You may or may not remember your first craft beer—but you probably remember the first one that really made an impact on you. Especially if that impact was roughly comparable to smoking peyote. At my niece’s birthday party about a decade back, I was first introduced to Victory Brewing Company’s Golden Monkey. I had no idea what a Belgian tripel was at that point, and perhaps I drank too much of it, but it definitely made a firm impression.
Those who know me often accuse me of not liking Belgian beers, but that’s not totally accurate; I just have a smaller flavor target for them. Two of my favorites are the aforementioned Golden Monkey, and Allagash Tripel. What follows isn’t a clone, per se, but it creates a tripel that emulates these two: fruity, dry, bready, and with good alcohol warming, all without drifting into “drinking cologne” territory.
Style
Tripels are in the Trappist or Abbey beer family, being one of the styles originally brewed by monastic breweries, though they’re now a staple for many breweries. They’re pale in color (someday I’m going to learn why there’s a weird color oscillation in Abbey-style beers), and relatively strong, usually coming in at the 8–9% ABV range. Commonly, they feature fruity and spicy flavors, particularly coriander and pepper. Like many Belgian ales, they should also be quite dry in the finish, despite the impression of sweetness that alcohol and esters can impart. The dryness counteracts the sweetness that is often aided by high levels of carbonation, for a nice bite on the tongue. There are lots of things on the table here—banana, clove, nectarine, and orange. I should caution you at the outset that my recipe is rooted in getting a few specific flavors—not all the accepted flavors—but they might still come through!