AB InBev apparently decided to continue the special 'Grand Cru' theme they developed for the old Karmeliet (invented by Bosteels in 1996) in 2023 and wanted to up the ante by, I quote, creating "a beer that transcends beer". The modus operandi: infusing regular Tripel Karmeliet with a liquor distilled from itself (maybe a failed batch?) and flavouring it with bergamot, orange peel and vanilla... A totally different approach to the previous one, which allegedly only differed from the regular one by the addition of rye, thus extending Bosteels' three-grain recipe. Huge and foamy, egg-white, densely moussey, cobweb-lacing, diminishing but largely stable head on a hazed yellow-golden blonde robe with apricot tinge and lots of visible sparkling. Aroma initially sharply dominated by carbon dioxide but when this fades, unveiling impressions of ripe banana, apricot jam, eau de vie, strong coriander, cooked sweet potato, indeed (added and very extract-like) vanilla, dry orange peel, sweet red apple, powder sugar, 'oude jenever', yellow kiwi, potato mash, brioche dough, cooked turnip - but hardly any bergamot, if any. Sweet onset with vaguely sourish edge, lots of banana and ripe Durondeau pear, ripe apricot, indeed refreshing orange somehow - but also very lively carbonated with stinging, distracting effect; smooth mouthfeel with palpable oatmeal velvetiness and wheat slickness alongside brioche-like breadiness, under honeyish residual 'white' sugars. Soft spicy notes begin to appear a bit further on, with that omnipresent coriander upfront but also acquiring a mild citric tone, as indeed dried orange peel; vanilla then manifests itself strongly but bluntly, as if actual vanilla extract was added (which is probably not far from the truth - yet knowing the ways of AB InBev, they must have found some cheaper alternative), very different from the vanillin-like effects one gets from oak wood. Soft floral hops only provide a very faint background bitterishness, while that distillate 'liqueur' of the beer itself becomes quite prominent amidst ongoing honeyish sweetness, adding a hot, rather astringent, triple sec-like booziness in the finish. This booziness, in this case, also accentuates the overall sweetness, which I guess connects this "second Grand Cru" with its own base (which has noticeably become even sweeter than it already was before the AB InBev takeover). Yep, another sweet and boozy tripel, but the marketeers behind it know what is good for the average Belgian consumer and right they were: apparently the bottles have already sold out, and seem to attract considerable attention on social media (such as Facebook beer lover groups). Commercial intentions aside, I do admit that to AB InBev standards, this is not too bad at all - I would even be tempted to call it 'interesting', a bit like the first Karmeliet Grand Cru edition. Not worth going out of your way to obtain it, mind you, but better than expected, admittedly. I wonder what they are going to come up with next year if this new 'tradition' is pursued, but perhaps a barrel aged edition could be 'interesting' too - tripel, to my mind, is still a genre in need of expansion and innovation, and this one is not such a bad attempt at that, everything considered; I just hope another brewing company - any other brewing company - than AB InBev manages to create such a next step in tripel evolution...

Bottle from Beers of Europe, online. Pours a clear brown-amber, brief beige fizzy head, minimal retention. Aroma of pear, light berries, sweet malts, flora, biscuit. Flavour highlights a good malt depth with moreish caramel and biscuit notes alongside some fruitiness, spice, yeast and a strong old bitter and alcohol kick in the finish. Nice medium to full body, slick. Not one of the most refined Belgium ales but it certainly is tasty.

Bottle from Morrisons. Pours a light hazy gold with big fluffy white head which lasts, plenty of lacing. Aroma of grains, cereal, citrus, aniseed, banana. Taste has an alcohol warmth up front, smooth grain malts, aniseed, lemon, banana, clove. Medium to full bodied, fine zingy carbonation. A tasty tripel.

Kerstbierfestival, Essen bottle: Clear orange/golden colour with an sprtitzy additude, an good beery alternative for Champagne.

Bottle 0,33ltr: Golden coloured brew with an smooth sweet taste and an slightly sweet bitter taste. Just an good version of the Duvel-style.

Tap Bier Central, Antwerp: Clear amber coloured brew i never rated earlier, but now the time is right to do it. Subtle sweet coloured brew and fine sweet bitter finish. An true classic beer.