Curieux

(From notes). On tap @ BoHo’s Hollywood, end of 2009. Served a bit too cold. Golden color, slightly hazy. Nice, firm white head, retaining. Aroma: Medium sweet, some sour fruit/citrus, a bit sweet spices (wood notes came out more when the beer warmed up). Flavor is medium sweet, a bit spicy, hints of vanilla. Strong alcoholfeel, medium body. Wood notes really appear after swallowing. Geslaagd experiment.

Given to me as a gift by my friend Nate over 5 months ago for my birthday, enjoyed while watching the Professional on Blu-Ray at a friends house. This stuff was fantastic. Appearance slightly cloudy gold with rich off white head. Aroma of bourbon, light hay, slight maltt, mostly bourbon but its nicely subdued. Taste is smooth from the bourbon, has a light hay quality, a small crispness, has a wood/barrel aged quality to it, really complex and balances out to a great flavor. I don’t know what else to say, this stuff is awesome. Kinda surprised this was actually an Abbey Tripel, didn’t notice many Belgian notes from this but this blended so well.

Split a 750ml bottle. Poured a golden yellow color, thick white head. Aroma was bourbon, vanilla, barrel. Flavor was pretty enjoyable, vanilla, bourbon, woody-barrel notes. Good, but pricey.

750 ml bottle into chalice, bottled on 8/3/2017. Pours slightly hazy medium golden yellow color with a 1 finger dense and fluffy white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big lemon, orange, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red apple, peppercorn, clove, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of banana, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, earthy hops, pale/wheat malts, and light-moderate bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big lemon, orange, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red apple, peppercorn, clove, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of banana, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast spiciness; and herbal, floral, grassy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, orange, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red apple, peppercorn, clove, wheat, cracker, white bread, toasted oak, light vanilla/bourbon, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, earthy hops, pale/wheat malts, and light-moderate bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 11%, with zero barrel booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged tripel. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, earthy hops, pale/wheat malts, and light-moderate bourbon barrel flavors; dangerously smooth, and fairly crisp/clean to drink with the modestly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Not nearly as much barrel as I expected, but 8 weeks is not a significant time anyways. Well rounded Belgian yeast complexity, balancing earthy hops, and a clean pale/wheat malt backbone. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on base style example as expected.