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TRIPEL

Westmalle Tripel

Abdij der Trappisten van Westmalle • Antwerp Belgium

Top Fermentation Bottle Conditioned● 9.5% ABV

The original Tripel. Bright and golden with complex yeast character, notes of pear, citrus peel, and soft spice sit atop a highly attenuated body. Despite its strength, the finish is dry, effervescent, and balanced.

PERFECT FOR
☾ Quiet Reflection✦ Celebrations✿ Spring Afternoons
Ask the Monk
FLAVOR PROFILE
SpiceBananaFloral HopDryFruity

Bright, golden and spicy, with notes of spice, banana, floral hop, finishing crisp and dry.

SERVING

Serve at 8-12°C in a tulip to maintain a generous head and let the aromas bloom.

8-12°C

CHARACTER
DryDrySweet
LightFullFull
SoftBalancedBitter

Style-based profile from ABV, style & tasting notes.

TASTING NOTES
Appearance
Brilliant gold, lively carbonation, dense white head
Aroma
Spice, Banana, Floral Hop
Taste
Dry, medium-bodied, spice, banana, floral hop, dry
Finish
Dry with a firm bitterness and a warming glow.
BEER DETAILS
Style:
Tripel
ABV:
9.5%
IBU:
25-38
Origin:
Antwerp, Belgium
Glassware:
Tulip
CELLAR1 to 5 years

Can age. Will soften and gain a honeyed depth, though it is lovely fresh too.

PERFECT PAIRING

"Excellent with white asparagus or aged Gouda cheese; the beer's bitterness provides a perfect counterpoint to the rich cheese."

Aged Cheese

Aged Cheese

Gouda, Trappist, Bruges

Salad

Salad

Fresh vegetables

Cook this: a wedge of aged abbey cheese (Chimay, Orval), or a crisp witloof (endive) salad, or white asparagus in spring.

AVAILABILITY

Specialty shops & better bottle stores

UntappdBeerAdvocateTotal Wine
PRICE GUIDE
$$$$

Premium

A considered, special pour.

II

Flavor & Aroma

IOn the nose
  • Floral Hop
IIOn the palate
  • Spice
  • Banana
  • Fruity
IIIThe finish
  • Dry

The original Tripel. Bright and golden with complex yeast character, notes of pear, citrus peel, and soft spice sit atop a highly attenuated body. Despite its strength, the finish is dry, effervescent, and balanced.

III

Story & Heritage

ABOUT THIS BEER

Brewed inside the Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Westmalle, where Trappist monks have brewed since 1836. Westmalle effectively defined the modern Tripel, the recipe was perfected in 1956 and became the benchmark every other golden Trappist ale is measured against.

On the Tripel style, Strong, golden-colored ale. Complex spiciness, fruity esters (banana, orange), and a sweet malt backbone masked by high carbonation and a dry finish.

Explore the Tripel guide Source: BeerAdvocate
BREWERY

Abdij der Trappisten van Westmalle

COUNTRY

Belgium

REGION

Antwerp

STYLE

Tripel

IV

Glassware & Ritual

The Tulip
THE TULIP

For aromatic Belgian ales

The tulip's flared lip captures the foamy head while the bulb concentrates the beer's volatile aromatics, made for swirling and savouring.

01

Chill the glass

Rinse with cold water, not freezer-cold

02

Pour at 45°

Aim for the inside of the glass wall

03

Finish upright

Build a two-finger head for the bouquet

04

Swirl, sip, savour

Re-release the esters halfway through

V

Reviews

No reviews yet

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THE MONK'S NOTE

Pour it into a tulip, served around 8-12°C, and let its aromatics open before the first sip. Lovely now, though a year or two will only soften and deepen it.

Brother Anselm, cellarmaster

ADD TO YOUR JOURNEY

    Belgian Beer Wisdom

    Did you know?

    Many Belgian beers refermenent in the bottle, creating natural carbonation and complex flavors.

    Why it tastes different

    The Monk's Dispatch

    One letter a month from our cellar: a beer worth seeking, a brewery worth knowing, a small lesson in the art. What is this?