Belgian triple – Let's Learn Beer!

monks

by Ceit
January 2, 2024December 19, 2023

On the ninth day of Beermas I went and got for me
A third of nine dancers carefree
Eight spice rack maidens
A taste of one of seven seas
Six alarms a-ringing
A high-powered ring of fire
Four silent moths
Three frisky parrots
A bottle but not two cans
And more than half a liter of perry

Here’s a conundrum, are three dancing monks better for day three or day nine? I guess nine, three times three, and so clearly connected to the day’s activity, so that’s where you go Espíritu Triple. Yakka has created this beer with its playful and evocative label, probably intending to emphasize the connection to the religious brewers of other parts of Europe.

On a more somber note, I found out (some time ago when this gets published) that Hop Hop Hurrah will be closing it’s doors at the end of December. The owner is having a baby and the store just doesn’t make up for being away from family obligations. Who knows, maybe he’ll be able to get back into it later on. Life just keeps changing, one way or another.

Typical Belgian appearance, golden but slightly cloudy, not a lot of head. The Belgian aroma is also present, tangy, slightly bready. It’s very bitter at first, but quickly backs into a sweet and sour kind of flavor, with a little bit of a dusty feeling. It grows in sweetness, but never gets sticky, although I find it to be more refreshing after some time to warm up. It gets smoother and less cloudy, easy to drink and calling a little for some extras – cheese, fruit, probably not something very salty. It’s not an “authentic” Belgian, just a Spanish-made Belgian style, so maybe that’s why I don’t get the usual aftertaste. It’s very clean and perfect for a quiet conversation. Ninth day down!

an exception

by Ceit
December 14, 2023November 30, 2023

While there are Christmas beers happily floating around by now, there aren’t actually that many. It’s almost the same as official Oktoberfest beers. I guess it’s time to bend my Calenbeer rules and make an exception to my black beer standard, but with a Belgian beer that you could possibly sneak in with it’s seasonal brethren. Westmalle, a classic of the widely available Belgian exports, shows off its stuff with a Trappist Triple, in a uniquely collared bottle. Although the label is fairly simple, the fact of being Belgian lends a certain festive flair to the beer, so it should be welcome in the ranks.

The triple is supposed to be light, but it seems surprisingly so to me, one of those lemony straw colored beers. The head would make a pilsner proud, at least for a few minutes. The aroma is at once sharp and citric and mellow and bready. It feels like a tangy Belgian aroma more than anything. The taste starts out with a full round bitter, melting into a wheaty tang at the back of the tongue, and sweeping down the throat pithy bitter again. It’s almost medicinal, with a hearty bitterness that gives you the sensation that it’s good for you. Sometimes sweeter notes peek through, slightly lemon candy and slightly clover juice.

Supplier: Hop Hop Hurrah
Price: €3.75