Saying that I like Belgian beer is about as big an understatement as saying that Muralitharan possibly throws the ball. I positively love Belgian beers so it is always good to see a new one like Brugge Tripel become increasingly available.Brugge Tripel (8.5%) is made by the Palm brewery in Brugge (also known as Bruges). This is the capital and largest city in the province of West Flanders and it boasts a great deal of history, architecture and culture.
There are a number of allegedly notable people from Brugge most of whom I haven’t heard of (such as Guido Gezelle and Philip the Good). In fact, the only names I really recognized on the list of Brugge notables were William Caxton (the printer) and Dr Evil (the villain from Austin Powers).
I went to the Palm Brewing Company website to find some more information about this beer. It is a multi-lingual website – you can read it in Dutch or French. How handy! Eventually, I managed to find the English version which was much more helpful. [link below]
For me, Brugge Tripel is a well-balanced, well-made example of the Belgian Tripel style.
An abbey tripel like this is a very strong, Belgian golden ale brewed in the style of a Trappist Tripel by a secular brewer. Leffe Tripel is the best known example (if not the best example) of the genre which is traditionally pale, hoppy, strong and dry.
This particular beer is triple fermented and bottle conditioned so there will be some living yeast in the bottle. The brewer excitedly notes “Some yeast may come too while serving. No problem, yeast is healthy, it is vitamin B!”
I’m not sure whether this golden beer with a strong rocky head “truly evoques [sic] the very best of Bruges” as the brewer claims but it certainly has an appetizing yeasty, spicy nose with a hint of perfumey hops. The beer is thick and full in the mouth, strongly alcoholic with a pleasant orange sweetness cleared out by a long, quite dry finish.
LINKS: Brewery
SOBA
RealBeer Blog
6 comments:
It is evil to post about all those excellent beers I used to drink, but can't easily get here or have to pay a fortune to get.
I am evil.
Indeed...
I'll stick to my Stella, thanks, with the lovely taste of hops so dominant. I don't really like all these other flavours in beer
Neil's version of a hoppy beer makes Stella seem like it's hopless. For him, a beer isn't hoppy until you can't taste anything else.
I have to say, that it is a nice beer though. First time I tasted it last night with a friend who brought a doz over for dinner. I have to look for it next time. I normally drink VB, lion red or steinlager and sometime export.
Err, is Stella, VB, Lion Red and Steinlager actaully beer or beer flavoured fizzy water :)
Hoppy beers are my thing, one that stuck out to me in NZ last year was the Brewjolais that Macs tried out. I guess when I hit Belgium in July I will have to sink my teeth into some more beers. :)
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