Name: Mother, Maiden, Crone
Brewer: Whistling Sisters Beer Co., Small Gods Brewing (New Zealand)
Style: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable (SHV Beer) (Base Style: Belgian Tripel)
ABV: 8.0%
Review Year: 2021
Whistling Sisters Beer Co. and Small Gods Brewing from New Zealand teamed up to create Mother, Maiden, Crone, a Belgian Tripel amplified with white, black, and pink peppercorns as well as coriander.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (30A) with the Belgian Tripel (26C) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The said guidelines were used since we reviewed this beer before 29 December 2021, the date of publishing of the 2021 update. The most current version can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Clear medium amber; white head with good retention. Mother, Maiden, Crone bloomed with a complex spicy, grainy, and fruity estery profile. Coriander, peppercorn, and orange marmalade were the most prominent of scents. Impressions of grainy-sweet/honey-like malt and wheat aromas followed through alongside delicate hints of elderflower and coconut, which surfaced as the beer settled. Medium-full-bodied, moderately high carbonation, with subtle astringency. The flavor profile mirrored the aroma: assertive spice (e.g., coriander, white pepper) backed by grainy-sweet/honey malts and a touch of orange marmalade. Medium-low bitterness; moderate sweetness complemented the perceived orange marmalade. Aftertaste lingered with soft flavors of peppers and malt sweetness.
THE VERDICT
Mother, Maiden, Crone is a contemporary and creative take on the Trappist ale; it is complex and spice-forward as expected from the style. The additional coriander and peppercorns really amplified the spicy phenolics of this beer, while the perceived orange marmalade was pleasant and memorable.
We noticed that Mother, Maiden, Crone tasted relatively sweeter than a typical Belgian Tripel, so a slightly drier approach could still be pursued in our opinion. Subtle astringency can be imparted by some spices, herbs, and vegetables used in brewing as per the style guidelines. Overall, excellent.
Related Reviews:
Small Gods
Whistling Sisters Beer Co.
Beers From New Zealand
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