Tripel beer: an overview of 5 brands

Tripel - Belgian ale, first brewed in the Trappist monastery of Westmalle. Among all the varieties, it turned out to be the strongest. Standard yeasts and light malts typical for pale ales are used in the production process.

The beer acquires its golden amber color shades and sweet fruit aroma through the addition of confectionery white sugar, hops, and sometimes spices. Double fermentation method with bottle fermentation is used. It creates a slightly cloudy color.

Bosteels, Tripel Karmeliet, 8.4%

The Bosteels brewery dates back to 1791 and is located in Boggenhout, Belgium. This is a business of the Bosteels family. Their products are highly valued in the market for their high quality. The beer recipe has been preserved since 1679, it was invented in the Carmelite monastery in Dendermonde. The Carmelite coat of arms is on the neck. Three types of grain crops are used: barley, wheat, and oats.

The beer is golden with a high and persistent foamy head. The taste is soft, deep with fruity and hoppy notes. Smells like fruit, citrus, herbs and malt. Bready aftertaste with hop and citrus bitterness.

Lefebvre, Floreffe, 8%

Owned by Lefebvre under license from the old Floreff Abbey. It has existed since 1121 near the city of Namur. Beer and cheese production brought popularity to the monasteries. A separate building was set aside for it, which was rare for this type of distillery in Valognes. In 1796, the abbey was robbed and closed down. In 1830, a small seminary was opened on its territory, but the production was not restarted. The rights to it ended up in private hands. It is a well-known fact that monks were extremely fond of the drink. When they were late for morning mass, they were punished with temporary deprivation of ale.

Cloudy straw color with low and short-lived foam. Licorice and caramel flavor gives way to hop bitterness. It smells like sweet fruit and just a little bit of citrus. Long, dry finish with notes of fruit.

Mikkeller, Trippel A, 9%, Bernardus, Watou, 7

Mikkeller production was opened in 2008. Two years earlier, friends Mikkel and Keller had been experimenting in a kitchen in Copenhagen. It all started with copying the Danish beer Brockhouse IPA, the success of which prompted the comrades to create their own samples. In 2007, Keller started working as an editor at Soundvenue, a music magazine. Mikkel continued to brew and now cooperates with prestigious restaurants and American distributors. Its products are sold in 40 countries. The brewery is recognized as one of the most advanced in the world market.

Amber bittersweet tripel with delicate fruitiness. The aroma is a harmony of malt, hops, coriander and orange peel. Aftertaste with spiciness and light bitterness.

St. Bernardus, Watou, 7.5%

The brewery St. Bernardus Watou is located in Flanders. At the beginning of the XX century, the Catsberg Abbey was located in the village of Watou, Belgium, and opened the production of cheeses, the most famous of which was called St. Bernardus, Watou. Later the production was sold to Evariste Deconinck. The new owner bought the license to brew beer from the Westvleteren Trappist Order. The ancient recipes of the monastery were used, as well as an exclusive strain of yeast St. Sixtus. In 1992, the monks refused to renew the license because "Trappist" beer cannot be produced outside the monastery. The company became known as St. Bernardus and expanded the product line.

Dark amber, almost brown. The taste combines bread, banana and yeast flavors with a hint of apricot. Malt is revealed in the aroma.

La Trappe, 7.7%

The Notre Dame de la Grande Trappe Abbey in France gave the company its name. In the XIX century, the monks were persecuted and took refuge in the Netherlands. In 1884, the brewing of beer began on the territory of the previously founded abbey of the Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Königshofen. Methods are unchanged to this day. Until the First World War, tripel was made by monks for monks, but demand led to the expansion of production to industrial scale.

The company was named Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven. In 1980, the La Trappe brand beer was created based on the recipes of the 1950s. Today, the company is one of the seven that has the right to write "trappist" in the name of its products, as it is inextricably linked to the monks.

Golden red. Fruity with dominant malt notes and nuances of fruit, bread and hops. The tart flavor is woven from banana, citrus, spicy and bread shades.

Update: 16.07.2020

Category: Beer, Cider, Ale