Herkenrode Tripel

You know, sometimes when I’m writing this blog, I just stop and think: ho-leeeee, this country has a lot of beers I’ve never heard of. After writing tasting notes for some 298 beers so far -- now 299 -- that’s saying something.

But not only are there a lot of beers I’ve never heard of. There are a lot of high-quality beers I’ve never heard of. Take tonight’s offering, the abbey beer Herkenrode Tripel, for example.

It pours a wonderful golden blonde, and the taste is something special. It’s unusual, with the traditional elements of a typical Belgian tripel, sure -- grapefruit pith, in particular -- but also a riot of herbs and a bit of pine. More than a bit, maybe.

This one deserves more attention and another taste. Now, if I could only remember where I bought this bottle...