A Trio of Triples

I'm a big fan of Belgian Triples, most notably Triple Karmaliet. When done right, triples are a hazy golden goodness that subtlety blend fruit and sweetness. The 8-10% alcohol is dangerously hidden, and the carbonation gives the beer a nice fizziness that makes it that much easier to drink, even refreshing.
While I really enjoy two Triples from Belgium, Chimay Cinq Cent and the fore mentioned Karmaliet, I bought three American examples to see how they compare. The three I picked up were: Victory's Golden Monkey, Two Brothers Oh! Brother, and Boulevard's Long Strange Triple.
Here are my thoughts:
Boulevard's Long Strange Triple: Part of the Smokestack series, I have to admit I was surprised to see these beers on my liquor store shelf. Boulevard Wheat is on tap all over Iowa and so I've drank it quite a bit, it's a fairly run of the mill wheat. I've also tried a couple of their other beers, most notably their Zon Witbier and Lunar Dark Wheat. I always think of Boulevard beers as being decent, but not special. The Smokestack series includes a Triple, Quadruple, Double IPA, and a Saison. I was quite curious about the triple and it got decent reviews in BA. Onto the review: It pours a golden orange with a big 3 finger head of white. An aroma of fruit, mostly apricot and pineapple. Sweet, sticky body with a nice fizziness and finish. In keeping with my impression of Boulevard beers I would characterize this beer as good, but not great. Not a bad triple, but not necessarily anything that would make me want to buy this over some other offerings.

Two Brothers Oh! Brother: Two Brothers is a new brewery to distribute to the Twin Cities and their beers have been getting good feedback. Oh! Brother is described on the label as being a triple hopped with less conventional hops, interesting. This beer pours a hazy gold with a spicy, fruity aroma of plum and apricot. Very interesting taste at first, sweet and fruity with quite a bit of alcohol presence in the finish. There's a strange bitterness to it I wasn't expecting. Not sure if its the hops or something else. Almost like a too ripe fruit, a little bit of puckering bitterness, very faint, but present. There's a unique taste that I have to admit is less enjoyable as I drink the beer. Overall, I wasn't too impressed with this triple. I'm very curious about their other beers, but I wouldn't buy this one again.

Victory Golden Monkey: I've passed by this beer and other Victory offerings before and never bought any, but after this experience I am going to have to in the future. Clearly the best of the three, this beer pours a beautiful, bright canary yellow with a thin white head. A nice aroma of fruit and spices; apricot, pineapple, and some citrus. The body is sticky sweet with a nice amount of fizzy carbonation, but also a wonderful, smooth mouthfeel. Great flavors of fruit, especially candy apricot, with a very subtle alcohol presence that is nicely hidden by the sweet body. This is up there with some of the best triples I've had, a great balance of flavors and drinkability.

Of the three, Victory was clearly the best and one I would buy again. While most of the time I would buy the Belgian counterparts, American versions often times are cheaper and fresher. I think there are a number of American breweries who make great Belgian style ales, often adding a nice creative touch. I know there are plenty of triples I have yet to try, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Salud!
Bearded Brewer