Name: Tripel Karmeliet

Product Of: Brouwerij Bosteels, Buggenhout, Belgium

Serving Style: Tulip Glass

Size: 11.2 fluid ounces

The Tripel Karmeliet is named after a "three-grain" brewing technique that claims to be more than 300 years old. In my opinion, its recipe is just about as close to perfect as it gets for lighter beers.

Appearance: The carbonation levels are off the charts on this one, creating an airy, whipped-cream head that rises and lasts. Lots of moving particles in the brew give the beer a vibrant gold coloration that’s quite alluring. 4.9/5

Smell: Citrus and floral notes meet spiced bananas in the surprising first waft. Undertones of the three grains exist, but their presence is surprisingly understated.4.3/5

Taste: As complex a taste in a golden beer as I’ve ever had. Tripel Karmeliet’s grains come after your taste buds with a divide-and-conquer strategy, lighting up different taste buds like a pinball machine. It begins with citrusy carbonation and complex grains, then fades to sweet and bready finish. 4.9/5

More often than not, experience pays off, and Tripel Karmeliet is a perfect example. It is unquestionably one of my top-five favorite beers after only a single bottle. Overall: 14.1/15