The La Debauche beer labels are always interesting, designed by various artists from the local area. And more often than not there is a literary reference in the name or image. But this one I must confess I know nothing about, and google searches haven’t provided any solid leads. I’ll look forward to one of our members educating me.
But the label does invoke a sense of fun and freedom. I mean, how many times have you seen a pink bunny coasting down a hill on a bicycle?
The beer is a Belgian style tripel, and it is always interesting to see how a brewer from one country presents a style that is solidly defined in a different country; especially when they are neighbours. So how did our French brewery go with this classic Belgian beer style?
It pours slightly darker than your average Belgian tripel, with a very fruity, yeasty aroma. This fruitiness also comes through in the flavour, with hints of apricot and peach along with some caramel malt sweetness and some gentle spicing.
It doesn’t really seem to dry out after this early sweetness, and the aftertaste slightly lacks the lively, prickly finish of the best tripels. All the attributes are there, and its an enjoyable beer, but I’d love that sweet, full body to dry out a little on the back end. Maybe I’m just wanting it to be a Westmalle Tripel!