We humans tend to exhibit a fundamental, obsessive desire to define, categorize and label in a vain effort to organize and comprehend the world around us. When it comes to beer, this ultimately doomed exercise is demonstrated by the creation – and the inevitable challenging, flaunting and destruction – of Beer Styles. There are literally hundreds of these accepted and defined styles, and in the interest of enjoying your beer, it’s best to view them as merely guidelines. Points on a compass, if you will.
That disclaimer out of the way, let’s have a look at three of the more well-established though oft misunderstood styles: the Belgian Dubbel, Tripel, and Quadrupel.
First, let’s dispense with the history and the potentially misleading naming convention. Accounts differ, but most beeristorians accept that the first Dubbel and the first Tripel were brewed by the Trappists at Westmalle Abbey, located a short distance from Antwerp. The Dubbel was an offshoot of a dark beer that the monks had been brewing since 1856; the recipe was modified to output a heavier (and stronger) beer in 1926, and it became the foundation of the “modern” Dubbel. The Tripel was first brewed in 1934 to be stronger still, and amazingly, the recipe has remained virtually unchanged.
The Quadrupel, however, doesn’t have such a clean history. While the Trappists have been making strong dark ales for decades, the label “quadrupel” was added – likely as a marketing gimmick by La Trappe (aka Koningshoeven in the US) – in the 90s. Since then brewers have latched onto the style label and now glorious quads abound.
Now, about those names. Some may argue that they have some literal meaning – I’ve seen, read, and heard some interesting tales: twice/thrice/quadruple the grain is used (this from a Belgian brewery tour guide), or the amusing double/triple/quadruple fermented (um, no) – but ultimately they represent what you can expect in the way of relative strength in an ABV sense. They’ve also come to indicate certain color and flavor characteristics, which is, after all is said and done, really what matters. So, while individual brewers expression may vary – and these days, brewers love to flaunt the style guides – what follows are some general traits you can expect when sampling an example of one of these extraordinary styles.
The Dubbel is a dark ale, medium to dark brown and inhabiting the 6%-8% ABV neighborhood. Sweet, medium body, with significant malt presence, and little noticeable hops. You may also notice some dark fruit or herby notes. The Dubbel, while on on the heavier end of the beer spectrum, is the most quaffable of the three styles we’re looking at today; you might even drink a second.
The Tripel, in contrast, is a blonde ale, ranging from lighter hues all the way out to near amber. The ABV is a notch higher, ranging from 7.5%-9.5% (though we’ve seen some even higher – remember how brewers love to challenge the styles?), and the flavors get more complex. While there is still significant malt presence, and it’s certainly sweeter than most beers, you are more likely to detect a greater hop presence that adds dryness to the finish. Honey, caramel, and spiciness can also be found, and usually the elevated ABV can be detected by the palate.
The Quadrupel jumps back into dark ale territory, and brings density to the party. Expect deep, dark brown, some even with ruby tones. Since this is only recently a style (some beer writers still refuse to recognize it, instead including these beers in the style “Strong Dark Ales”), flavors can have a wider variance, though the ABV is going to 10%+. You can expect sweet and malty, low on the bitterness (and good luck detecting a hop), dense, and possibly boozy. The rest is gong to lay with the specific brewer’s interpretation; Weyerbacher Quad is amber in color and manages some fruity notes; St Bernardus 12 is a nearly black, glorious malt bomb. But that’s the fun of this style – the wider variance in flavor means you are going to be in for an adventure when you try one.
So there you have it. The most representative versions of these styles will be the Trappists; for some interesting variations and extensions, try something from a US craft brewer – they have begun tackling these styles in competent and sometimes remarkable ways. Either way, I’m certain you’ll find something you’ll enjoy, and isn’t that what it’s all about?
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