PANTY-PEELING BELGIAN LOVE FROM THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN

The curse of the Internet manifested itself in an exceptionally expensive order I placed with Liquid Solutions a few weeks ago; wanting to try beers from the four corners of the globe that I can’t get in my parts, I clicked and I clicked and I clicked some more, and only THEN calculated shipping. At that point it was too late, as my thirst was too great. I clicked “Submit Order”, and figured I’d give blood, try to get on a focus group, or do some late-night telemarketing to make up for the shipping charges. First beer out of the gate for me is this EPLUCHE-CULOTTE from Alaska’s MIDNIGHT SUN BREWING. Here’s what this brewery of the great white north has to say about their Belgian-style tripel:

Voluptuous yet elegant, Epluche-culotte Trippel exudes its free spirit with orangey-amber color topped with a creamy white head. The aroma is sweet, spicy and earthy. The addition of Curacao (bitter) orange peel and whole coriander infuse color, citrus and spice while a special Belgian yeast strain imparts other enticing flavors and aromas during fermentation. Bottle conditioning creates the right effervescence for a perfectly heady experience. In the style of a Belgian Trippel, Epluche-culotte is delicious yet spirited. Originally named Extreme Polar White Bier, it got nicknamed "Panty Peeler". We say it in French: E'pluche-culotte. The joyride awaits.

Did it peel my panties? It did not. EPLUCHE-CULOTTE, though, is a very good North American representation of this style. It has a light-orange glow to it, and gives off a mild sourness that really made this interesting. Tastes of apples and apricots are present, and the carbonation is medium-to-heavy. Not as yeasty as a typical Belgian tripel, or for that matter, a UNIBROUE beer like LA FIN DU MONDE. I think that I could drink this again with much pleasure, but I’d rather try the next 10-15 tripels on my list, and only then return to MIDNIGHT SUN’s. Great to finally have a beer from these folks, though – I’d heard nothing but great things. 7/10.