EPISODE 9: Tripel Threat

EPISODE 9

Tripel Threat

When people ask me what kinds of beer I like, I usually reply that I tend to gravitate towards IPAs and Belgian-style triples.  Since I've already written about IPAs here, it's time for some triples. I personally believe that the exemplar of the species is Brouwerij Bosteels' Tripel Karmeliet, with the tripel from the Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu a close second. But nowadays you don't have to be Belgian to brew a tripel. My favorite local example is "Monk's Uncle," from Pike Brewing here in Seattle. Sound Brewing in Poulsbo, WA has a solid entry in their "Tripel Entendre," and Ninkasi in Eugene, OR pleasantly surprised me with their fine take on the style. Perhaps the best Belgian-style tripel not made in Belgium is "La Fin du Monde," from Unibroue in Chambly, Quebec. It is a beer I deem sonnet-worthy.

THE BELGIAN TRIPEL

(Originally published in Pin-Up Quarterly, Issue 6, April/June 2012)

No pint glass is appropriate to serve

As vessel for a treasure such as this

Instead a tulip goblet is preferred

With curves as lush as those of any miss

The nectar it contains, a heady brew

An ale fit for the Pope, its brewers sought

The proof of their achievement is the hue

As golden as the gifts the Magi brought

A chimp might crave its slight banana flavor

Created through the alchemy of yeasts

A hint of bubble-gum, more tastes to savor

The handiwork of those zymurgic priests

And with a final note of clove it's told

A tale of monks who chose love over gold

LA FIN DU MONDE

They call it "Fin du Monde," and true enough

You'd have to reach the world's end just to find

Another ale that's equal to this stuff

With flavor far beyond the daily grind

Yes, it's from Canada but it's as fine

As any tripel Belgian monks could forge

You'll want to sip it, like expensive wine

As, one by one, fresh qualities emerge

It started with a bready yeasty nose

And then phenols and esters came along

So that banana flavor then arose

And triple fermentation made it strong!

So when the world at last comes to its end

I'll spend my last hours drinking, with a friend

MONK'S UNCLE

I really have to hand it to The Pike:

Of all the local claims to Belgium's crown

This entry is the one I really like

Complex in taste yet easy to drink down

It's hoppier than one would think to find

From this specific style of Belgian beer

But let the upfront bitterness unwind

Its other elements become more clear

A tangy fruity backbone sets the stage

A hint of pineapple (banana, too)

But is that coriander? Is that sage?

And last, the clove notes venture into view

All aspects meld together in the end:

A perfect drink for any simian