River Horse Brewing Company - Tripel Horse

This Belgian-style tripel presents a golden-amber color in the glass, a somewhat deeper shade than many others of the style, capped by a fluffy head of light beige foam. On the nose, look for a smooth undertone of caramelization overlaid with plenty of engaging brighter aromatics. Brewed with an authentic Belgian Trappist yeast strain, it offers up the yeast-driven notes we love in the style: look for touches of bubblegum and hints of banana along with spicy phenolic notes invoking clove. The addition of freshly crushed coriander augments the spiciness with its lemony herbal character. On the palate, a sturdy, malty center is formed with bready and light caramel notes, kept relatively nimble on the palate by well-hidden alcohol and lifting carbonation. A touch of residual malt sweetness is balanced nicely by drying hints of fruity and spicy alcohol, some earthy hop bitterness, and the bright herbal yeast and coriander character. For pairing options, we’re thinking Mediterranean dishes, seared scallops, and grilled white fish. Spicier pairings are also a great match, including Cajun cuisine. A snack of well-aged cheeses is another good call. Cheers!

When it opened for business in 1996, River Horse Brewing Company was at the vanguard of New Jersey’s craft brewing renaissance. Founded by two homebrewing brothers in Lambertville, NJ, on the Delaware River, River Horse was named in reference to the hippopotamus, an animal whose name is derived from the Greek words for “horse of the river.” Thus, the hippo features whimsically in all of the brewery’s logos and beer label artwork.

In 2007, the original founders passed control of the brewery to current owners Chris Walsh and Glenn Bernabeo who had desired to leave their desk jobs for something with a bit more passion. In their words, “We were finance geeks living in a world without soul. Grinding it out everyday for a fee, wearing suits and kissing butt.” Since taking over ownership, the new duo has met much success, and by 2013 demand had reached the point that the original Lambertville location was just not working. That summer, River Horse moved their operations to a new facility in Ewing which is large enough to handle production of as much as 80,000 barrels per year – far above the 9500 they had been topping out at in Lambertville.

River Horse currently produces four year-round beers as well as several seasonals and limited production offerings – including their recent Gentle Giant imperial witbier with lemongrass & orange peel, brewed exclusively for members of our Rare Beer Club. For more info about the brewery, contact them at 609-883-0890 or visit www.riverhorse.com.