By Michael Stein
The Selinsgrove Brewpub is a lot like J.R.R Tolkien’s description of the Shire…it’s a safe refuge and a reliably consistent place of merriment…and oftentimes one finds himself surrounded by men with hairy feet.
The reason so many of the pub’s locals are so consistently jovial in large part comes from what folks refer to as “the triple.” It is one of the flagship ales and a solid staple, almost always on draft at the Selinsgrove Brewpub.
The beer has had at least two different variations within the last six years. My first visit to the Shire...err I mean brewpub...back in 2003, I enjoyed the “Stealth Triple X.” The suggestion came from the whispering lips of the toothless older gentleman who had just left his wooden seat in the dining room in front of the fire. It was he who first recommended it to me, “definitely gotta get the Stealth Triple” stated this educated beer-drinker whilst stumbling up the pub’s limestone steps on his way home.
The second version was the “Organic Triple,” an even tastier brew, seemingly appealing to the whole Green trend. I’m not sure if this was ever the “official” title, as for something to be certified organic it needs (amongst a sea of bureaucratic red-tape) USDA approval, like the Pinkus Hefeweizen.
This review is of the year-round draft now offered simply as the “Stealth Triple.” The first sip brings forth a strong Belgian taste, a true abbey-style beer fashioned in the vein of a Chimay or a Delrium Tremens. Despite the subtle taste of alcohol, there is a detectable honey-sweetness in the brew, a pleasant-tasting yeasty aroma very similar to the way the beer smells. My nostrils detect a deep bready wild and yeasty smell. The bready smell leads me to believe that there is some yeast set afire! It almost tastes as if there could be some lactobacillus in there.
These wild yeasts are found in Belgian Lambics. The Stealth Triple I first tasted back in 2003 had visible sediment just the way Delerium Tremens did. I’m not sure there is any visible sediment in this version, though it seems to be better blended and (on purpose) void of any yeast sedimentation particles. On the palate, one picks up notes of bananas and cloves. It’s a refreshing brew, and while I would never hold its heavy ABV against it, it is the perfect beer for ruminating on a drunken summer evening. However, it also serves the same job in the wintertime.
Back in the days (in Belgian society), the beer you drank was indicative of your place within society. The Peasants drank ale, the Abbey’s drank doubles, and the Cardinals drank triples. I’m pleased to say that the Selinsgrove Brewpub’s Triple is intended for townsfolk and visitors alike, regardless of hierarchical order or social class.
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