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
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.
Related articles
- Beer – #132 – Tuatara – Belgian Tripel (pdubyah.com)
- Beer – #161 – Brewaucracy – In Triplicate (pdubyah.com)
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