Are you guys ready for another craft beer review??? How ’bout we try one from Berkel-Enschot, Netherlands???
The beer I chose to share with you today is brewed by the Bierbrouweij De Koningshoeven B.V. Brewery. It’s called the La Trappe Dubbel Trappist Ale.
This will be my first beer ever from this brewery, so I don’t quite know what to expect.
Let’s see what the description from the website (http://www.latrappe.nl/) says.
An authentic Trappist beer with a deep red-brown colour. Through the use of a.o. caramel malt, it has a soft aromatic, caramel-like character. A little bit sweet in taste with a fresh aftertaste.
Let’s give it a try.
This beer has an ABV of 7.0% and comes in a 25.4 oz. bottle.
The pour produced a burgundy to very deep ruby red color with a few dark orange highlights around the edges. The crown was tan, mostly creamy, full and had nice girth. The retention left a bit to be desired and the lacing was “so-so.” After a few minutes the head dissipated completely and left no remnants even after several aggressive swirls.
The aroma provided very prominent notes of fresh, dark grapes. Straight forward hints of cloves with some fruity cherry notes too. A baked, pie crust aroma was noticed that really stood out and appealed to me. A touch of caramel malt along with some yeast and a slightly earthy hop tone. I even got a smell similar to licorice jelly beans. Very complex with tons of stuff going on in the nose.
With the first sip, I received more of the dark, fruity grapes followed by a hint of alcohol. It seemed to be a touch tart and sweet for the first little bit, but a very nice baked bread came on stronger through the middle, which helped pull some of the edge off the profile. Not much by way of hops or bitterness I didn’t think. Further spicy flavors of clove and pepper mixed with a sugary caramel malt completed the analysis. As the brewed warmed and developed the sweetness started to subside considerably and let more of the bready malt and spices come to fruition, which created a more balanced flavor in my opinion.
The mouthfeel was medium, very smooth and mostly dry. The carbonation was good I thought, but only an average amount of flavor and a minute alcohol warmth was left behind for me to enjoy.
Overall, I thought this was a good beer for the most part. It’s a good representation of the style. It made for an easy drink and I found this to be most enjoyable on the “lazy” afternoon of which I tried it. I think this could be a great after dinner drink or a suitable sipper on a cool evening. I would recommend that you give it a try if you see it. It has a great aroma and flavor, which warrants some serious pondering in my opinion. As I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, this particular style is not my “go-to” beer, but I could have it again no problem.
Has anyone out there tried the La Trappe Dubbel? What did you think of it?
Thanks for reading everyone. Keep the comments coming.
Cheers.
Score: 3.75 out 5
Grade: B
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