Brasserie Saint James Third Man Abbey Tripel at 8.4% ABV (US$13.49 at Total Wines & More, Henderson NV, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Appearance: clear medium gold with one finger of dense white head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, sweet malt and honey, bready yeast, banana, floral. (6/10) Taste: moderately strong sweet, mild bitter, light pepper. (6/10) Light to medium body, moderate carbonation, lightly spicy finish. (3/5)
Not bad, but a bit sweeter than I’d prefer. I suspect a fair bit of that is the high ABV, which also comes through as a warming in the finish and a slight harshness at the back of the throat. The stone fruit and apple also start to taste a little browned as the bottle progresses and the hop character fades. Mind you, that description probably sounds a bit more negative than I intended – ultimately this is a decent, if unremarkable, tripel. (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
