Meer over Tripel Beer
Which tripel are you looking for?
- Classic tripel: pilsner malt, often with some light sugar, continental hops and a spicy-fruity Belgian yeast. In the aroma you get pepper, sometimes clove, and fruit that brings orange or lemon to mind.
- Trappist: a protected origin label that only Trappist abbeys may use. Westmalle Abbey made the tripel popular.
- Belgian strong blond: related, but according to the BJCP a style of its own: slightly lighter in colour and body, with more fruit and hops and less spiciness. You can read about the difference in the Beer School.
Prefer something less strong? Look at blond. Dark and malty: dubbel, or its bigger, fuller version: quadrupel.
What to look for
A good tripel shouldn't be sweet. The bitterness is medium to high and is reinforced by the dry finish. In the glass it is deep yellow to light amber and sparkling, with a creamy white head that stays for a long time. Traditional tripels get their carbonation from bottle conditioning, so there's often a layer of yeast at the bottom. That isn't spoilage. Spices aren't traditional; if a brewer uses them anyway, they should stay in the background.
What you'll find at Hoptimaal
Belgian classics alongside plenty of Dutch tripels. Breweries you'll come across here: Omer Vander Ghinste, Het Anker, Brasserie Caulier, Van Steenberge, Brasserie du Bocq, Gooische Bierbrouwerij, KOMPAAN, Baxbier and Katuiner. For every beer you see the current Untappd score.
Serving
Westmalle recommends drinking Trappist beers like its own at 6–12 °C and taking the bottle out of the fridge about 15 minutes before pouring. Pour gently into a chalice glass and leave about a centimeter in the bottle: that's the yeast sediment, which according to Westmalle you can drink separately. The Brewers Association also writes that with a tripel you don't deliberately stir up the yeast.
Buy tripel beer at Hoptimaal
At Hoptimaal you can buy tripel beer online or in our shop at Leeghwater 5 in Amersfoort. Belgian classics sit alongside Dutch tripels, and you order them individually, so it's easy to taste a few tripels side by side. Order before 3 pm on working days and we ship the same day. Shipping within the Netherlands is free from €75.
Looking for a gift? Put something together yourself with a tripel, a dubbel and a quadrupel, or choose a ready-made beer box.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tripel and a dubbel?
A tripel is golden, spicy-fruity and dry, usually with 7.5–9.5% alcohol. A dubbel is copper-red and malty, with caramel and dried fruit such as raisin and plum, and usually 6.5–7%. There's no fixed calculation behind the names.
Is a tripel fermented three times?
No. Westmalle ferments its Tripel, like its Dubbel, once in the tank and then again in the bottle. Where the name tripel comes from has never been established with documents.
Is every tripel a Trappist?
No. Tripel is a style that any brewer may make. Trappist says where and under whose supervision a beer is made, not how it tastes. More in the Beer School on tripel.
Will the bottles arrive intact if you order tripel online?
We ship in protective, anti-breakage packaging. If something is broken anyway, you get your money back.
