Tripel Karmeleit

I have been a bit spoiled lately, as the latest batch of beers have all been very solid for the most part. Up next is yet another piece of Belgian craftsmanship, this time an 8.4% blond ale. The best I can do is compare with the Duvel, as it's a similar type of beer.

It should be noted that the beer has been brewed with pride and patience under 'carmelite tradition'. I am not at all sure why this should be noted, but I advise that you take notes regardless. Why? Because this is an absolute CRACKER of a beer.

It pours a hazy golden yellow, and appears like it has more depth than your average blond. No pun intended. The taste is a thunder clapping tropical storm. The feel of the beer is astonishingly heavy for a blond, but enigmatically refreshing at the same time. It doesn't have that oily texture either, it remains cleaner than Mother Teresa's swipe test after she passed through a Calcutta drug bus. The carbonation is fierce, but works in well with the other bold elements of the beer.

This really takes some skill. For once an archaic year on the label (such as the '1679' on this beer) actually makes sense. Sometimes you drink a beer that claims to have been around for centuries, and it still tastes like someone has wrung out Shaq's left sock after a triple overtime victory. Not the Tripel Karmeleit. There are generations of dedication and discipline bubbling inside this glass.

Fantastic beer.

9/10