Bottom-fermented tripel and therefore not a tripel at all but a strong blonde lager disguised as a tripel, also in terms of presentation and packaging - quite unique in that sense indeed, though perhaps less so than the commissioners of this beer claim. Anyway, steinie bottle from Streekproductencentrum Halle, the only place that officially sells it. Regularly shaped, moussy, medium thick but eventually very much thinning, snow white head, initially cristal clear warm and pure 'old gold' robe with lively sparkling, turning misty and deeper peach-hued with sediment in the end. Aroma of ripe pear, banana, straw, dried out white bread, coriander seed (bit soapy), 'jenever', freshly cut red apples, field flowers, dried bitter garden herbs, sweet potato juice. Sweetish onset, thinly bubblegummy but not in an unpleasant way, with red apple- and pineapple-tinged accents but indeed notably less estery than a top-fermented tripel would be; sourish undertone enhanced by lively, very minerally carbonation. Supple, lean, slick body, pleasantly white-bready and cereally pale malt sweetishness, finishing with spicy-soapy coriander seed merging with a floral, leafy hop bitterness; this combo is highlighted at the back - and at the right moment - by warming, wodka-like alcohol which nevertheless behaves decently. Pale malt sweetness remains dominant, however. Technically quite a remarkable beer: cleaner and less fruit-estery than a top-fermented tripel, but otherwise this has the exact same profile as any standard Belgian tripel of top fermentation would be. In that sense, this is a beer that may easily fool even the experienced beer connoisseur, though I remain convinced that certain mass-produced industrial abbey style beers that are presented to the consumer as top-fermented, such as Leffe and Affligem, are in reality nothing but strong lagers as well, molded in such a way that they come to resemble dubbels, blondes and tripel. In those cases, however, the choice for bottom fermentation is a pragmatic and cost saving one whereas here, trying to evoke a 'true' Belgian tripel in bottom-fermented form was clearly an artistic choice and a demonstration of the involved brewers' skills. Apart from these zytho-philosophical contemplations: a pleasant, well-behaving and well-balanced beer, very Belgian in all, in spite of being bottom-fermented - and in that sense, admittedly quite well done.