Belgian Tripel's Color Much Different Than Expected

So three weeks ago I brewed a Belgian Tripel from a Brewer's Best kit. The color from the beginning was always quite dark, comparable to a stout. Tomorrow is bottling day and I am rereading the directions and the expected color is golden. My beer looks anything but gold. Did I screw my beer up? I have no idea what is going on.

post your recipe.

forgive me if you'e moved past noob status and the beer actually is dark, but many new brewers mistakenly believe their beer is darker than it is because in a carboy or bucket, the sheer volume of liquid makes it appear dark. A very light beer would look deep amber or brown when viewed in a carboy. Yeast and trub mixed up in the beer change the color further (though usually lightening it). If you pull a sample for a gravity reading, is it still dark?

Thanks KingBrianI. Would definitely still consider myself a newbie. Only my 3rd 5-gallon batch. Just siphoned some out of the container and it is much more golden than it appears in the secondary.

Ahhh got to love the new ness of new brew eye's.

I'm only a few ahead of you, I still marvel at the color and never judge until I pull it off the tap. Only then do I judge color.

It seems to Change from Steep... to Boil... to Ferment... to Secondary... to tap!

I love seeing the change and learning.

Have a cold one and write it up on your recipe.