We have now reached beer number 80, which seemed like a good time to refer back to that very first beer from the 1980s. So, just like Zatte Tripel, it had to be a good one. For this we asked our brewer Fred de Bruijne. After all, he is a great lover of tripels and other blond, full-bodied beers and often experiments in that direction. ‘Really up my alley,’ says Fred.

For our number 80 in the line of special numbers, Fred decided to turn up the spiciness that characterizes many tripels a bit more strongly. To that end, he used a different yeast for the occasion. He ordered special abbey yeast for it in Belgium.

To further accentuate that spiciness, Fred opened his kitchen drawer. As with more tripels, he added coriander for some spicy freshness. Cardamom went into the tanks (‘not too much, it’ll get sour’) to lift the spiciness, cumin and juniper. ‘Those provide a slightly spicy bite.’

All those flavors lean on a solid malt base. In addition to the usual barley malt, Fred added a few other grains. The wheat gives it a softer flavor and a slight acidity, the oats make it a touch creamier and the rye puts some extra spiciness in it