The Year in Beer

Name: Abbey Triple

Brewer: Sprecher Brewing Co., Glendale, Wis.

By the numbers: About 250 calories per 12 oz.; 8.4 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: This is the first Sprecher beer I’ve reviewed in the Year in Beer and that’s surprising on two counts. First, because they’re so close to Illinois, in Glendale, Wis., and second because I love their root beer and cream soda. In fact, it’s easier to find their sodas around here than it is their beer. But I’ll definitely look for more of their beer, because this one was a good one. A part of Sprecher’s Premium Reserve collection, Abbey Triple poured a deep gold with almost no head. The aroma was like a spicy banana bread and very boozy. The taste had clove, sour apple and banana, like a heavy hefeweizen. This is good, but definitely a sipper.

Try it with: A warm fall day and watching the World Series. I don’t normally watch baseball, but as a kid I was partial to the St. Louis Cardinals if I had to pick a team to root for. Game 3 has been full of offensive fireworks, which makes it watchable for a guy who doesn’t like baseball.

    — Posted by Mike Freimann