Brewed by: Elysian Brewing Company
Seattle Washington USA
Style: Abbey Tripel
ABV: 7.5 %
Commercial description: Belgian-style Tripel. A twist on the French expression “Bete Noire”, Bete Blanche is extremely drinkable, blonde and somewhat treacherous.
APPEARANCE (5/5)
Large pillowy white head forms quickly. It doesn’t stick around very long, settling into a generous amount of picturesque lacing. Body is a very deep hazy gold with an orange cast.
AROMA (8/10)
A sharp, spicy aroma greets the nose with notes of ginger, tart citrus, earthy coriander and nice honey-like notes. The classic candy sugar aroma is here in spades as well. A backbone of solid, clean malt character is found with notes of biscuit, soda crackers and even some sweet malt aromatics.
FLAVOR (14/20)
This is where the beer starts to come undone for me…at least from a Belgian Tripel stylistic point-of-view. Too much sweetness up front. Followed by pear and apricot and to a lesser extent by banana and clove. Mid-palate, plenty of bitterness arrives, with some woody pine. I find the hop bite should have been more on the spiced side as opposed to the bitter side. It’s lacking that pleasant pepper spicy finish of a classic Tripel.
MOUTHFEEL (3/5)
Light body. Moderate carbonation. Fruity and a tad too sweet. Really could use some balance overall.
OVERALL IMPRESSION (7/10)
Based on it’s own merits it’s a pretty nice and drinkable beer…nothing too exciting. Judged strictly as a Belgian Tripel, it’s on the sweet side which the style dictates it should never be. The esters are somewhat there but I would have liked to taste more banana, clove and pepper spiciness.
FINAL SCORE (37/50)
The Beer Crossing 