Beer - #235 - Tuatara - Belgian Tripel - Redux

Back to the middle again, away from the heavier beers that I seem to have been having of late with a NZ Tuatara Belgian Tripel, Brewed by Tuatara Brewing Company in the style of a  Belgian Strong Ale and they're in, of course, Paraparaumu, New Zealand.

Develop an active interest in Belgium’s monastic Trappist brews and it’ll quickly become obvious that the Low Countries weren’t named after the alcohol content of their favourite beers. Tuatara Tripel is is brewed in that same intense style, rich on the nose with esters and hop aromas balanced to perfection. It’s possessed of a sustained and lively body that instantly fills the mouth with flavour. Meanwhile a smooth aftertaste ensures the kind of drinkability that by rights no 8.5% alc/vol beer ought to possess.

And just to make it worse for myself here is a clip of me taking it all serious

http://youtu.be/FBpcybmsedY

8.5% of a beer, in a 650ml bottle, in NZ 4.65 standard drink units.  I rated this 8 last time I drank it   Who's surprised that I forgot about this. well me. I don't know that it made much of an impression because I'm usually better at remembering things, he said not convincingly.

I also picked up, knowingly a Brewaucracy "In Triplicate" Which I thought was a 9, as if that changes anything.

Hopefully then, a head, and a bit more balance of flavours. We'll get to that next.

Fair hiss, vinegary cider aroma, Orange golden pour, and fluffy white head to accompany. Aroma more to caramel malts and familiar belgium notes. It's better than I remember.

Slightly sour front, but it gives over to a nice balanced sweetness, and finishes sharp. Again the alcohol is not apparent in this, which is both a good and bad thing. Nose full of aroma every sip too, and you know I mean "big sip".

Lovely earthiness, lovely sweetness, nice tang, and a #smileface from me on this. I rated it an 8 before and I think that on this I would probably rate this on the pdubyah-o-meter as a  9 making it a great beer.

Of course I'm coming off the back of a few of the more eccentric beers, the porters and stouts and some very very hoppy beers, so this was a retreat to something I know, or hope, is more comfortable to drink. Very easy drinking, very tempted I would be to have another if I had one to have. For a New Zealand company this is quite accomplished.

To be able to buy a quality Belgium Tripel style beer, made locally, and for it to be the equal or better than some imported offerings, for my palate at least, is a very rewarding thing. At least it's not like Champagne and they'll have to change it's name to something. Which reminds me that one of our commercial brewers trademarked "Radler" as a name, and so therefore you can't get a 'real' Radler beer brewed or marketed here. But that's a different story altogether.

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Beer - #132 - Tuatara - Belgian Tripel

Tuatara Belgian Tripel  Brewed by Tuatara Brewing Company in the style of a : Belgian Strong Ale and that's all done in Paraparaumu, New Zealand.

8.5%ABV (4.65 Standard drinks) contained in a 650ml bottle.

Develop an active interest in Belgium’s monastic Trappist brews and it’ll quickly become obvious that the Low Countries weren’t named after the alcohol content of their favourite beers. Tuatara Tripel is is brewed in that same intense style, rich on the nose with esters and hop aromas balanced to perfection. It’s possessed of a sustained and lively body that instantly fills the mouth with flavour. Meanwhile a smooth aftertaste ensures the kind of drinkability that by rights no 8.5% alc/vol beer ought to possess.

This wasn't my first choice tonight, but if you buy beer at lunch time and leave it to get warm then what can you do, except stop and buy another beer from the cold room.

Expectations are of golden/chestnut , malty sweet, and alcohol present but not making a big deal about it.

Ok it pours golden syrup golden, it fizzes like an alka-seltzer, but delivers no head, and now appears to look very flat. Slightly bittery yeasty aroma.

And then heaven on the tongue! All the malty sweetness floods you with a tearful hug.  There's plenty of length in this too the lingering taste on the lips and back of throat. They're fairly docile tastes though, and I didn't get the same enjoyment second or third mouthful. Bit disappointing, I do still get the back burn of something though.

For me there isn't enough sweet malt taste, the alcohol is masked but bobs it's noise in a bit, it might be just over carbonated, and it still looks like a flat beer poured a day ago.

Taking stock though, as you must. This isn't bad. It stands on it's own merits and is doing what it says on the label. There isn't much indication that this is an 8.5% beer, and that you should be paying more attention to that.

Overall the pdubyah-o-meter things that 8 on its arbitrary scale means that this is accomplished, and well mannered, unlikely to disappoint, and also unlikely to make it to the top table.  I like it a lot more than I thought I would, you know the bar is high when it comes to trying to make a standard your own thing. Fair play and well done.

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