Elysian Brewing Co.
Seattle, WA
Available: WA, OR, ID, AK, CO, NY, NJ, PA, BC
A twist on the French expression “bête noire,” Bête Blanche is brewed from pale malt and augmented in the boil with clear Belgian candy sugar, bittered with German Northern Brewer and finished with Styrian Goldings hops. Fermented with Belgian ale yeast.
ABV: 7.5
ABW: 6
Bitterness: 36
Original gravity: n/a
Pleasantly yum. Bête Blanche is not going to make me scream with delight, but everything’s in its place, right down to the dry, bitter finish that asks for more. There are too many soppy tripels out there; this one’s more restrained and easy to drink, a commendable trait I’ve seen in other Elysian beers. It’s polished, clean…and maybe that’s why I’m hesitating. A bit more punch and power would be welcome in this beast, no matter how white.
My view of a tripel is that it should be both refreshing and rewarding at the end of a tough workday and soothing and satisfying at the end of the night, and I find this golden ale fitting the bill on both fronts. All pears in syrup and feather-light marshmallow on the nose, the body combines more fruitiness with a packet of peppery spice and a bitter, spicy-nutty hoppiness that swims alongside the sweet fruit and eventually catches it, resulting in an off-dry, mildly bitter and boozy finish.
Lew Bryson writes about beer and whiskey from his home in southeast Pennsylvania. He has a family and two dogs. That's all you need to know.
Once described as “beerdom's Brillat-Savarin,” Stephen Beaumont is the author of five books and countless articles on beer, spirits, food, travel, and how it all goes together.
