Out of the Bottle: Golden Tripel

My Tripel is ready just in time for Thanksgiving. It should pair nicely with the Turkey at the table.

The beer pours with a hazy peach hue that should become more and more clear with age. An extremely dense eggshell head forms a pillow of foam that stays with the beer the whole way down the glass. A solid sheet of lace is left behind.

The nose is floral, spicy and fruity. Pear, green grape, a bit of coriander and a hint of lemon sourdough are the most distinct features. The esters from the yeast are very Belgian in presentation.

In the mouth, pale fruits are out front with pear and green grape flavors. Bitterness is sharp and spicy, but balances well against the sweetness of the malts. It becomes more intense as the beer warms. As intended, the alcohol is masked in the flavor, but adds a touch of warmth going down.

The body is deceptively light and dry, as it should be. Soft carbonation rounds out the picture.

An ABV of 8.3%, combined with a light body and easy drinkability makes this a downright dangerous beer for the unprepared. What would I change? Use homemade Candi Sugar instead of the stuff I bought at the homebrew shop, plus dial back the bitterness by a couple of IBUs. That's pretty much it. I think this beer will be finding its way into my plans for 2013.

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