Augustijn Ale
11.2 oz, stubby brown bottle, my second from a Van Steenberge sampler box I picked up at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati, last week. Served at cellar temperature into a St Bernardus goblet, this pours a chill hazed, sparkling gold body with extremely busy carbonation. The head rises to three inches of height, and is white to offwhite in color. Sheet and patch lacing is profuse, resulting in a gorgeous goblet. Aroma is a cornucopia of tropical fruits and ripe golden delicious apples. Lots of banana, mango, and pineapple, notes of clove and coriander, candy sugar, and some mild earthy yeastiness. Mouthfeel is sprightly effervesecent, producing that Belgianesque explosion of carbonation in the mouth, with a light medium body. Taste reminds me of a Hawaian Mai-Tai, lots of pineapple and mango, with overripe banana and a note of fusel alcohol. Orangepeel and coriander lend an understated spicy component, and the yeast and hops give a slightly dry and earthy finish. I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this one, but came away quite impressed. This is a very underrated, Belgian Tripel and nails the style very well. Highly recommended.