Allagash Brewing Company's Tripel Ale should have a disclaimer: "Do not drink if you have recently been racing around on your old, rickety bicycle. Especially not on a late-fall, blustery night in Maine."
If someone at the company would have had the foresight to see that one of the Orient's beer tasters would be trying desperately to choose a review-worthy beer, under the gun of his (justifiably irritated and all-too patient) editor, then the disclaimer would have been there, and I would have picked out something else.
Alas, there was no warning of this sort?I raced to Warming's Market on Maine Street, and bought myself one 12 ounce bottle of Tripel Ale. ($2.35 per bottle, $8.69 per four-pack.)
I'd tasted Allagash White a few times in the past, and regarded it quite highly, but I'd always wanted to try some of Allagash's other esteemed brews. They offer quite a few (I counted 15 on their Web site).
The brewing techniques range from traditional, to barrel-aged, to "cellared." Despite differing brewing techniques, all are roughly "Belgian-style." Allagash prides itself on its unique (and highly secretive) mix of herbs and spices and its additional round of fermentation.
The bottle reads, "Our golden-hued...Tripel Ale is marked by passion fruit and herbal notes in the aroma, with suggestions of honey surfacing from its complex palate. Perfect as an aperitif or complement to fine cuisine."
After the initial bottling and just before bottling, brewers add a small amount of yeast and sugar. This step adds complexity and makes the beer slightly cloudy. It also increases the ABV to a ridiculously high level of nine percent.
Which brings me back to my hypothetical disclaimer. Yeasty, zesty, fruity, strong?all of these assets are normally desirable in a beer. Yes, normally. But if you've just finished what feels like a leg of the Tour de France a "strong," "yeasty," and "zesty" beer is the last thing your body wants.
Picture the Michelob commercial where a young and fit model, following an extended sprint or marathon (or sprint-marathon?), quenches her thirst with a cold and refreshing Ultra. As if this isn't revolting enough to think about, replace the watery Ultra with a thick and spicy Tripel Ale.
According to Allagash's website, the Tripel should be served "with crab cakes or an assertive cheese such as Roquefort or Stilton. The Tripel is particularly delightful with asparagus. Is also the perfect accompaniment to a fruit dessert or wonderful on its own as a digestif."
I can't imagine having this before a multiple-course meal, because 12 ounces of it is a meal unto itself. Also, is "digestif" French for Metamucil? (Not that I've actually tried Metamucil, but the analogy seems all too appropriate.)
The Tripel certainly took its toll on my "digestif" tract, and believe me, this wasn't the most enjoyable tasting experience I could have imagined. Again, if it were only for that disclaimer...
I implore you to learn from my misguided experience. If you ever venture to try a beer as strong as Allagash's Tripel Ale, respect its power.
For those of you who have an inexplicable urge to run a marathon and hydrate with a hearty brew, recognize that Michelob has you brainwashed. The Tripel Ale has its proper time and place?not for binge drinking, and not following a marathon?as a precursor to a fine meal, or in another leisurely setting.
My tasting merely hinted at a fair evaluation of this fine brew, but it did yield an important admonition cautioning students against mixing bikes and beer.
Once again I rediscover what I'd managed to forget: If the overall point of beer is to enjoy beer, enjoy it.