Episode Notes

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Trade Winds Belgian Style Tripel Ale from The Bruery in Placentia CA. Will these winds blow us toward our fortune? Let’s find out!

Trade winds pours a hazy golden color like a classic Belgian should. It smells like a bit of dried fruit with maybe just a bit of menthol in the background? There’s a strange pungency there that for the life of me I just cannot place. It’s a scent profile that’s not out of line with what I would expect from a Belgian, but it is incredibly strong.

But what about the taste? I can only say that it’s kind of a pedestrian Belgian ale. The label claims that the beer is brewed with Thai Basil and rice but I just can’t see any of that in the beer’s flavor. What I do get is a tremendous amount of that banana clove flavor that’s traditional for a Belgian. It begs for some bitterness that it just never gets.

I am sure there are Belgian die-hards out there that would drink this and totally love it, but for me—admittedly not a fan of the style as I have said before—this beer is almost completely impenetrable. I really want to like it but I simply cannot find anything in there that’s for me, other than the 8.5% Alcohol by Volume. Take all that with as many grains of salt as you’d like, but I just can’t recommend Trade Winds.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at Buck Hazy Double IPA by Dust Bowl Brewing in Turlock, CA. Will this one make us say Hee Haw? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

Don’t forget to let me know what you’re drinking and what you’re thinking about the show. Tweet me @2minutebeer with the number two or drop me an email at [email protected]. And if you’re listening to the show on your favorite podcast app, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review to help other people find the show. You can also support us with a small donation on our Patreon—there’s a link in the show notes.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

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Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

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