Hi guys.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the La Trappe Quadrupel produced by the Bierbrouweij De Koningshoeven B.V. Brewery located in Berkel-Enschot, Netherlands.

I don’t know much about this brew to be honest, so I’m going to go ahead and jump to the website, http://www.latrappe.nl/, to find some information.

La Trappe Quadrupel Trappist beer is the heaviest beer of La Trappe with a beautiful amber colour.  The warm taste is full and well balanced.  Slightly sweet and pleasantly bitter. 

Let’s try it.

This brew has an ABV of 10.0% and it comes in a 25.4 oz. bottle.

It poured a burgundy/brown color that was semi-hazy.  It had an eggshell colored head that was of real good size.  It was smooth, somewhat creamy and soft.  The retention time was excellent and the lacing looked real nice too.  This was a very attractive looking beer I must say.

The nose brought forth some wonderful hints of banana.  Spices of clove and coriander.  Well suited and well balanced fragrances of yeast, baked breads and dark fruits akin to dates, figs and raisins.  It smelled quite candy like also, with hints of sugar and caramel.  Even though the ABV was 10.0% I didn’t find a very strong alcohol presence within the bouquet.

I definitely got more of the alcohol (rum) in the taste.  Further savors dates, figs and raisins.  The banana aspect was somewhat reserved on the initial tasting, but as the brew was allowed to open up it became much more noticeable and refined.  Actually, the overall flavor became much more “round” and harmonized as it warmed to be honest.  Some peppery spice and clove were easily noticed as was the Belgian yeast and breadiness.  The caramel malt added a bit of sweetness, which created a tad more complexity.  This beer seemed to get better and better with each passing sip.

The mouthfeel was a very strong medium.  It was mostly smooth and dry, however I didn’t find that it was terribly creamy.  The carbonation was pleasing as was the fair amount of burn and warmth that was felt with the first few sips.  A good amount of flavor was left behind on the palate after each swallow too.

Well…. we have another very, very good beer right here.  This brew only got better as I went along.  It’s rather “big” and sturdy, however I didn’t have any trouble drinking or finishing the whole bottle.  It had plenty of flavor and I think that it definitely holds true to the style.  I would recommend it that’s for sure.  This could be another one of those beers that I would want to pick up and let it age for a few years to see how it would develop.  I could imagine that the La Trappe Quadrupel will only mellow and become more refined with time.  With that being said, it’s still a most enjoyable drink when fresh, so pick up a bottle and give it a try.  If you favor those big, Belgian Strong Ales, I think you will like this one.  I, personally, don’t think it’s quite on par with the Rochefort 10 or the St. Bernardus Abt. 12, but it’s a worthy substitute.

Thanks for reading and commenting folks.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  4.1 out of 5
Grade:  A-