Save the World Brewing - Tripel Review
Belgian beers of all varieties have stormed the gates of American craft brewing, and leading the charge is the sweet, light, and powerful tripel. Why is this, you may ask? I think it’s because Belgian beers are funky, strange, technique driven, and they are also adaptable with all sorts of yeast strains, malts, and hops of the modern world.
But what’s special about tripels that we see them everywhere? Well, tripels, at least in our opinion, are some of the weirder Belgian beers, and the most challenging to wrap the mind around on the first try. They are typically clear as a Christmas bell, sweet as candy, slightly spicy and funky from Belgian yeast, and strong as the muscles from Brussels. To us, they are all the Belgian characteristics in one, and I think that’s why so many brewers attempt this type.
Yet like many traditional beers, tripels are extremely difficult to get right. Which brings us to Save the World Brewing’s Belgian-style ale, which comes in at 8.7% ABV and 15 IBU. It has the strength, now let’s see if it has the look, aroma, and taste of the old abbey ale.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Pale gold, slightly hazy (a touch out of character for a tripel, but not a deal breaker), and topped with a cream-colored head that diminishes quickly.
On the Nose--Sweet with notes of pilsner and honey with a touch of spice.
On the Palate--Very much like the aroma, Tripel is sugary with crisp notes of pilsner and smooth honey. After the sweetness comes a mild spice with a freshness of lemon and floral hops. It finishes smooth and dry on a light-to-medium body and with a mild floral and sweet note lingering. And wowee! That’s a high ABV!
Food Pairings: Tripels are effervescent, strong, spicy and sweet, so pair them with complex and challenging foods like goat’s cheese, gouda, seafood, roasted turkey or duck, or go all out on a spicy coconut curry to pull out the sweet and spicy tripel flavors.
Final Thoughts:
From malt, hops, yeast, sugar, and conditioning, tripels are hard beers to perfect. One of my favorite attributes of these beers is how effervescent and clear they are, like looking into sparkling water. This is from high attenuation Belgian yeast, the use of pure sugars (in addition to malt), and bottle conditioning. These factors also keep the beer light (especially the use of pure sugars) while adding strength.
Save the World Brewing’s Tripel may not be very clear, but it does have strength (my second favorite tripel characteristic) and a sweet and spicy character fitting to the style. It’s round with pilsner and honey, and it has floral and spicy notes that mellow the sugary flavor. It may be a touch heavier in body than some tripels, but it has its own uniqueness and exceptional balance that leaves very little lingering of flavors. This is a great beer, and a Great American Beer Festival Gold Medalist, and it’s born and raised in the central Texas town of Marble Falls. It also comes in sixteen ounce cans, which is perfect for a high ABV beer when you want a little more but not the whole next can. But whether you get it in a can, or go to Marble Falls (Go! It’s beautiful) I think you’ll like this Americanized version of a tripel.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew
Check out some more Americanized Tripels with Real Ale’s Devils Backbone, and Victory Brewing’s Golden Monkey. They’ll get you up to speed!