Left Hand Brewing Company St. Vrain Tripel

**Aroma:** “The nose is all about malt with toasted grain and graham crackers right up front. There’s a caramel malt sweetness, along with some melanoidin. Some cardboard and cat piss from oxidation and a bit of herbal hops aroma.” **Flavor:** “Strongly oxidized—sherry, cardboard, and peanuts. Big rich malt centered on melanoidin and caramel with some fruit and spicy alcohol notes, but not much of the usual pepper-spice character. Sweet malt character lingers into the finish with a bit of bitterness. Needs more carbonation. The biscuit and oxidized character deliver a competing dryness that helps to balance things out somewhat.” **Overall:** “Some odd aromas and flavors. Way out of style and a beer that is most likely past its prime. On its own, this might be a hard beer to enjoy, but pair it with a nice dulce de leche or flan, and you’d have an enjoyable combination.”

**Aroma:** “Weird soapy hops. Very spicy with a strong yeast character. There’s a hint of Pils malt in there, but not much else past the overwhelming handmade soaps. Floral and lemony with hints of lavender.” **Flavor:** “Sweet honey malt and spice. Floral hops and unusually floral esters give this tripel a highly unusual personality. A mild, but obvious hops flavor. Strong orange citrus quality. Black- pepper notes. Some oxidation.” **Overall:** “This beer seems to be a creative citrusy take on the classic tripel, but the brewer took a lot of chances with this one, and they didn’t all pay off. The flavors are a bit discordant, and there is some oxidation. It would work well in light fish dishes seasoned with Herbes de Provence. Otherwise, it’s hard to get past the overwhelming soapy nature of the beer.”

**Aroma:** “High phenolics with notes of pepper and floral notes. Lemon, orange, black pepper, hints of fruit, some spicy Saaz-like hops notes and faint graininess.” **Flavor:** “Crisp! This beer exhibits a lovely crispness that sticks with you as it goes down. Nice blend of banana and citrus esters balanced by carbonation and sharp hops bitterness. The aromatic promises are fully delivered: lemon on the back of the tongue and spices near the front. A dark rich sweetness reminis- cent of a dark honey. A touch more fully bodied than expected, but the beer is so crisp that it works.” **Overall:** “Light and fruity. The brewer displays a subtle hand with yeast man- agement. Though the initial appearance could have been clearer, the aroma gives way to a generous palate of flavors that, while simple, create a wonderful drinking experience. A classic tripel that departs from the norm and does it well.”