Westmalle Trappist Tripel

33cl bottle 9,5%


Strong pale ale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westmalle_Brewery
Picture taken before the last bit of the bottle with the yeast is poured.

Distinct sweet, strong smell that all Tripels share. Rich fruity, banana ish with a hint of honey.
Foam stays nice and long and adds to the pleasure of looking at this beer. I purchased the matching glas at Brussels airport where I was working for a day in an exchange program. It's slightly cloudy at this point, will, however, get even more so, once the yeast is poured into it. Many people are fighting about whether the yeast belongs into it or not.... I personally drink half of it without and then pour the yeast in for an additional flavor experience. Taste without the yeast poured is nicely sweet bitter with some hints of liquorice in the aftertaste. Not as sweet as I expected from the smell and a bit more bitter than I remember it to be. Carbonation is just perfect. It tickles the tongue and vanishes quickly.
Adding the yeast...
Color changes to an almost Fanta-ish yellow while the yeastiebeasties are swirling around.
The yeast mellows the taste and the bitterness and in my opinion should be added in the beginning, alas, it is up to the personal taste. All in all one of the best Trappistes.. though the Rochefort might win over it. 
DMW