Urthel - Hibernus Quentum Tripel

My first review is a strong belgian ale from Urthel, a pretty new brewery that started in 2000. One of the owners - Bas van Ostaden - has written a modern fairytale where the gnomes in the fairytale drinks a special beverage - Urthel!

I drank this in a wineglass with some bolongese and macaronis. I found the Urthel - Hibernus Quentum Tripel to be a nice experience. I'm more used to dark, strong ales that are a lot sweeter and not as bitter. This one was different in many ways.

Eye: Much lighter color than I expected. A clear golden color.

Nose: Notes of citrus - not lemonish more like oranges. Some sweeter notes of honey and flowers. Some scent perfume, but not too strong. The smell reminds me of many IPAs.

Taste: Well balanced from the beginning to the aftertaste. It's more bitter then most belgian ales I'm used to, but not as bitter as Punk IPA or other overly bitter beers. Well, it's sweet with some notes of honey, but not as sweet as many other belgians.

Aftertaste: At the end I feel that this is a strong tripple ale - not that much pure alcoholic taste, but the ale becomes quite spicy with hints of burn sugar and leaves with a strong aftertaste. More bitter then I expected.

Rating:

7/10