Although technically the first day of fall isn’t until next week, I got my first taste of autumn when I sampled the Allagash Tripel Ale.

It’s fitting that on the day I broke out my favorite sweater, I also tried this beer that embodies the fall season. The rustically designed bottle shows silhouettes of trees dropping red, yellow and orange leaves from their branches.

As I poured the beer into a glass, the amber-colored beer fizzed and bubbled as a two-inch-thick, foamy head formed around the rim.

I sniffed the enticing brew before taking a sip, but did not smell anything out of the ordinary. Upon my first sip I discovered that what I thought might be a simple, straightforward ale actually packed a bigger punch than I anticipated.

It left a fruity flavor in my mouth, which makes sense since the bottle advertises the brew as “a golden hued ale with notes of fruit.” As I continued drinking, though, I noticed entirely new flavors such as honey and sourdough bread.

This Belgian-style Allagash created a wave of bubbles that left my tongue tingling long after I finished sipping. Something else that stuck around for a while was my hot, rosy face from sipping on the 9 percent alcohol content beer. Belgian tripel ales have some of the highest alcohol content of all beers, which is surprising given the medium-bodied, smooth finish of the style.

An extremely well-balanced beer, this tripel ale was reminiscent of a cider without the extreme fruity flavor overwhelming my palette. Instead, herbal notes and the taste of honey created a fall classic. This sticky-sweet beer was the perfect way to ring in the changing season and welcome the crisp weather.