Tuesday Tasting: New Belgium

I'm planning on  visiting New Belgium during my trip to Colorado this month so I figured I'd do a small Tuesday Tasting featuring a few of their brews: 1554 Black Lager & Trippel

1554 Black Lager 5.6%

Served in a lager glass it is a deep brown with red accents that verges on black and an impressively thick beige head. The aroma is soft cocoa, chewy breadiness  and an enticing semi-spicy quality. Medium to full bodied with a chewy texture but a raspy carbonation.

The taste is very quaffable with a balanced roast edge merged with chewy chocolate buns. Malt forward, tasty and interesting. A surprise hit with me.

New Belgium Tripel 7.8%

A beautiful bright clear gold with a foamy white head. The aroma is vineous, plum, figs, a bit tart but a very nice example of the style. Medium to full mouthfeel with a dry finish. The taste is crackery pale malts and big luscious candied fruits, figs, plums, raisins and while it has some boozy heat it is quite well balanced. 

I like it, it's a good example of a Belgian Style Trippel, but being in Japan we can get Belgian original versions for less. So if I was in the US I'd go for this in a heartbeat but being in Japan I think I'd get an belgian original instead. Really really nice though.

I didn't realize I had a third New Belgium brew in my fridge:

New Belgium Snapshot 5%

It is listed as a tart wheat beer with a cloudy light gold color that possesses a filmy eggshell white head.

A tart wheat aroma that is very reminiscent of a Gose. 

The taste is wheat, soda bread, some lemon and a mild tartness. It feels to me it is midway between a Gose and a wheat ale. That tartness is very mild in the finish. It's ok but isn't as good as the previous two bottles.