Belgium's National Day is celebrated on the 21st of July, so we try to ensure the month of July has a very Belgian feel to our beer packs. And what it more quintessentially Belgian than a tripel from a Belgian Trappist Monastery?
My only issue was the stock levels in our cool room, and it left me a choice of two beers. I’ve decided on the Rochefort Tripel Extra to represent Belgium.
The Rochefort Tripel Extra was released in 2020, and it was the first new beer that Rochefort had released for 65 years. It was nearly a century since Rochefort had brewed a blond beer, so it was quite a big deal.
We included the beer in our packs soon after its release, so some of you will have had this beer before. But I’m sure any that have will be happy to sample it again.
It presents as a lovely yellow-gold liquid, with a fluffy pure white foam. The aroma is strongly of citrus and spice with that typical Belgian yeast.
A smooth mouthfeel is a little surprising, with a definite citrus flavour, and a spicy tingle that persists laid over the biscuity malt body. There is more fruitiness in the aftertaste – mango? – and that pleasant lingering peppery yeast note.