Three's Company


Brewery and Country of Origin: Allagash Brewing Company of 50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103, USA

Date Reviewed: 4-10-12

Like every beer brewed by Allagash, this is a double (top) fermented, bottle conditioned Belgian style brew which is conditioned and prepared in the same way that Champagne (or Sparkling Wine if it's not actually from Champagne) is crafted. This is a beer that essentially embodies the extended efforts of the Allagash Brewery of Maine, which is in part, responsible for making Belgian beers popular in America. Wheats and Belgians were disproportionally overlooked, so like a true entrepreneur, Rob Tod (the founder of Allagash) decided to tap into this strange, somewhat unpredictable, but most certainly promising niche. Fortunately for both himself and the beer drinking public, his efforts were not made in vain. One should never go through life asking "what am I missing from my life?" What we need to do is find out along the way. This particular Tripel, conceived by an American inspired by Belgians, may not be what you're life is missing. But if you spend your life asking what is, then you'll never find out.
Date Sampled: 4-09-12 At: Stone Hearth Pizza, 182 Western Avenue, Allston, Boston, MA 02134, USA
Beer Style: Tripel
Alcohol by Volume: 9.00%
Serving Type: Nitro Keg, 12 oz Snifter Glass
Rating: 3.79

Look

This is a cloudy, unfiltered, golden beer which has a very thin foam head and laces somewhat around most of the glass after drinking. The Tripel is not as cloudy as most of the beers of a similar style.

Aroma

This being a Belgian, you'd expect this to feature a fruity, somewhat nutty and clove-like aroma, and yes, you'd be right. This beer has a moderately strong, fairly sweet smell with some banana notes and a small bit of hoppiness.

Feel

This medium bodied, fairly chewy, lightly carbonated beer is very smooth, somewhat easy to drink (though we would recommend sipping it), and has a low to medium viscosity.

Taste

The Tripel has a sweet, wheat-like, fruity, and somewhat mellow flavor. Very balanced with hops and sweet maltiness. There is no lingering in the somewhat bitter and fruity aftertaste.

Our Take

Crisp, refreshing, rewarding. This is a great sipper at dinner (probably something meaty or with sharp cheeses). This was easy to enjoy (easy to drink, and yes, very good), and went well with the food served with it (Four Cheese Pizza - awesome). Overall, we'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a strong, great tasting, fairly easy to drink, and good value (not bad at all) brew which may not necessarily be made available everywhere, especially on tap. By nature, tripels are always going to be much higher in alcoholic content than other Belgians, or ales in general, but this one was very good at hiding its respectable 9.00% ABV with such a complex mix of fruity, hoppy, nutty, and citrusy flavors. Definitely a must try for those who appreciate the style and for everyone else, its good to try new things every once in a while.