Saturday, December 18, 2010

Tripel Karmeliet (8.4% ABV)

An amber-gold beer in the Tripel style brewed from barley, wheat and oats, the latter ancient grain as it appears in this brew is a vast improvement on the oats I had for breakfast.

A bright, Alpine nose of pine and lemon balm yields to clean spice and a balanced bitter-sweet finish. This beer is very similar in approach to Duvel, but displays a greater complexity.

Repeat tastes made me crave tandoori or grilled meat. This could just be because I haven't had lunch yet, but I think this would pair very well with a small plate or starter of that genus, perhaps also oily (but not smoked) fish.

At a hefty 8.4% ABV, however, you may want to encourage your guests to split a bottle between two unless you want them passing out over their entrees.

89

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