Trifecta

Trifecta

Belgian-style pale ale fermented with 3 Trappist yeast strains and aged on vanilla beans

Three distinct Trappist yeasts – one earthy, one fruity, and one spicy – combine to produce the unique personality of this Belgian-style pale ale. Zesty hops, gentle malts, and a few vanilla beans provide a crisp, smooth profile, while the trio of yeast strains ferment the beer into an elegant harmony of flavors. From chaos, comes Trifecta.

Tasting Notes

Batch #1

Bottled on: 2/29/12; Alc. 7.0% by Vol.

In general, we are really happy with how our very first professional batch ever came out - the flavors are well-balanced and it's a very smooth sip.  Also, it's surprisingly (dangerously?) "sessionable" for a 7% beer. We did intend it to be slightly more hoppy/spicy/bitter than it is, but we like the amount of fruitiness that resulted instead. We also think the beer could use just a little more carbonation - a stronger CO2 bite would contrast nicely with the smooth vanilla notes. We also hope to improve the head retention. Best served at warmer temperatures (50+ F), and yeast sediment actually adds really nice flavor. Without the yeast it pours a fairly clear, bright amber, almost orange. Slight haze due to the Belgian yeast strains. 

Batch #2

Bottled on: 3/12/12; Alc. 7.0% by Vol.

We added more vanilla beans to this batch, which definitely gives it an even fruitier flavor and creamier texture. Again, very drinkable for 7%. Carbonation higher here than batch #1, though head retention is still lacking. We'd like to make it a little hoppier in batch #3. 

Batch #3

Bottled on: 3/30/12; Alc. 7.3% by Vol.

Hit a slightly higher gravity, but the real change was a 10% hop addition increase. We also used larger hop bags during this boil, which we think better exposed the hops to the wort (in previous batches, the hop pellets appeared to expand quickly in the bags and not disperse evenly). Because of both changes, this is a definitely hoppier beer than the previous two. It's mostly an increase in Saaz hops, giving the beer a spiciness that wasn't present before. We think that, overall, it might be a more balanced beer than the previous two, though the hops do seem to mask the fruitiness that batches 1 and 2 featured so prominently. Just need to hear feedback from tasters - email us with thoughts!

Batch #4

Bottled on: 4/19/12; Alc. 7.3% by Vol.

More hops than batches 1 and 2, fewer than batch 3. We think this might be the best batch of Trifecta yet - hoppy enough to give it a nice, spicy zest, but not so much that the fruity undertones and yeast intricacies get lost. Vanilla rounds it all out nicely. Batch #5 will probably be very similar.  

Batch #5

Bottled on: 5/8/12; Alc. 7.1% by Vol.

Vanilla notes aren't as noticable here as in others (one less day on the vanilla beans), and the hops are a slightly stronger presence. Otherwise, very similar to Batch #4. Might try and bring out some more fruitiness in the following batch.