Judge's Review: 87 Rating - Belgian-Style Tripel by Garage Brewing Co.

This beer was judged as a 26C Belgian Tripel. In the glass, it's a very attractive gold with a frothy white head that persists, leaving lacing on the glass. The nose presents very akin to classic Belgian yeast, but has a saison twist to it. Loads of pepper, faint clove and low vanilla, along with clean ethanol lead the way. Moderate sweet malt pops through as well, and the hops are missing. I get a hint of citrus and pomme as well. Very well fermented. On tasting, it has a lemony tang to it, hints of stone fruit and soft bready malt. Quite warming, though mostly clean. Though I do get a sharp bitterness from some higher alcohols as well. Surprisingly drinkable, overall. The saison notes pop through in the flavor a bit (and I quite enjoy them), dragging the beer a bit from the classic Tripel realm. Finish is a bit sweet and round but dries out nicely. Really drinkable, even in the heat we have right now. Great stuff.