Sint Canarus Tripel
Poured the contents of a an 11.2 oz. bottle, including sediment, into a chalice. I'm not sure I've ever witnessed the presence of such an absurd amount of lees in as limited an amount of liquid as this; it's as if it's the Belgian response to Turkish coffee. Otherwise, the appearance is a brilliant honey orange with a sustained but slowly diminishing head which leaves a respectable if splotchy lacing. The aroma is a little on the faint side, but I perceive, most prominently, sour apple and some sweet bready malts, lending the nose a sort of apple turnover/apple strudel quality. There's some subtle spice here, too...difficult to identify until I've actually tasted it, but I suspect coriander plays a pivotal role. Lastly, a scarcely noticeable delicate vinous trait is interwoven with the more apparent features of the nose. The flavor is a peculiar mix of tart citrus rind, clean but abrasive bittering hops (which, presumably, are the prime contributor to the somewhat soapy finish), coriander, and, unfortunately, some readily discernible alcohol, although this last factor somehow becomes less pronounced as I proceed. There is some awkward incongruity among the flavor components but, all in all, the taste is agreeable if not exemplary. I'm especially partial to the dry (if soapy) finish. Light- to medium-bodied; quite lively carbonation-wise but finishes dry and mellow. Drinkability is decent; as aforementioned, the alcohol seems sharp and unpleasant initially but desensitization quickly sets in. I actually had more difficulty with the hops: while the booziness seemed less prominent as I proceeded, the lupulin seemed to become increasingly aggressive, almost to the point of astringency. I have no regrets about trying this beer; it's certainly nowhere near a drainpour, but the positive attributes are too few to entice me to seek it out again. When tasting it, there is a fleeting moment when all the flavors come together harmoniously, but this is entirely too brief, and is preceded by a clumsy convergence of disparate flavors and followed by an anticlimactic (although not unpleasant) finish.