Welcome to 2018 beer lovers! I wanted to start out the year with something refreshing and complex. I landed on Brewery Vivant’s Triomphe, which is a Belgian Style IPA. I recently took a trip to their taproom out in Grand Rapids and I can’t remember having a bad beer there.
Triomphe pours with a light white head and light lacing. The beer is slightly hazy golden color, bordering on orange. Triomphe has a complex aroma of sweet malt, citrus, and banana. Tasting this beer is quite the ride as it starts off with the sweet ester flavors of a Belgian, which is rounded out with lemon and earthy hops. It finishes with a dry hoppy finish and has a light mouthfeel. The carbonation feels just right.
I was pretty impressed with Triomphe, especially since I’m not a big fan of mixing Belgian yeasts with IPAs. Triomphe walks a fine line between being too sweet and too hoppy, and ends up being a fairly good beer to have with pizza or Mexican food. Wishing you all a triumphant 2018!