by Jimmy Cocktail
9. November 2009 13:02
According to Beer Advocate, there are 100 recognized styles of beer plus a couple that they haven’t figured out what to do with yet. I like some of these much better than others. Some of them, I won’t do any more than taste. 
Some of them, I can’t stop drinking. At the end of the article I’ve included the list of recognized beer styles.
The entire list is pretty extensive. It’s the second category that we find ourselves buried in today and that is Belgian/French Ales. The ale that I recently tried is called St Rieul Grand Cru. This is done in the style of a tripel. Now there several are theories as to what a tripel is but the most accepted on is that it somehow indicates the strength of the beer. I’m fine with that definition as most of the tripels I’ve had in the past tend to be on the stronger side. This beer is no different. It comes in at 9.0% alcohol and is most definitely a sipper.
Actually according to the label, this is a “biere triple sur lie”. Sur lie is not a beer term but one that was borrowed from the wine world. It means literally ‘on lees’ or left on the yeast and other sediment that would normally collect on the bottom of the fermentation tank. In the beer world it means that the beer is unfiltered and that final fermentation occurred in the bottle, thereby having the carbonation in the beer be provided by the remaining yeast rather than injected carbon dioxide. The net result of this technique is a carbonation that is composed of smaller bubbles, thereby giving a creamier mouth feel.
What you get in this beer is a big foamy head that has a little bit of fizzyness to it. This quickly fades to a thin layer of foam on top of the beer with nice lacing. Ok, so you’re not sure what lace has to do with beer? It is a term most notably associated with Belgian ales whereby a beer that has a nice thick head will leave a slight spider web of foam residue along the side of the glass as the head recedes. This spider web is known as the lace.
The beer itself is a nice orange color which is slightly cloudy because of the yeast residue that was on the bottom of the bottle (remember sur lie?). You get a light aroma of caramel and orange from the malt and the hops contributing a slightly grassy aroma. Hints of caramel and toffee come across in the taste of this beer with a little bit of grass or mustiness from the hops. The is just a touch of acidity to help complete this balancing act. While it is a touch on the dark side for the style (most triples tend towards a more golden color), it is a most excellent representative.
| American Ales
American Amber / Red Ale
American Barleywine
American Blonde Ale
American Brown Ale
American Dark Wheat Ale
American Double / Imperial IPA
American Double / Imperial Stout
American IPA
American Pale Ale (APA)
American Pale Wheat Ale
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Chile Beer
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Wheatwine Belgian / French Ales
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Belgian Strong Pale Ale
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Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Tripel
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Kvass | English Ales
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English Pale Ale
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Scottish Ale
Scottish Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale | American Lagers
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American Malt Liquor
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German Pilsener
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Happoshu
Japanese Rice Lager |
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