I generally try not to read too much about any particular beer before I do my review. I don't want to be influenced by someone else's opinion of a beer, but one of the notable exceptions is that I will occasionally read things on the label of the beer itself. I don't normally do this intentionally, especially when a brewery decides they're going to explain what their beer is supposed to taste like. In some cases, I'm looking around the beer for information about what kind of glass I should use, what kind of labels I should apply, and if I should steel myself against coffee. In this case, they told me that the beer was a tripel in the small print, and I don't know why that's not big on the front.
The gold-ish beer produces almost no head and has no retention. There may be occasional bubbles on the sides of the glass, but this really presents itself like a barrel aged beer. Ordinarily, the 10% ABV would also be indicative of a barrel aged beer, but this is a tripel, and I'm pretty sure that's right where tripel should land. The aroma has sweetness, bananas, and Belgian yeast. It smells very good.First sip echoes the aroma. Bananas and sweetness are heavy with Belgian yeast and various, indeterminate fruits. The first sip is so good that it makes me wonder whether I should sip this all night. At 10% ABV, it seems like that would really be the right decision to make. It's a weekday, and there's no real good reason to hammer myself with alcohol right now. Nevertheless, the process is firm.
Tip-in is fruit husks, bananas, and sweetness. The middle scrapes unexpected carbonation across the top of the mouth while the smooth, yeast-laden fruits and legumes slosh across the tongue. The finish becomes a bit dry, much like a beer that is properly aged in barrels, and the yeast holds on for the trail off with bananas in its wake.
Bottom Line: It might be better if it had a little less going on, but it's pretty darn good.
3.75/5