A bit of history: Cisco began as a winery in 1981, adding beer in 1995 and then liquor two years later. For almost each origin of yeast, one of each strain from the two main homebrew yeast suppliers (Wyeast and White Labs) is listed. Although the reputed origins of a strain from each supplier may be the same, the exact results from each supplier may vary. Each supplier most likely received the strain at different times leading to slight differences between the yeasts. Regardless, based on my experience, the strains for similar origins are much closer to each other than to many of the other strains from each company.

The verdict: Now we come to a couple of big surprises. Or maybe not so surprising after all—it turns out that this beer from Iron Hill has won no fewer than three medals at the Great American Beer Festival over the years, so we’re not the only ones to identify it as one of the best American tripels out there. Fairly light of body despite the 9.5% ABV, Bedotter features a crisp, grainy malt profile that is layered with yeast-derived notes of bubblegum and banana. It drinks almost like an inflated saison, with a bit of peppery/coriander spice and booze that is impressively well hidden. 10% ABV seems to be the magic number, as far as tripel goes—none of the beers in the top 15 surpassed that number. This one showcases nearly everything that we like in the best American versions of the style, which are almost all dangerously drinkable. Light in color, well-balanced in terms of malts and hops, and usually made from Belgian yeast strains, some tripels are considered among the best beers in the world. Tasters included professional beer writers, brewery owners, professional brewmasters and beer reps. Awesome, Paste-branded glassware is from Spiegelau. Tripels are mainly brewed with European hops such as Styrian Golding, Tettnang, or Saaz. American substitutes are also great choices like Sterling, Mt. Hood, or Willamette. As I mentioned in the article, taking eight years to conduct an experiment is, for Trappist monks, not an especially long trial. I love going to the Cathedral in Brussels, because the long-sighted vision of the church is evident in the architecture. Built over 300 years, the building reflects different architectural trends over the period as you walk around it. Compared to this length of time, eight years is nothing—especially when the thing you’re working on may be around tens or hundreds of years more.For practical purposes, we prefer a single infusion rest between 146°F and 147°F to produce high fermentability. To make up for the deeper color normally resulting from the decoction, use a bit of Light Munich malt, up to 10%. Hops A bit of history: One of the seven Trappist monasteries, Scourmont Abbey produces some of the most respected beers in the world, including the Chimay Blanche or White tripel. Along with the Pilsner malt, Wheat, Munich, or Vienna malt can be added (up to 10% total) for color and body. Most Tripels have a color between 4-7 SRM. After two months in a row of nearly overwhelming blind tastings— 102 non-barrel-aged imperial stouts, followed by a whopping 144 barrel-aged stouts safe to say that the Paste beer tasters were hanging on by a thread. We needed a style that would draw significantly fewer entries, for the sake of our livers if nothing else. Thankfully, Belgian tripel was there for us. Though the brewing is no longer the job of monks alone, little else has changed here. It’s important to Westmalle that the beer continues to represent the values ​​of the Trappists and that the high quality is guaranteed. Because make no mistake: dedication to God remains central. The money geenrated is used to support charities in their own region, as well as for supporting Trappist monasteries all over the world. For the same reason, all their publicity remains very sober: you won’t see any big glossy ads featuring blushing monks anytime soon.

A bit of history: As you might have guessed, Avery Brewing Company has been around for 19 years, but this beer is brand new. In the mighty world of beer there are a few styles that are considered true classics: the Tripel is undoubtedly one of them.That being said, there is no definitive story about where the name “Tripel” originated from, although it is accepted that this term was first used by Westmalle in the 1950s. One theory is that in the Middle Ages, commoners and monks drank a light alcoholic beer with their meals, and for special occasions they'd choose a heavier beer. Most people at that time could not read, so the brewer would use a cross on the barrels in chalk to denote the strength. On a barrel of heavy beer, there’d be two crosses, XX, (Dubbel) and on the barrel of the heaviest beer, there’d be three crosses, XXX, (Tripel, of course). What is a Tripel? The Trappist abbey in Westmalle (officially called Abdij Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van het Heilig Hart van Jezus) was founded 6 June 1794, but the community was not elevated to the rank of Trappist abbey until 22 April 1836. Martinus Dom, the first abbot, decided the abbey would brew its own beer, and the first beer was brewed on 1 August 1836 and first imbibed on 10 December 1836. The pioneer brewers were Father Bonaventura Hermans and Albericus Kemps. The first beer was described as light in alcohol and rather sweet. [2] By 1856, the monks had added a second beer: the first strong brown beer. This brown beer is today considered the first dubbel (Dutch for 'double'). The current Dubbel is derived from a recipe first brewed in 1926. Local sales began in 1856 and the oldest registered sale was on 1 January 1861. The brewery was enlarged and rebuilt in 1865 based on the example set by the Trappists of Forges (nearby Chimay). Father Ignatius van Ham joined the brewer team. Further commercialisation and sales to traders commenced in 1921. In 1933 a complete new brewery was built and in 1934, the brewery brewed a strong pale ale of 9.5% abv giving it the name Tripel - the first modern use of the name. [ citation needed] The brewery was remodeled in 1991. It currently has a bottling capacity of 45,000 bottles per hour, and yearly output of 120,000 hl (in 2004). Yeast character is pronounced in great Tripels. It leans towards fruity esters, like banana, pear, or bubblegum, blended with light spicy phenolics.

Under the guidance of brewer Jan Adriaensens, thebrewery is continually improving and making new investments to maintain its reputation for high quality brewing. They’ve introduced new fermentation tanks, a new filling line and hot rooms that lie underground so as not to disturb the courtyard. A bit of history: The brewery’s history begins in 1914, when Benedictine of St. Peter began brewing beer for their personal use in Steenbruge, a suburb of Brugge. Their mugs went dry in 1943, though, when Germany requisitioned their kettles to melt down for copper. Now owned by Palm Brewery, production moved to Steenhuffel in 2004.

Best stored in a dark and cool space. Take note of the best-before date. This brew’s hoppy character will diminish the longer it is stored. The taste of small (33cl) bottles will evolve differently from that of the larger ones (75cl). In contrast to Trappists beers like the Rochefort 10, or the Westvleteren 12, this beer is not one to experiment with by storing it several years. Tripel has a balanced hoppy character, but a significant hop flavor is not needed. Unless you’re brewing an exceptionally hoppy version, don’t add any boil hops after 15 minutes. Yeast Tripels are normally made from a base of 100% Belgian or German Pilsner malt. Sugar – either clear Candi sugar or regular table sugar – is often added at the end of the boil to boost the gravity but ensure a dry finish. Use about 1 to 2 pounds of sugar per 5 gallon batch. In 1956, the Westmalle brewery was modernised and the recipes of the Tripel were adapted, these are the Tripels we enjoy today.The Westmalle Tripel is a clear, golden yellow Trappist beer at 9.5 °. The slow brewing process and the secondary fermentation in the bottle yield a complex beer, with a fruity aroma of ripe banana and a nice, nuanced hop nose. The soft and creamy taste, with a bitter touch carried by the fruit aroma, has a lot of finesse and elegance. Also enjoy the wonderfully long and dry aftertaste.