AleDog

I was in the mood for a nice Belgian Tripel tonight, but as I scanned through the many beers at my favorite beer store (maybe place?) in the world, Sound Brewery’s Tripel Entendre caught my eye.  My neighbor, knowing about my love of beer sent me a bottle of Sound Brewery’s “Monk’s Indiscretion”, which I liked, but didn’t love.  Anyway, I decided it was worth skipping the Chimay and give a more local option a try.

The beer pours darker than a typical tripel, but the smell is much weaker than I am used to when drinking a Belgian.  And really I think that’s the problem, we don’t stand a chance against true Belgian beers.  I don’t know a ton about the science of beer (part of why I write this blog), but there has to be a strain of yeast that they are using in Belgium that sets their beers apart.  I’m not saying this is a bad beer, it just doesn’t really seem like a tripel.  It seems more like a Belgian Strong Ale to me, similar to Russian River’s Damnation or a…( I can’t remember the name of the Belgian Strong Ale I’m thinking of).  Either way, this is a good beer, but not so great when comparing it to Belgian Tripels.

I think it’s tough for American breweries to pull of what the monks do across the pond, but Sound Brewery gives me hope.  The beer is good, but still has some improving to do.

Grade: B-