Number 80 is a triple with a lot of extra spices such as coriander, juniper berries and cardamom. It is nice and mothsy with the use of rye, oats, and wheat. For the first time we have used abbey yeast for typical spiciness and for delicious tropical flavors
For our number 80 in the line of special numbers, Fred decided to turn up the spiciness that characterizes many tripels a bit more strongly. To that end, he used a different yeast for the occasion. He ordered special abbey yeast for it in Belgium. ‘Every type of yeast has its specific taste, of course, and those abbey yeasts have a very different taste from our own yeast,’ he explains. ‘The spiciness and fruitiness comes out a little stronger from that.’
To further accentuate that spiciness, Fred opened his kitchen drawer. As with more tripels, he added coriander for some spicy freshness. Cardamom went into the tanks (‘not too much, it’ll get sour’) to lift the spiciness, cumin and juniper. ‘Those provide a slightly spicy bite.’
All those flavors lean on a solid malt base. In addition to the usual barley malt, Fred added a few other grains. The wheat gives it a softer flavor and a slight acidity, the oats make it a touch creamier and the rye puts some extra spiciness in it. ‘I like to experiment,’ agrees Fred, ‘but in this case it turned out very nicely. That yeast, in combination with the spices and the malt. It all fits together very well.’
