Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Here's my first entry for the Tripel night. This was #1 on ratebeer.com and it did not disappoint.

This brew poured with a huge, white head and cloudy, but bright gold, body. It was also very bubbly and teeming with carbonation. It had a smell that was very close to gin (in terms of a pinetree-esque nose) but that's about it. The taste was truly unique. It started off pretty nice with touches of fruit notes and proceeded to get bitter. It also had a pine-y aftertaste that was very prominent. The texture was rather bitter, almost in an unpleasant sense, but mostly interesting. It was also very warming.

Overall, not a bad tripel at all. It was very intriguing and, for as big a fan of gin and tonics as myself, very satisfying. I can definitely see why this beer is #1 on ratebeer for tripels.

Appearance - 4.2
Smell - 4.0
Taste - 4.0
Texture - 3.8
Overall - 4.00/5

Brew Tasting the Thirtieth

To celebrate our thirtieth review night on this blog we have decided to do something very special and never done before on this site. We will be having the top 4 Belgian Tripel's that are currently listed on ratebeer.com and having them back to back to back to back. Hopefully we will be able to compare them appropriately and find out if our ideals actually match those of the public.

Stay tuned, because this is going to get interesting.

1. De Dolle Dulle Teve 10º (Mad Bitch)

2. Allagash Tripel Reserve

3. Tripel Karmeliet

4. Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

Three Floyds. There's really nothing more to say than that. Unfortunately for those of us on the East coast it is almost impossible to find within a reasonable distance. Recently I was in in the Indianapolis area and decided to pick something of theirs up to try when I got back home, and this was it.

This brew pours clear golden yellow with a thin white head, very close knit carbonation bubbles and little to no lacing. The aroma is of pure hops - flowers, citrus, peaches, pine tree. Very sweet and bitter front. The taste is not much different from the aroma and starts off with a nice bitterness that quickly fades into an orange citrus and floral finish. Quite good, and a decent amount better than the Stone Ruination IPA in the taste and texture departments.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 4.0

Taste - 4.3

Texture - 4.3

Overall - 4.1/5

Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

Ahhh...another IPA from the infamous Three Floyds company. Fonnie picked this one up when he went out to Indiana and I was grateful he could find it. Anyone who's read my reviews before knows I'm not the biggest IPA fan, but this was one of my favorites.

Poured out with a very orange color (like the soda). It was kinda cloudy though with no head to speak of. Nose of orange and other citrus fruits. It was bitter and sweet at the same time and very hoppy. The taste was in the same line. Orange, flowers, and hops dominate the mouth. It was a very warming beer too - had the feeling of whiskey. The texture was extremely bitter but not like orange cleaning product (like I normally compare IPAs to).

Overall, if you like IPAs, this would be a wonderful choice to go with. If you don't, this will be the best experience you'll have with them. If you're undecided, give this baby a go - it's probably the best to have.

Appearance - 3.8
Smell - 4.0
Taste - 4.1
Texture - 3.7
Overall - 3.9/5

Brew Tasting the Twenty-Ninth

Up for tonight we have a very special brew straight from Indiana, and also our first one from Three Floyds. It's going to be a good night.

1. Three Floyds Dreadnaught imperial IPA