My recent trip to Grand Ledge was an adventure. I checked out a new-to-me brewery and visited with Bill, the current curator of the Michigan Beer map. We had been planning on meeting up for months prior to COVID-19 because he had purchased a limited release beer for me (review on the way!). The COVID-19 pandemic prevented our visit from happening even more. Once there was a glimmer of hope and a need for me to be in his neck of the woods, we jumped at the opportunity to meet!
In addition to the intended beer exchange, Bill slipped me a can of New Union Brewery‘s Valavond Belgian Triple 2019 Special Reserve. I was intrigued and wanted to see what the beer was all about, especially with its long name.
It turns out New Union Brewery is located in Lowell, MI, which is right on the border of Kent and Ionia counties. While I have not been to the taproom, I plan on doing so the next time I’m traveling to the west side of the state because this Belgian Tripel was something special.
The Belgian Tripel had a notable golden color. I had to change up my usual kitchen counter beer shot because the color was fantastic. I found the beer to be true to style for a Belgian Tripel, which is why I gave it a perfect score. The beer was boozy and strong yet sweet and smooth. The 9.8% caught up with me as I enjoyed and cherished every sip of this 28 IBU beer.
Why the long name? New Union Brewery has barrel-aged and special reserve beers that they like to showcase. For this brew, they imported candy sugar from Belgium and “carefully selected” the rest of the ingredients to make this beer one of a kind.
If you’re looking for a solid Belgian Tripel, make your way on over to New Union Brewery to give this one a try! As with all breweries in the state of Michigan at this time, the brewery has specific hours and rules to abide by. Plan accordingly in order to support this Michigan brewery!
Cheers!
Disclaimer: Ed did not purchase this beer for this review. It was a gift from one craft beer enthusiast to another.
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