I think I should preface this first review with a little background. It feels appropriate, I don’t want to be a stranger.
I currently (and proudly) work in the beverage industry as a graphic designer in Kalamazoo, MI. I work for a distributor, one that specializes in craft beers from all over the world. I have also snagged some experience working in retail at a high-end beer and wine shop.
Fortunately, I have come of age in the backyard of truly amazing American beer. To say that Michigan’s craft beer industry is booming is an enormous understatement. I feel like outsiders to our state see Michigan in a really bad light on the news, from our failing economy to our truly god-awful winters. But I honestly feel like we’ve taken all that bad press and turned it into liquid gold. And by liquid gold I mean absolutely fabulous beer.
I don’t intend on sticking strictly to Michigan beer with my reviews, but because of my job, I am collecting a pretty enormous stash of stuff from my great state to try, re-try, and maybe even let sit for a while to see how it ages.
Anyway, on to the important stuff. This is Brewery Vivant’s Tripel. It’s a belgium style trippel, limited release, 8.25% abv, and most importantly, it’s CANNED. Cans are so underrated, I am all for supporting this canning movement in the craft beer industry. It’s more environmentally friendly, I think the packaging looks sharp and concise (as a designer, I look for that), they get colder faster, they contain more recycled content, they are lighter to carry.... the list just goes on and on. But absolutely the most important thing, cans provide supreme protection against oxidation. Cans are just winning all around.
First off, appearance is really like honey in a glass. It’s got the same thick, haziness as fresh, organic honey with the same beautiful, caramel-golden color.
Nose is actually quite subdued in the glass, but in the can it comes off as very sweet, with kind of an aromatic spiciness, heavy on the cloves. It has a faint banana scent to it, which I expected, and I’m also picking up some very light black peppercorn.
The head was not at all what I had expected. Instead of having this thick richness to it, it was incredibly thin and translucent, and was entirely nonexistent after about a minute in the glass.
On the palate, I’m initially getting a lot of sweetness, which I expected considering it’s a tripel. For middle notes, there is still the same lingering banana you get in the nose, but this time it is accompanied by some caramel sugars that almost give it a banana’s foster feel. It has a very boozy, warm finish. It’s also slightly tart, and that really comes out the further you get into the beer. For me, it’s reminiscent of grapefruit. Not so much a citrusy, hoppy grapefruit. Because it melds with the caramelized sugars, it creates a taste similar to broiled grapefruit.
As I continue to drink it, I keep hoping drier malty notes, but they aren’t really there.
Overall, it’s not that the beer was unenjoyable. It’s palatable, but from Brewery Vivant, especially for a special limited release brew, I had much higher hopes. Not really the best example of an American tripel. Normally Brewery Vivant brews things that really blow me away.
I have had the pleasure to visit Brewery Vivant a few times, and it truly is a gorgeous brewery. It really does look like an old Belgian monastary, with huge vaulted ceilings and a large stained glass window right over the bar. Not to mention the food is.... well, expensive, but definitely a delicious experience. I mean, I have two words for you: duck nachos.
And I’ll leave you with that.
