Rockmill Brewery may be just over a year old, but the Lancaster brewery has made a big splash in the Columbus beer scene. I was lucky enough to get my hands on Matt Barbee’s latest effort – his tripel, aged in Middle West Spirit’s OYO Whiskey barrels – just weeks before its release.
I’ve had Rockmill’s tripel before, and I must admit I am a fan (OYO is also my favorite whiskey). To that end, I brought a couple friends along to make sure my judgments weren’t unjustly favorable. Joining myself were Eric Allen of Brothers Drake Meadery and a friend of mine who is relatively new to craft beer.
Starting with the aroma, this beer is quite unlike Rockmill’s standard tripel. The nose hits you with a face full of orange marmalade, backed up with just enough coriander and alcohol to balance the sweetness. The appearance, a hazy burnt orange, is fitting for the smell. Surprisingly, there is no whiskey aroma present, which we found both perplexing and disappointing.
The taste followed the smell, leading with sweet orange, a full-bodied sweetness which is thankfully accompanied by enough complexity to produce a balanced beer. Cutting the sweetness are strong coriander, again following the nose, and a slight alcohol or even green apple sharpness. The alcohol taste is in the background – like a dish with just enough salt to make the flavors ‘pop,’ but not enough to taste salty. Thankfully, the taste diverges from the smell by taking on the oaky, whiskey character expected of a barrel aged beer. As a Belgian style beer, I would imagine that the final gravity is quite low, but the carbonation offers a creamy effervescence that delivers the flavors perfectly and gives the impression of a full body.
Taking into account the aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression, we awarded Rockmill’s Cask Aged Tripel scores of 45, 45, and 44 out of 50 – a truly great beer. This delicious brew will be available at the brewery this Saturday and select retailers starting Monday, retailing for a suggested price of $21.99, just a few dollars more than the standard tripel. If you’re lucky enough to snag a few bottles (only 30 cases were produced in this batch), try one now and cellar the rest for a rainy day. You won’t be disappointed.
I’ve never been big on the “buy local” thing but sometimes it just makes sense. I had stashed away a bottle apiece of Rockmill’s Dubbel and Tripel for my graduation party, had talked up the beer to my guests, and excitedly popped the cork only to pour cup after cup of foam for my friends. I emailed Matt to share my disappointment and not only did he replace the Dubbel and Tripel – he also hand delivered his Cask Aged Tripel and Saison directly to my doorstep. This level of customer service will keep me drinking Rockmill for years to come, and of course, the beer isn’t so bad, either.
