Rating: 88

This week I have the pleasure of formally introduced the Tripel Ale to Benedictus Fructus. Specifically we have the Petrus Gouden Tripel Ale from Belgium. Tripel refers to the brewing process where up to three times the malts are added.  It also corresponds roughly to strength-  this one is 7.5% alcohol. Petrus is an abbey style ale, which refers to the style - which is a take on the Trappist monk style, but it is a commercial brewer.

With a name like Petrus, this one had to get on our tasting list.  Petrus refers to St. Peter. The label shows St. Peter holding the keys to heaven in one hand and a frothy pint in the other. Of course delights such as Beligian Tripels provide only a shadow of the joy in heaven. Which means heaven must be a pretty awesome place, given the pleasure in these treats.

As you can see from the image, my tasting came in a 750 ml bottle, which is enough for to mugs of the brew.  The first mug is shown in the picture with a nice foamy head, and  a relatively clear golden yellow.  I must say that the second pour was far less clear.  This is because this ale is bottle fermented - meaning there is yeast in the bottle.  Because the picture was of my initial glass, it is far clearer. I suspect that those who buy a single bottle as opposed to the 750 ml will have an experience more like my second pour.

The one spot where this beer struggled was the aroma.  There was just not a lot to it.  What was there had grain and yeast scents with a hint of apples, but it was a very light scent.

The body was enjoyable. It was medium bodied - definitely not a chewy beer. Which when you think about it is down right light given the higher alcohol content.  It had a creamy mouth feel with lively carbonation that reminded me of high end cream soda.

The taste was also pleasantly light given the high alc. content.  It was toasty with good apple flavors, and hints of honey and citrus.  While most beers taste better after the second glass (it is the nature of the drink), this one is doubly so out of the 750 ml because of the added particles that were not in the top part of the bottle.  This one was better when it was a bit more opaque. The finish was good, slight bitter balanced with a hint of honey.  Just writing that makes me want to go get another.

You can get the 750 ml for about $10.