I'm also a lover of fine beers (mainly ales), and Belgian ales are, to me, the Bordeaux of beer. This is a fact: I've drank at least 2 of these and averaged 6 every weekend for 4 months. The beer is:

New Belgium Brewing Company Trippel

It is an abbey ale (NBBC also produces a beer called Abbey Ale which is sweeter and more floral), and for comparison it.....compares favorably to Duvel and Affligem. Trippel refers to the fact that it is triple malted and fermented, resulting in quite a high-gravity beer (7.8% alc). The brewery is in Fort Collins, CO, where I started school (Colorado State.....before transferring to UCDavis). It's pretty tough to find this one outside of Colorado, but Nugget Market in Vacaville, CA carries it, and it's distributed by Coors, thus has the power to get it here fast and fresh. Goes for about $8/6 pack. I'll do this in my old TN format (/blows off dust)

Serve this 45-50 degrees in a Belgian-shaped beer glass (Chimay makes a lot of these), or a wine glass (NOT a pint or pilsner glass)

Look: medium-golden, like an aged Riesling. A slight haze from the bottle conditioning
Smell: off the rack spices like nutmeg, clove and sage. Blueberry, bubble gum, and grain. Those exotic, estery fermentation aromas that Belgian ales have (esp. Duvel). Complex and interesting. Nearly non-existant hops, as is the typicity.
Taste: Not malty but very high-gravity. A sweetness that I suppose come from small-chain starches and alcohol. Snappy acidity and a slightly soapy aftertaste.
Rate: solid A hedonistically.

-Vitis Vinifera

Nice note Vitis. However I for one don't particularly like Belgian ales. Just not my style. Too malty and sweet for me. I like hops in my ales and Belgians don't have many of them. I know lots of folks like them but they aren't for me.

Great TN, VV, and WELCOME BACK!

It sounds like I should look into this, I love Belgain style ales.

a

A friend once brought a triple Bock beer over to our house. It came in a blue bottle, maybe 7 or 8 ounces. It was dark and very rich.

board-o, that was once made at JFJ Bronco Wine Co, where my last internship was at. Better known as the creators of Forest Glen, and a tiny blend called 2 Buck Chuck. Anyways, the triple bock is a far cry from belgian ale. That was fermented using a lot of maple syrup. Do they still make that stuff? I had a bottle or two......but years ago

I have no idea if it is still made, but I think I still have the bottle.

as a funny aside, I used to assemble the blends for bacardi breezers at that internship before harvest started, to keep me busy.......mmmmm malt base!!!!!!!

Just found the bottle. It's a deep blue, 8.45 ounces, with a pull out cork like a Sherry bottle.

"Sam Adams
Triple Bock
1994 Brew
Reserve"

yeah that's the same stuff.......it's sappy and sticky and not beer, not wine, not syrup, but something along all those lines........

I have an empty lying around somewhere too........they did age it in oak wine barrels, but the bungs were clamped down so noone could get in them.....the room smelled quite enticing.......

has he been caught siphoning off hoses?

uhhh...not that I know of.

VV - we don't talk about that. We'd rather just forget we EVER saw that...

WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN? Welcome back. I missed you!

Welcome back Vitis! Thanks for the TN.

Mind your own bunghole!!!

I need T P for my bunghole...bunghole.

Vitis, if you are interested in some Spam Adams Triple Bock let me know. I've got some from the first vintage. I stupidly bought two cases of the stuff and still have most of it. It tastes like bad port.

VV,

Have you ever tried Brother David's Triple from Anderson Valley Brewing? I just had it last week and fell in love.

Richard

no, I haven't. I'll keep an eye out for it. Is it along the lines of the New Belgium Trippel?

ps for everyone who is welcoming me back (thanks!!!!!!!), I made my re-entrance in Random Thoughts/VC Members MIA

(it's been 2 years since posting before last night)