MacTarnahans Gran Luxe Tripel Ale

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours a clear gold with very little head, suprisingly, and not much lace. I should say here that I'm not drinking it in a "proper" glass, which may account for the shortcomings, if any. The bottle (nearly $7) is a bomber with a golden triangle surounding the beer's name, style, and a nice rendition of some hops. Rather classy looking, I must say. Smells light and fruity with a hint of cloves. Tastes really fruity: apples and apricots are noticable. It is quite sweet and a tad spicy. A friend who tried it said it tasted like "Juicy-Fruit" and he has a point there as much as I hate to admit it. Mouthfeel is very creamy and full. Drinkability is very good, much better than most tripels I've had. I could easily enjoy several of these. Bottom line: Very nice beer and definately worth a try, but for nearly $7 for 22oz, I won't be having many of these for a while.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 8

A dark amber almost burnt orange pour with a respectable white head. Fruity/yeasty nose.Medium/light body. A little bit maltier than I expected. Sweet front with a saltiness(?) near the finish. As it warmed the Alcohol definitely started to show in the finish.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

I have to admit that this would be the very last Beer Style I would have ever expected to see from MacTarnahan's (less lambic, of course). Why? Well, it just seems that through the years they have gotton more and more wishy-washy with their beers: discontinuing the more interesting beers, and dumbing down the remnants (the Amber Ale and IPA come to mind here). But such interesting beers as a Tripel Ale and a "Bourbon Cask Aged Black Watch Cream Porter" (that I have in my `fridge waiting for me to sample), maybe MacTarnahan's has turned the corner, so to speak, and set their course for being the quality craft brewery they always wanted to be?

Well, with beers like the Grand Luxe Tripel Ale, they may very well be on their way. A bit dark and ruddy-red in appearence for a Tripel, and very-much lacking in any sort of complex, over-anxious head formation (there was none in my Piraat glass), but this does have the classic alcoholic/spicy aroma that makes this style notable.

I don't drink as many big-ass Tripels as used to to, for the same reason that most Unibroue beers don't cross my lips too often any more: heartburn. Between the alcohol (9.3%ABV, in this case) and the inherent spiciness from the yeast and hops, I almost always get a very warm sensation right where the ol' ticker is working away. And while this is not the beer's fault, it does kinda hinder my overall enjoyment of the beer in the long-run.

Kinda simplistic, for a Belgian beer, and the first time I've seen a commercial Belgian-style beer that wasn't bottle-conditioned. But various minor quibbles aside, this is a nice beer, that only needs a few tweaks to put it into the Big Time, IMO.
//TB

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Deep gold color. Medium head. Aroma is bubble gum, Belgian yeasts, spices and a touch fruity. A medium bodied triple. Malts are fruity and spicy. Banana, clove, coriander, and orange peel plus all the other spices and flavors one expects from a Belgian Ale. Very bright yeast, spicy with a touch of hop bitterness. Well balanced. Smooth taste. Hides the 9.3 % alcohol very well, only noticeable as a slight peppery aftertaste. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and right. Aftertaste is slightly sweet, with a touch of alcohol bite. Nice beer.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 1 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

I should just copy herbjones' review. It's pretty much as I felt, though I'd rate it lower.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

22 oz bottle served into a tulip glass. Pours an actively carbonated, bright orange body with a large, rocky, ivory head. Excellent retention and considerable patchy lace. Aroma is complex, with coriander and white pepper, earthy yeast, sweet candy sugar, some fruity banana, and an unexpected note of caramel malt that seems out of place in a Tripel. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation. Taste begins with a fruity sweetness which lingers most of the way through. Earthy yeast is assertive in the middle, as well as some mildly bitter hops. The fruity sweetness is reminiscent of Juicy Fruit chewing gum. The taste becomes more dry toward the finish, and some ethanol creeps in, as well, but this one is well balanced, overall. This is a very good execution of the style, but somewhat overly sweet which detracts from drinkability.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Comes in a plain brown bomber with gold screen printed label..nice and simple yet classy. Lot of carbonation released when bottle is opened..nice looking beer in the Chimay chalice..light chesnut/honey brown, small pure white head..great swirls of small carbonation bubbles. Lovelly smooth yet spicy aroma..very aromatic..also great malt scents too..blackberrys and other wild fruits come to mind..nice Lovelly smooth tasting brew to start..then the spices heat up the middle of the taste..alcohol warmth takes over at the end..but very pleasant smooth alcohol. Nice and creamy smooth on the palte//alcohol is balanced just right. Very drinkable tripel ..with 9.3% its never going to be a session beer..but I can drink this very easily.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours a cloudy golden orange color, with a soft head and excellent carbonation. Aroma is VERY yeasty and doughy but beyond that, balanced pretty well. Mouthfeel is nice and full, with a creamy smoothness. A little heavier than most tripels I have had, but really very nice. Flavor is strong and a little vinous, with a tangy citrus tartness, alcoholic warmth, and sweet sticky finish. Definitely not a smooth beer, it really wakes up the taste buds! Very exciting and lively to drink, but may be a little too tart for some tastes. Overall, I like this beer...very good for a lighter winter warmer (when you need a change from Barleywines and Imperial Stouts).

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

This triple pours with a clear orange body topped by a Thick off-white, sustaining head with a good amount of lacing. The aroma is slightly sweet, spicy and a touch yeasty with notes of banana’s, oranges and malt. The flavor is slightly sweet yet bitter and spicy with notes of yeast, a slight malt note and a little banana. Medium bodied, tingly on the tongue and warming.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Poured a clear orange color with a very small off white head. Yeast and a sweet spiciness in the aroma. A warming sweetness followed by yeast and alcohol in the taste.