River Horse Brewing has new owners, and apparently has for quite some time.  If you go to the “Our Story” section of their website, you will see that the current proprietors mention they took River Horse over in 2007. They need a change of pace, as it were.

River Horse, or “New Jersey’s Brewery” as they like to call themselves, was founded in 1994, so was already a going concern when they were acquired. My first experience was with their Lager in 2000, and I enjoyed it well enough. Recently, I saw that Half Time Beverage had River Horse Tripel Horse, and I was all over it. Though I had never had this beer, I knew it was one of them more celebrated offerings. After drinking it, I could well see why.

River Horse says:

This is our take on a classic style, the Belgian Tripel. We’ve kept the recipe simple and true to style to not overwhelm the complex flavors imparted by our Belgian trappist ale yeast strain, which is sourced from a Belgian monastery. We brew this beer to finish lower in gravity, which allows for a drier finish. We also add real coriander, crushed the day of brew, adding citrus spice notes to round out the light clove and bubble gum notes imparted by the yeast.

River Horse Tripel Horse has an alcohol content of 10% by volume with 18 IBUs. It is brewed with Chinook, Hallertau, and Saaz hops and Pilsen, White Wheat, and Caramel malts. I paid $3.99 for my bottle from Half Time. Total Wine sells it for $15.99 a six-pack at their Cherry Hill, New Jersey location. A river horse is a hippopotamus.

River Horse Tripel Horse pours to a rich golden color with a thick foamy white head and a nose of spice and pineapple fruit. Taking a sip, the beer is full in body, full of fruity pineapple and clovey spice and rock candy. It finishes spicy dry with clove yeasty spiciness, drying coriander and warming alcohol.

A wonderful triple indeed.