Stone Brewing Company Sawyer’s Triple
I’ll be the first to admit it: I have an aversion to Belgian and Belgian-style beers. It’s just hard for me to enjoy any beer that has a pronounced yeasty-funkiness to it. I’m not quite sure why, but it probably has something to do with my first exposure to this style. I was 17 and running rampant in Europe, drinking as if I were an alcoholic who had busted out of lockdown on the 27th night of rehab. I was in Paris, drank 2 Chimay blue labels, followed them up with some pink-colored abomination of a bottled vodka cocktail, threw up twice at dinner, then proceeded to clamor my way up the Eiffel Tower. From what I can remember, when I wasn’t spinning, fighting back bouts of nausea and trying not spray a rain of vomit on the poor people below me, the view was quite impressive. Anyways, whatever the reason, I struggle with Belgian beers and it is only lately that I’ve been able to palate any without straining to fight back my gag reflex.
A couple days ago when I was at Stone to pick up some vintage IRS, I noticed Sawyer’s Triple sitting on the cooler shelf. Not being a fan of Belgians, I didn’t recognize the bottle from its previous release in 2003, or know anything about it. The price was right (and later I’d come to find that the cause is too), so I grabbed one.
I tried to set myself up to enjoy it. At 7.6% abv with a pleasant golden-orange appearance, it matched two of the characteristics I find appealing in IPAs. The nose, however, was a different story: I was a little put off by the funky/yeasty/banana aromas. I felt the gag coming on. This was not an IPA. Damn. I reluctantly- with expectations now at zero- took a sip. To my surprise, it was rather enjoyable. The funk was not overbearing, but nicely balanced with fruity tones and just enough hop presence. Would I want to drink a 22 by myself? No, but I did enjoy what I drank, something I can’t say about most Belgians I’ve tried before.
Score: 88 points + 5 more for the cause. By all accounts, Stone is doing things right and deserves all the praise that it receives.
Final score: 93 points
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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