Bottle-conditioned Tripel Trappist Ale brewed by the Abbey of Westmalle, one of only seven Trappist breweries in the world. The monestary is located in the village of West Malle, Province of Antwerp, Belgium, and was founded in 1794. Both the Dubbel and the Tripel are considered by many tasters as the benchmarks for the style. Westmalle Dubbel was first brewed for consumption within the Abbey around 1836; Westmalle Tripel was introduced in 1934.
Glowing orange-gold color, herbal aroma, and complex flavors that meld rich malt sweetness, warmth, hops, and powerful drink ability.
Food pairing: After dinner. with espresso, paired with sweeter soft cheeses, or with beef remoulade and rich sauces. Serve in the traditional Westmalle goblet at 45-50 deg. F.
Many modern beers call themselves "abbey" or "abbey style ales," but the original and official abbey beers are brewed in Belgium and The Netherlands by Cistercian monks known as the Trappists. Trappist beers are not really a style of beer, but the seven breweries currently run by Trappist monks produce incredible beers that share a common heritage, history and many similar characteristics. Notably, the Trappist beers are often considered by experts to be among the best beers in the world.
Seven Trappist orders currently exist and brew beer including Orval, Rochefort, Chimay, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Achel and Koningshoeven (La Trappe).
Style: Belgian Tripels
Belgian Tripels are strong, malty beers that are characterized by thier golden color (somewhat darker than a Belgian Golden Strong Ale) and relatively high alcohol content (7.5 to 9.5% abv is common).
The Trappist brewery Westmalle is credited with the creation of the Tripel style. In 1934, Westmalle brewed a beer that they termed "superbier" that was eventually modified in 1956 and re-named "Tripel." Westmalle Tripel remains the standard of this style today.
The origin of the terms Dubbel or Tripel remain somewhat of a mystery, but it is clear that Trappist breweries began using the terms in the 20th century to signify the relative strenght of their beers, with Tripel being the strongest beer brewed and Dubbel being somewhere between the Tripel and the normal offering that was usually called an enkel (basic) beer.
While strength and color have no true relationship in beer, Dubbels are usually dark in color while Tripels are usually light in color.
Similar beers with an alcohol content of 8% or higher are likely to be found in the Belgian Dark Strong Ale category.- Browse Belgian Tripels
