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Styles · Belgian Tripel

Beer style · BJCP 2021 26C

Belgian Tripel

Monastic Ale

Published ranges These are the ranges the BJCP 2021 guidelines publish for this style.

Original gravity
1.075–1.085
Final gravity
1.008–1.014
Bitterness
20–40 IBU
Color
4.5–7 SRM (9–14 EBC)
Alcohol
7.5–9.5 % ABV

What it is

Golden, strong and complex, balancing soft pilsner-malt sweetness against spicy phenols, orchard fruit esters and a substantial hop bitterness. Sugar drives high attenuation, so the beer drinks lighter than its gravity and finishes dry with lively carbonation.

Flavor

What a Belgian Tripel should taste like, on the three wheels the studio scores every recipe against. The shaded ring is the style’s range on each axis, from 0 at the center to 5 at the edge.

Hops

Spice and floral, with room for herbal.

Malt

Grainy and sweet/honey.

Fermentation

Fruity esters and pepper/spice, with room for clean or clove.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What Belgian Tripel has classically been brewed with.

Also right on character

Varieties whose loudest notes all sit on this style’s hop wheel, best fit first. How much to use is the recipe’s question; these are the ones that taste right.

And 3 more hops whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Yeasts that suit it

Strains the lab made for beers like this one, whose fermentation character sits inside the style’s wheel. A strain sold by several labs is listed once; its page names the others.

Style numbers, names and vital statistics are from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines, where you will find the official descriptions. The descriptions and flavor wheels here are Beerwright’s own. Beerwright is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BJCP.