Zarathustra19
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2006
- Posts
- 1,456
- Likes
- 12
Well, I was finally able to find a few of these ales down in Frederick, Maryland. Picked two up so I could test my own review after having a second (which I will later on down the road). For those of you who don't know, Westmalle Trapist Ale is made in the Westmalle monastery in Belgium. Unless you can find them in a local distributor, you won't be able to get more than a gift box from the website of the monastery. These ran me...I want to say about 4 dollars a piece for two 11.2 ounce bottles, which is fairly standard for a Belgian so far in my experience. So, without further adieu, the review:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0509091013.jpg
Stats:
Style: Trapist Ale Tripel
ABV: 9.8%
Preferred Serving Temp: 45-50 degrees
Price: $3.75/beer
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0508091918.jpg
As you can see, the beer itself is a beautiful golden color with a nice amount of white head. The head disappears at a good rate, very much faster than a stout but with a lot more time than a light American beer.
The smell was light, somewhat fruity with a nice malty undertone. After the head dissipated, the smell was almost undetectable. The first sip yielded a very surprising amount of carbonation, which I wasn't expecting. It tingled a good deal on the tongue and obscured a few flavors until I could get the hang of "chewing" this particular brew. After I did, I got a lot of fruity flavors mixed with the sourish yeasts of Belgian beers. The alcohol burn was significant and finished dry on the back of my tongue.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0508091932.jpg
A few sips into the beer, the flavors remained the same, but the alcohol burn wasn't nearly as noticeable, which may be a function of the alcohol itself. The flavors remained light and refreshing.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0508091952.jpg
Nearing the last third of the beer, the carbonation began to lessen as the beer warmed up a little, and the fruitiness of the flavor became more focused (probably because I should have served the beer at 45-50 degrees instead of right out of the fridge, doh!).
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0508092018.jpg
The final few sips of the beer were pleasant, with subdued carbonation and warming fruity flavors.
Overall, this was a great beer. Its not one that I can afford to drink every day, but its a nice treat every once in a while. I'm glad I picked up a second one, so I can compare at a slightly higher serving temperature in a few weeks time.
Thanks for reading everyone and happy drinking!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0509091013.jpg
Stats:
Style: Trapist Ale Tripel
ABV: 9.8%
Preferred Serving Temp: 45-50 degrees
Price: $3.75/beer
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0508091918.jpg
As you can see, the beer itself is a beautiful golden color with a nice amount of white head. The head disappears at a good rate, very much faster than a stout but with a lot more time than a light American beer.
The smell was light, somewhat fruity with a nice malty undertone. After the head dissipated, the smell was almost undetectable. The first sip yielded a very surprising amount of carbonation, which I wasn't expecting. It tingled a good deal on the tongue and obscured a few flavors until I could get the hang of "chewing" this particular brew. After I did, I got a lot of fruity flavors mixed with the sourish yeasts of Belgian beers. The alcohol burn was significant and finished dry on the back of my tongue.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0508091932.jpg
A few sips into the beer, the flavors remained the same, but the alcohol burn wasn't nearly as noticeable, which may be a function of the alcohol itself. The flavors remained light and refreshing.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0508091952.jpg
Nearing the last third of the beer, the carbonation began to lessen as the beer warmed up a little, and the fruitiness of the flavor became more focused (probably because I should have served the beer at 45-50 degrees instead of right out of the fridge, doh!).
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0508092018.jpg
The final few sips of the beer were pleasant, with subdued carbonation and warming fruity flavors.
Overall, this was a great beer. Its not one that I can afford to drink every day, but its a nice treat every once in a while. I'm glad I picked up a second one, so I can compare at a slightly higher serving temperature in a few weeks time.
Thanks for reading everyone and happy drinking!
