My very first review of a
New Belgium beer was in
2013. The reviews back then were a little more scattered and certainly less procedural. I don't really think of this blog is particularly formal in the first place, but I've slowly developed my method to allow me to properly enjoy whatever beverage happens to come my way. In this instance, I'm happy to try out their latest
tripel (however they decide to spell it).
The clear golden beverage has a very white head that boils away to leave an Australia-shaped pad of small bubbles floating in the center of the beer and a tight ring of white on the sides. The aroma is honey, yeast, spices, and bananas. The sweetness of the aroma combined with the clarity of the beer are a lot more enticing than I can express. I got so used to hazy beers that I almost forgot that these things can be very remarkable when clear.
First sip is banana, honey, and light spices. More notable is the way that the yeast seems to overwhelm these more subservient flavors. The banana is mostly toward the trail off, and the honey is mostly at the beginning. But the yeast is absolutely ruling the day. I'm not sure if they actually went to
Belgium for this yeast, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did.
Tip-in is moderate carbonation burn with honey and spices ready to get things started. The middle comes on with the heavy yeast taking center stage, but it brought a little bit of the banana in with it and maybe some peach. The finish is where the yeast starts to fall off, and the banana seems to take over to allow the banana and honey to leave a sweet but slightly musty trail off.
Bottom Line: This beer manages to be both simple and complex, and that is not an easy task.
3.25/5
