Celebrate the holiday season with New Lang Syne, a strong, deep-golden Belgian Tripel that’s aged in white wine barrels, then bottle-conditioned to sparkling effervescence so you can pop the cork on good times. New Lang Syne offers up a new take on old traditions – a beer suitable for gatherings with friends and family, or peaceful reflection on the year to come.
BELGIAN TRIPEL (WINE BARREL AGED AND BOTTLE CONDITIONED) • WILD OATS NO. 59
HISTORY & STYLE
Modern tripels are a relatively new style of beer, originating in the Trappist breweries of Belgium. Tripels are known for being appreciably strong, yet deliciously drinkable. We aged part of New Lang Syne in pinot gris barrels for four months, then blended the barrel-aged portion back into the rest of the batch for added complexity.
TASTING NOTES
First impressions are of lemon zest, as well as papaya and tropical fruits. White wine character harmonizes with firm tannins. French and German hop varieties provide suitable balance. A bright, sparkling mouthfeel leads into a finish that is distinctively fruity, with subtle peppery notes. Suitable for aging (so grab an extra bottle to cellar).
FOOD PAIRINGS
Meyer lemon curd tarts; chicken braised with preserved lemons, thyme & beer; pan-fried fish like sole, plaice or haddock; havarti & mild gouda cheeses. 750 ml, 9% alc./vol.
2015 New Lang Syne was cloudy and less carbonated, but the taste was complex and full.
2016 New Lang Syne was clear and more carbonated, but the taste was clean and crisp.
Wobbly Pop Culture 
So I am finally getting around to this. I needed a few days off after the holidays, and then I had to overcome a bit of inertia to go find a store that still had the 2016 in stock. I now have them both, chilled and will taste them both tonight. I hope that my “cellaring” of the 2015 was okay – I left it on the concrete floor under my basement stairs for a year. Coolest place in the house, but definitely not 5-8 degrees, which is what the tag on the 2016 says it should be stored at. We will find out shortly…
First, the 2016: Wow, what an interesting beer! The description from the label is exactly accurate: fruity, sparkling mouth feel, etc. If you had asked me to imagine a beer/champagne fusion, this is pretty much the best case scenario. It’s got the bubbles of a sparkling wine, and a few notes reminiscent of sparkling wine in the nose and on the tongue. But on the other hand, it has got just the right amount of hoppiness to balance out the sweetness. All in all a great beer!
And now the 2015: First, I am relieved to say that my possibly dubious cellaring did not ruin it. I’m going to say that it tastes different from 2016, but it’s not dramatically different. I wondered if it was going to somehow be way better or something, but I think that the 2016 is just slightly better and crisper for me. So I suppose the lesson for me is that this beer can be stored, but really the reason to do so would only be to have more of this interesting beer at times that it is no longer available. I might grab another bottle or two, with aspirations of enjoying them on a hot summer day.