Bornem

About eight months ago I decided I needed to drink more Tripels. I went on a bit of a shopping spree and brought home several bottles of Belgian and American Tripels. I drank about half of them that first month and decided to change gears before I got burnt out. One of the bottles I'd picked up back then had gotten misplaced somewhere along the lines and ended up in a box in the basement. Here we are, several months later, and I've found that missing bottle of Bornem Tripel. The bottle doesn't have a "best by" date on it, and at 9% ABV I figure it'd hold up for a few months but I should probably drink it ASAP...

This stout little bottle is quite unassuming. It's got a curvy upper half that looks a bit like soft serve ice cream atop a cone. The label is pretty plain, with it's blue background and curiously menacing stork icon. You can never really judge a beer by it's label so I tried not to develop any preconceived notions about this little Belgian bottle from a brewery I'd never heard of. When I poured this beer into my glass I noticed a pretty big aroma coming off the beer. There was a good deal of malt at first but hints of candied fruit, chocolate and caramel were all present. An odd aroma for a Dubbel, but a great combination nonetheless.