Raspberry Moeite
Scuttlebutt Brewing Co., Everett
Style: Barrel-aged Belgian tripel aged with raspberries
Stats: 8.96 percent ABV, 11 IBU
Available: On tap and in 22-ounce bottles at the brewery and restaurant.
My thoughts: Fruit beers are everywhere. I couldn’t take two steps at last month’s Washington Brewers Festival without smacking into a huckleberry this or a peach that. I was also struck during a recent trip to my neighborhood beer aisle by all the fruit beers. Passionfruit, strawberry, pineapple and even cucumber are invading beers.
I’m not a huge fruit beer fan, but I can go for a peach ale if it doesn’t taste like sparkly Kool Aid. Also I feel like I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t try a few this summer. So, when I visited Scuttlebutt head brewer Matt Stromberg last week and he handed me this beautiful beer, I knew I had the one to kick it off. (Note: I plan on writing about a few more fruit-infused beers from local brewers later in the month.)
Stromberg said they recently tried some of their classic Tripel 7 Belgian-style ale that had been aging in barrels for a few months and found it lacking. It lost all of its edge, said Stromberg. So, the Scuttlebutt brewers put their heads together and came up with a solution. Why not put some fruit in the barrels and let it age for another three months?
Stromberg is no stranger to putting fruit in beers. He cut his teeth at McMenamins and helped create one of the brewery’s most popular beers, Ruby, an ale brewed with 42 pounds of raspberry-puree. Naturally, raspberry was the choice again.
Stromberg got 10 pounds of organic raspberries and dropped them in the barrels, allowing the Tripel to age with the glorious red fruit.
My suggestion: Pour the beer in a tulip glass, stick your nose in and you’ll smell every single one of those raspberries. The aroma is heavenly. It’s akin to a double Ruby, said Stromberg.
Thankfully, the fruit is toned down in the taste. The Tripel 7 takes over as the yeasty Belgian flavors take center stage and the tart finish is full and even. There is a subtle raspberry flavor that stays consistent from start to finish.
Like the Jalapeno Tripel 7, the nearly 9-percent Raspberry Moeite, which means trouble in Dutch, can sneak up on you. There is no overly alcohol flavor to it. That said, it’s not a real quaffable beer. Sip it in the late evening and let it warm up a bit. It’ll allow the flavors to comingle and open up.
From the brewery: Gentle berry and white peach aromatics show the way to an inescapable raspberry character balanced by the base Tripel 7’s malt and barrel notes.
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