Well, today is National Beer Day and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the end of Prohibition than with a beer review. Having just returned from visiting family in the great beer state of Michigan, I decided to crack open a Triomphe from Brewery Vivant. The hubby and I discovered Brewery Vivant last summer when we were in Grand Rapids for the National Homebrewers Conference. A very cool and ornate location, inside of what used to be a funeral home (we thought maybe a church when we were there, but in fact it's an old funeral home chapel), Brewery Vivant specializes in Belgian and farmhouse brews. And man, do they know how to make a great Belgian.

I know, I know...but it wouldn't fit in my tulip glass!

The Triomphe is a Belgian IPA ringing in at a nice 6.5%, but look out – it drinks like a session. The Triomphe poured somewhere between golden and amber, with a small head that dissipated quickly down to just a nice little fog rolling across the top of my beer. The smell was immediately Belgian to me (that yeasty, clovey goodness) but also citrus. And then to my first sip….mmm, that delicious first sip. This one is a bit hard to describe because there were so many flavors, but they were all so, so subtle. Normally, for me, the Belgian yeast comes through at the very end of a taste of Belgian beer. But this one had that Belgian yeast character smashed right in between the sweetness of malt and the bitterness of bright American hops. I had fun drinking this one, and trying to pick out different flavors with each sip. The complexity of the flavors didn’t overstay its welcome, however, and the finish was quite clean. This beer left a slight earthy feeling on the back of my tongue, something that turned almost smoldering for a quick second. I didn’t give it very long though, because this is one of those beers that’s dangerously drinkable. Overall a gorgeous beer, and so fun to drink.

Drink this if you like: subtle seduction, rewardingly complex treasure hunts

Beer Review: Brewery Vivant Triomphe