Victory Brewing Company - Golden Monkey

Purchased From: Spiritus Wines
Serving Type: 750 ml bottle, poured into a goblet

Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing Company pours a light orange body with mild golden-yellow undertones. The body is hazy and topped by a creamy and voluminous white head of foam. The head has excellent retention and leaves elegant wisps of lacing on the glass. The nose is spicy with minor citrus aromatics. Coriander and a very modest clove mix with the beer's significant malt base and moderate sweetness.

Velvety crisp carbonation greets the tongue on the first sip and produces an airy mouthfeel that dispels some of the beer's alcohol. Big sweet malts are tempered by the traditional witbier-type spices and hints of cracked white pepper. Dry aromatic hops cut through the malts as well. Minor earthy tones meld with the dry finish and the beer departs with a minor chest warming feeling. The beer isn't bursting with as much flavor as many other tripels, but is a very solid entry from Victory.

Final Verdict: B

Allagash Brewing Company - Tripel

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a goblet

On recommendation from a friend and reader, Julie Markus, I picked up a four-pack of Allagash's Tripel. Being a fan of Allagash White, it didn't take much convincing to buy some of this beer. The beer pours a hazy, light orange with a fine yeast suspension. The head is thin, but creamy with light retention. The lacing is broad and chunky. The nose is sweet and citrusy with spicy notes. Prominent coriander with a slight hint of lavender adds pleasant depth to the aroma.

The beer is sweet up front and clearly strong. This is an excellent tripel that manages its 9% ABV quite well. Three's a fruity tone to the beer and the spiciness develops an herbal balance to the powerful malts and alcohol. It's smooth with a clean mouthfeel that makes it refreshing and highly drinkable. There's a barely perceptible hint of leafy green vegetables on the finish with lasting spiciness and hints of alcohol.

Final Verdict: A

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat - Maredsous 10 Triple

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 11.2 oz. bottle, poured into a goblet

The number 10 Triple weighs in at a strong 10% ABV, but retains its flavor and drinkability nicely. The beer is a muted copper brown in hue with a slight yeasty haze. The head is generous in proportion with a frothy, off-white appearance. There's a light crackling as the head recedes and the sticky foam clings to the glass. The nose is quite mild with a yeasty and dusty edge lingering above a light sweetness and vague notes of alcohol.

The beer is undeniably strong and boozy, but it's still highly drinkable. Hints of figs and apricots prevail lending a pleasant dried-fruit-sweetness. The beer is minor herbal, but quite aromatic. The heat builds gradually, but is continuously tamed as the beer itself warms. As with many high-alcohol brews, this one deserves to be consumed at cellar temperature. As it approaches room temperature the understated flavors develop and the harsher edges begin to mellow graciously.

Final Verdict: B

Stoudts - Triple

Stoudts - Triple

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a goblet

Stoutds’ Triple is a take on the strong Belgian style and pours a slightly burnt orange body with a heavy white head that doesn’t last for long. The cloudy beer is diffuse with floating yeast. The nose is very sweet with some typical Belgian spices including coriander and some orangey citrus aroma. It smells a bit like a witbier, but with alcoholic fumes evaporating from the glass.

There’s a nice upfront spiciness and the beer is initially sweet, but borders heavily on cloying. The alcohol heat steps in early, and nearly crushes all of the flavor in the beer. After the bombardment the mouthfeel seems to go a bit flat and watery. Both the finish and the aftertaste are alcoholic and unpleasant. One thing most good Belgian Tripels do is mask their considerable alcohol content with malts, hops, and spice. This one can’t seem to come close to that achievement.

Final Verdict: D