Boulevard Brewing Co. Long Strange Tripel Tripel at 9.2% ABV | 23 IBU (C$12.99 at Zyn, 750 ml, best before 29-Feb-2016, acquired 16-Feb-2017, reviewed 22-Feb-2017)
Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fat fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and thick lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel malt, boozy dark fruit, apples and pears, banana. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, lively carbonation, sweet slightly boozy warming finish. (4/5)
Whoa! An explosive uncorking caught me by surprise, but didn’t follow with the expected gusher. (And before we go any further: I’m sorry, but does anybody else who’s graduated high school and endured a valedictorian speech find “long strange trip” to be an unbearable cliché? Because I sure do.) Anyway. This was a bit of a gamble on my part: on the one hand, it was a year past its best-before. On the other, it was a high-ABV Boulevard Smokestack. I decided it was worth the risk. I have no regrets. I prefer a bone-dry Tripel, and this one tends sweet, but it still has decent Belgian character. Given the complete lack of hop character and the high ABV, I can say with a fair degree of certainty that this will keep forever, BB dates be damned. It might not be a home run, but it’s at least a triple. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
