Tripel is a delightful Belgian style of beer. It's strong, and it's delicious, more to be sipped than chugged. And to be enjoyed with civility from a nice, fancy glass. While wearing pants.
I've been really getting into the Belgian styles lately, and have had a few Belgian Tripels, (which have been very nice), though I'm finding my tastes may be leaning slightly more towards dubbels or Belgian Dark Ales (such as my aforementioned Dark Mistresses (see two posts ago).
Anyway, I'vestarted collecting a few bottles of these fancy Belgian beers I really like, and keeping them down in the basement. I pull them out on special occasions (Monday is a special occasion, right?), sip them at cellar temperature (not chilly fridge temperature, the complexity doesn't come out then), and these puppies are better than port or scotch.
Tripel is so called because it's triple fermented. (And it follows, Dubbels are double fermented). Yeast is what makes beer happen - yeast converts the sugars from the malts into alcohol. It also adds some flavour. In particular, Belgian yeast has a very distinct and delicious (to me, anyway) taste. You can smell a Belgian beer from a mile away. So, in a Tripel, the yeast is pitched in, it eats what it finds, then it's pitched in again, then there's some thrown in when it's bottled, for good measure. That's why Tripel is so hich in alcohol per volume, and its flavours are so complex.
By the way, it can be a fine line between a Tripel and a Belgian Dark Ale (the Belgians don't much like to stick to rules anyway), but the main difference is that a Tripel is usually Blonde, while the Dark Ale is, uh, dark.
Quebec has a very vibrant Belgian Beer Scene, lead in the early days by Unibroue, and now with many great microbreweries and brew pubs, including the wonderful but elusive in Ontario Dieu du Ciel (Their Rosee d'Hibiscus is available here, but that's not to my liking. at all.)
I decided to pit two Quebec Tripels against each other in head to head action, see which I preferred (please note, as always, this is my opinion, it doesn't mean, at all, that one is better than the other). These are the only two Quebec Tripels available at the LCBO or Beer Store these days.
If you know of any others, please let me know!
Dominus Vobiscum Triple from Microbrasserie Charlevoix
vs. Fin du Monde by Unibroue
Look: Look very similar. Both blondes. both fairly carbonated for the style. Charlevoix MAY be ever so slightly darker. Fin du Monde holds onto its head a bit better.
Smell: Charlevoix has a bit of a "sunnier" smell. Fin du Monde has a "deeper" smell.
Taste:
Charlevoix: smooth, buttery, mild, a bit spicy, slight tang.
Fin du Monde: MUCH richer. hangs around, thickly, in your whole mouth, like maple syrup. More intense. Really makes its presence known. Alcohol taste more evident.
Overall: Two variations on the tripel. One louder, more brash, yeasty, and sweet. the other more subtle and spicy. both very good.
Comes down to a matter of taste (how's that for a cop out).
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