PALM Brewery Steenbrugge Tripel

I'm a sucker for a good Belgian tripel, so I couldn't resist when I found a bottle of Steenbrugge Tripel at a family gathering recently:

Vittles:
8.7% abv
Made with Gruut

Score:
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 23/25
Taste: 38/40
Mouthfeel: 9/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 9/10
Overall: 93/100

Impression:
Unfortunately, there were no clean glasses left, so I didn't get to pour this one out.  The aroma is light and fruity, with some malty/grainy, floral, and herbal character in the background.  Apple and peach stood out fairly well, as did a bit of spice, maybe coriander?  Golden raisins and grapes came out more on the tongue, as did a fair banana-and-clove kind of flavor that I love so much.  The malt came across more like crackers and biscuits, with a nice caramel flavor to round it out.  What really sets this one apart is the medium-full body of the brew which, combined with a decent level of alcohol-warmth and a somewhat crisp finish, helps to carry the flavors into the aftertaste without being cloying.I will definitely look for this one again.  It's a good, solid Belgian Tripel that really hit the spot.

Cheers!

Where Has the Time Gone?

These past several weeks have been sort of crazy, in a good way, and I haven't really had much of a chance to try any new beers recently, so I took a bit of an unplanned hiatus.  But I'm back.  And I have a keezer full of varieties I haven't tried yet.  I did, however, finally get a chance to tap my Belgian Tripel homebrew, which has been conditioning for about a year:

Vittles:

Belgian Tripel

9.2% abv

Score:

Appearance: 8/10

Aroma: 22/25

Taste: 36/40

Mouthfeel: 8/10

Style: 5/5

Drinkability: 8/10

Overall: 87/100

Impression:

It turned out a lot better than I had hoped for, so I'm pretty impressed with myself.  There wasn't much of a head when I pulled it off the keg, but it hadn't had a chance to carbonate -- I was too eager to try it and didn't want to wait.  The aroma is full of all that Belgian yeasty goodness that I love so much, and a fair amount of sweetness undercuts the banana and clove scents.  The flavor follows suit, and there's quite a bit of alcohol warmth as it slides down your gullet.  This is definitely a sipping beer, one to enjoy slowly and in small pours.  It also seems like just the thing to take the chill out of your bones after shoveling snow, so I hope there's enough to last through the winter.

I brought a growler of my homebrew to a party last night, and I was surprised by how many compliments I got.  I was kind of blown away by how much people enjoyed my brew.  I'll have to make this one again, though it does take a lot of patience, since it conditions for so long before I tap it.

~Cheers!