The Brü Revü – Pike Monk’s Uncle Tripel Ale

I am a sucker for a Belgian style Tripel, so when I saw this at the store I had to grab one. The Pike Brewing Company is from Seattle and is a new brewery for me.  The aroma had all the classic Tripel notes of bubblegum and Belgian yeast followed by the same classic notes in the taste with a bit of the clove spiciness and candy sweetness.  The biggest disappointment was the finish.  Every sip ended with a bitter back-end that was not good.  Don’t get me wrong, I can take bitter as I love the hoppy IPA’s, but this bitter ending is not what I look for in a tripel. With the high alcohol content, I took my time, and as it warmed the taste and aroma remained consistent as did that bitter finish.  In the end it left me a little underwhelmed as I expect a lot out of a Belgian style Tripel.  It was definitely worth a try, but I will probably grab a different Tripel in the future such as Real Ale’s Devil’s Backbone or Victory’s Golden Monkey.

Pike Monk’s Uncle Tripel Ale