Judge’s Review: 95 Rating – Westmalle Tripel by Brouwerij Westmalle

Belgian Tripel | Year-Round | Belgium

By Richard Wong

Judges Rating: 95
Aroma: 24
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 38
Mouthfeel: 9
Overall Impression: 18

Westmalle Tripel by Brouwerij Westmalle was judged as a # 26C (Belgian Tripel) under the 2021 BJCP Guidelines. 
The pour revealed a golden hue that had a slight chill haze, but was otherwise almost clear in color. The carbonation level was very good as it had a rocky head that lingered atop the pour. The aroma of this beer featured evident malt sweetness with light esters of fruit and spicy notes in the fragrance. The initial taste of this beer again revealed a malt sweetness balanced nicely with moderate hop bitterness. The other flavors of this beer include esters of spicy, peppery notes along with some floral hints and yeast undertones. Also noticeable was the alcohol in this beer (9.5% ABV) as this is a Belgian Tripel. The body and mouthfeel of this beer were medium. The carbonation was very good with this beer. The overall impression of this beer is that it is complex, flavorful and well made. It has the malt backbone and moderate hops along with the other flavor(s) of spicy, peppery and floral notes that rounded it out. A nice beer to have during the coming cold season.