Beer – #1,083 – Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck – Trignac XII (2017)
Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck Trignac XII (2017), letting my hair down and the wallet open, it’s been a while since I’ve splurged on a beer really, and it is a Triple, which are beers I enjoy. LIX does XII. This is Bottle 5142 of 8000.
truly one of a kind
This is a 750ml (I pint and 9.4 fl oz) Magnum of a beer that is 12% ABV (About 355 calories a serve) and about 7.1 standard drink units of beer.
LIX does XII
The Trignac is a unique degustation beer, truly one of a kind.
It’s a Kasteel Triple matured in barrels previously used for Cognac.
There is no escaping the sweet aroma of grapes and the impact of alcohol, giving a slight impression of wine on the nose. This returns in a taste that leans towards cognac.
The alcohol fully fills the mouth and gives a delightfully warm feeling that resonate for quite some time
Thrill to that full, rounded taste, that delicate touch of cognac and the smooth, bitter aftertaste of this unique gourmet beer. Trignac is a real collector’s item. Only a limited edition of Trignac is brewed
So, What could possibly go wrong?
The arthritic old fingers pull and tug away at that foil for the work and cage. It is worth the effort, the cork is lovely with a little picture of the brewery on it and the date. Nice to see cork, even if it’s recomposed pressed cork.
A great start as it pops vigorously, the Arma settles into something quite sweet, and sugary, and fanciful I’m saying cognac. Probably isn’t.
A muddy yellow pour with a lovely head of crisp white appears in the glass. It looks like orange juice, very hazy. The aroma is much the same lovely sweet note and an underlying slightly strange note that, again, fancifully, is the cognac.
The alcohol tang is striking and upfront in this, but it’s pushed aside by a lovely cushion of fullness and sweetness that envelopes the mouth and then washes away to a slightly bitter note at the back. It’s very good.
I’d like it to have even more fullness and that pillowing malt, but it is balanced with that aromatic yeastiness, and so it’s not at odds, or odd, even.
I was expecting a much ‘heavier’ and ‘stronger’ beer, with more pronounced notes of that Congac, and as already mentioned the malt and yeast. I am a little surprised that although this is nice and I’m really enjoying it it’s not fireworks or a party-in-the-mouth type beer.
I’d be unkind and say that I’ve had local Tripel that’d give this a properly good run for the money – for instance the McLeod’s Tripel that I was very enthusiastic about. However it’s unusual for me to have some properly quality overseas beers, we’ve got quite good at beer in New Zealand, and outside of the the canned cheap specials at the supermarket I’d have to go back a fair way- January to the last time I had a ‘foreign’ beer of merit (merit enough to sit still and write about)
What really is nice bout this beer though, as I come back to it, is that it really is just plain straight up and down nice drinking, there’s nothing to surprise you, that alcohol tang went away that fullness/fluffiness and the sugary yeastiness they’ve become less important and this is thoroughly pleasing and pleasant beer, a proper treat for me.
The second glass was First class as it warmed up it galloped away with goodness and the feels, and the Cowboy Junkies, well they are just amazing and you should really give this album a go.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its things from the thing. It’s better than an 8 might have you believe, but it’s not a 9. It is lovely, it is easy drinking, it isn’t outstanding or setting me smiling, and I’m sipping away casually and mometarily I’m going to be miffed it’s all gone.
I feel bad though as I called 8 and the second glass really is getting into itself, but I’m not going back and it could just be that at 12% I’m easily swayed, it’s been known to happen, although usually it ends with me declaring my love to a lady that previously I never spoken to. Life can be like that.
The double dip review
- Where did I get it? The local Liquorland of course. From the Top Shelf.
- Am I enjoying it? I am, a rare old overseas beer of merit
- Would I have another? I really would this is quite special because of the way it’s packaged and because it’s really nice drinking
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would, yes, for the reasons above, and I can see myself with this and some easy after dinner chat, it’s a beer that assists the conversation, I don’t think it’d be the conversation.
Music for this: ” The Trinity Session by Cowboy Junkies on The Spotify Player if you want to listen, I’m having this on vinyl. It’s magnificent.
A life just as ordinary 