He Said- Tripel

Brewer-21^st Amendment/ Elysian Brewing Company

Beer- He Said Tripel

Style- Belgian Tripel

ABV- 8.20%

Description- He Said Tripel pours slight hazy golden amber with a fluffy white head after a vigorous pour that dissipates quickly, but leaves a nice lacing on the glass.  The aroma is wonderfully inviting with a perfect blend of Belgian yeast and pumpkin spices, notes of banana, peach, and pear blend seamlessly with nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon.  The first sip instantly hits the palate and is perfectly matched to the nose.  The spices hit up front, but aren’t as pronounced as in most pumpkin ales, but are certainly there enough to bring about reminders of pumpkin pie and some lovely crust as well before the Belgian yeast washes over leaving behind subtle fruit notes before the long dry finish.  He Said Tripel falls into the medium carbonation range and the same can be said for the body, making this a beer that can be enjoyed sip after sip.  The 8.2% ABV is also very well hidden with absolutely no alcohol heat coming through at all.  This is an extremely interesting and delicious interpretation of the very popular pumpkin beer style that is all the rage in the fall season.

Food pairing – He Said Tripel is crying out for rich and hearty dishes.  The sweetness in the body makes it a perfect pairing for pork and poultry meals, such as roasted pork, duck, or turkey.  For a real trest this fall season, try pairing He Said Tripel with a succulent pumpkin risotto dish, the creaminess of the meal will add even greater complexity to the beer while the sweetness and spices of the beer will add an intense amount of flavor to the dish for an absolutely enjoyable fall evening.  This beer is also fantastic for desserts, especially those of the pumpkin variety.  Pumpkin pie is an absolute must, but also if you are fortunate enough to live near a local diary that produces their own pumpkin ice cream, try pairing He Said Tripel with it, you will not be disappointed at all!

The Final Word – He Said Tripel is an exciting take on the pumpkin ale style.  Many brewers have hopped on the bandwagon of pumpkin beers, some with less than respectable results.  However, the wonderful collaboration between the 2 fantastic breweries, 21^st Amendment and Elysian, have created something very unique.  Another unique quality about this beer is the packaging.  Yes it is in cans and sold in 4 packs, but the 4 packs are sold in pairs, meaning that each 4 pack contains 2 He Said Tripel’s and 2 He Said Porter’s, making this a fantastic mixed 4 pack.  I cannot recommend this beer enough.  So whether you are a fan of Belgian or pumpkin beers, or both in this case, do yourself a favor and hunt this amazing beer down!

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Where can I get it? -  Call around for this one as it is just hitting many markets now, if they don’t have it in stock yet, ask for it!