Brouwerij Het Anker
Mechelen, Belgium
[Imported by: Wetten Importers Inc., Sterling, VA]
Traditionally, this gold-colored beer was brewed for the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1491. Up to this very day it is still brewed according to ancient tradition.
ABV: 9.0
ABW: 7.2
COLOR: NA
BITTERNESS: 26
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1083
AVAILABILITY: AL, AK, AZ, AR , CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Brassy-gold, with a pretty eggshell head, this tripel is a real looker in the glass. Boozy hints of pear and spice waft toward the nose; those flavors are paired with a frothy effervescence and creamy texture, topped with a suggestion of butter cream. A lightly citrus finish helps keep this beer from being cloying and urges you to seek another sip. While this tripel has all the elements of a world-class version of the style, it doesn’t seem to have quite the depth of some. Still, it’s a delightful beer and worthy of your enjoyment.
- Lisa Morrison
For me, the test of a strong beer is how well it deals with the alcohol, and this powerful golden ale scores well on that front. Yes, there’s an underlying spicy, peppery warmth, but it’s more than matched by tropical fruit flavors, with melon, lemon and a hint of banana floating over the taste buds. Bottle conditioning delivers an airy texture even though the beer is rather creamy, and a gentle bitterness does just enough to prevent sweetness deteriorating into cloyingness. A little citrus on the swallow ensures the finish remains fresh even as it dries and becomes increasingly bitter.
- Jeff Evans
Lisa Morrison
Lisa Morrison, aka The Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever and wherever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.
Jeff Evans
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. More of his writing can be found at www.insidebeer.com.