Westmalle Trappist Tripel - Brouwerij Westmalle, Westmalle

Westmalle ranks right up there with Orval and Chimay as far as Trappist mindshare in the average craft beer drinker goes. Trappist beers are held in high regard, and for good reason. They're high quality beers with unique characteristics. Westmalle's Tripel is a spicier take on the Tripel style that packs a lot of alcohol and yeasty funk into an outwardly modest looking beer. I poured this Tripel into a tulip glass and noticed a couple things that were worth mentioning right off the bat. The color of this beer is a little lighter than I was expecting, this made sense when I went in and got a good whiff...

Westmalle's Tripel is quite a bit paler than other Tripels I've had. It isn't that this beer's hue is all that bright or anything... but the flavor certainly screams pale malt. In addition, there's quite a bit of spiciness to this beer. There are hints of hops in the aroma but they really don't follow through to the flavor. There's a fair bit of sweet citrus under all that spice and pale malt, which serves as a nice counter balance to those harsher flavors.

I'm a little torn in my opinion of this beer. On it's own merits, it's a good beer and I wouldn't have any reservations about drinking another one in the future. However, if someone were to ask me to pick up a Tripel at the store, this wouldn't be my first choice. The spicy pale flavors that stand out in this beer are an interesting take on the Tripel style but they're also the reason I'd pass this beer over in favor of a sweet, more sour or fruitier Tripel. By all means, you should try this beer for yourself. There are plenty of smarter people out there that like this beer much more than I do and you just might be one of them...