Pete's Wicked Tripel

We developed Pete’s Wicked Tripel in collaboration with our good friend Pete Slosberg. Pete is a real legend in the USA. He is in fact one of the very first to launch a "craft beer" on the American market back in the 80’s: Pete’s Wicked Ale. He was at the very start of a true revolution! After a career in beer, he successfully threw himself in the world of chocolate. He came up with the idea to combine his two passions by adding cacao nibs to aromatize a Tripel.

We did not have to look very far to find cacao nibs of remarkable quality. Only a few minutes from the brewery, our friend Frédéric Blondeel has his chocolate workshop. Known as one of Belgium’s best chocolatiers, Frédéric chose a variety of highly aromatic cacao nibs. He then roasted the nibs himself in his workshop in Koekelberg. As a base we chose a blond beer, as it would be easier to detect the addition of the cacao beans. We then added the nibs to the beer during fermentation. A bit like a dryhopping, so that our yeast could extract and transform the aromas in the best way. But be aware, we are talking about cacao beans, and not chocolate. So do not expect to find any notes of chocolate in the beer, this was not our intent! We were looking to add very subtle aromas, and we succeeded.

The result is a very complex and at the same time highly drinkable beer, despite having 8 ABV. At first in the aromas we find touches of green coffee. They blend with the fruity fermentation aromas, a beautiful maltiness and a touch of citrus. Secondly, the cacao will develop in the after taste, in all its complexity, warmth and length. The cacao nibs also played a part in the interesting full texture of the beer. To bring out the aromas to the fullest, we recommend drinking the beer between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius. According to your taste, this can even be warmer.