title_body: What are the difference between a dubbel and a tripel?
upvoted_answer: It's often a misconception that one comes forth from the other, this is incorrect. The name was used to indicate the strength of the Westmalle beers. Originally there was the Enkel, Dubbel and Tripel. It is said that they represent the holy trinity. Later quadruppels were added. Both Dubbel and Tripel as name were first used by the Trappist brewery of Westmalle.
  
  Westmalle produced the first dark beer in 1856 named "Dubbel" (the recipe was changed in 1926). Dubbels are dark in color, and tend to have malt flavors dominating over hops. Whereas the Quadrupels have more of a fruit presence, the Dubbels tend to be a bit spicier with strong caramel flavors. They tend to have an ABV of 6.5-9.0%.
  
  Some examples:
  
  
  Chimay Red
  La Trappe Dubbel
  Ommegang
  Westvleteren 8 
  Rochefort 6
  Westmalle Dubbel
  
  
  Tripels are lighter color, often blonde. They are generally a lot fruitier and lighter in flavor. The name Tripel originally was first used in 1956 by the Westmalle brewery to name their strongest beer (originally produced in 1930 and named Superbier, it was renamed to Tripel). The ABV is a lot higher than the double,  8.0-12.0%. 
  
  Some examples:
  
  
  Tripel Karmeliet
  Westmalle Tripel
  St. Bernardus Tripel
  Leuvense Tripel
  Chimay Cinq Cents Tripel