Comparison
Dubbel vs Tripel
What is the difference between Dubbel and Tripel?
The short answer
The main difference is malt intensity: Dubbel has far more of it than Tripel. Dubbel also leads on caramel & toffee; Tripel on bread & biscuit and citrus.
Generated from the two style records. No editor has written this comparison up, so it carries no verdict beyond what the data supports.
Where they overlap
They share comparable bitterness, body, alcohol warmth, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Dubbel | Tripel | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Belgian ale | Belgian ale |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | Belgium | Belgium |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 6–7.6% ABV | 7.5–9.5% ABV |
| Bitterness (IBU) — IBU measures iso-alpha acids in the lab. It does not track perceived bitterness, which residual sweetness, body and roast all alter — compare the sensory rows below for how each actually tastes. | 15–25 IBU | 20–40 IBU |
| Colour | Deep amber to dark brown — 10–17 SRM, 20–33 EBC | Gold — 4.5–7 SRM, 9–14 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.062–1.075 | 1.075–1.085 |
| Final gravity | 1.008–1.018 | 1.008–1.014 |
| Serving temperature | 8–11°C | 8–11°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ | 3–4 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Goblet, Tulip glass | Goblet, Tulip glass |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | Dubbel | Tripel |
|---|---|---|
| Malt intensity | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Caramel & toffee | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Bread & biscuit | Not characteristic | Low |
| Citrus | Not characteristic | Low |
| Sweetness | Moderate | Low |
| Herbal | Not characteristic | Low |
| Dryness | Moderate | High–Very high |
| Carbonation | High | Very high |
Which should you choose?
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.