared with basic Belgian ales. With most tripels, the color is typically golden or some variety of darker yellow/white. The pale color and subtly gentle body of these ales is mostly due in part to use of candy sugar in the brewing process, although pilsner or light colored malts assist.
Yeast is often visible at the bottom of the bottle, a sign of bottle conditioning. Tripels can offer a hazy body, and typically have large, luscious, creamy heads that leaves spider webs of lace on the sides of the glass as it drops. Many different scents are associated with Tripel. Yeast and spicy hints are ever-present, but honey, pear and peach, a sourness, and hay notes are not unusual.
The taste is always complex, with spiciness and yeast at the start, and soft malt and alcohol coming through as the beer warms. A hop bite is expected and may be obvious in the finish. Alcohol can be slightly spicy to sweet, if present at all, a characteristic of this style of beer that makes it oh so dangerous. As most Belgian Tripels are 8 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) or stronger, they are certainly brews to be sipped and savored. Chimay white is the most available example of this beer, but examples from Westmalle, Gouden Carolus, St. Bernardus, De Dolle, and even the American Allagash is a tasty treat. I’ve been very Belgium-centric this winter, and why not? They make some of the best beer in the world. And the Belgium Tripel is a fantastic beer to switch things up during these cold, end-of-winter days. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has at more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.