La Trappe Dubbel

Brewed by De Koningshoeven (Bavaria - Netherlands)
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Tilburg, Netherlands

[Sampled in 2003.] Indeed a nice dutch beer with notes similar to other belgo-dubbels, but lacks in intensity of flavor compared to them. But always worth to sample!

The Koningshoeven is a testament to the rich elegance found in well brewed beers. The price may make your wallet shiver, but your tongue will adore you for it. An appetizing fragrance of banana, vanilla and custard takes an inconoclastic stand against "dessert first" intoxicating the drinker with a strong breeze of sweet scents. This is accompanied by a healthier celery shine, though it too is ultimately drowned in a delicious spate of chocolate and heavy cream aromatics. As the beer vents its aroma from the muddy brown liquor through the thick, dark beige cap, enticing and inviting, I can’t help but plow my lip into the head like a snow plow in a flash blizzard, piling up a mound of thick foam and taste sensations on my lip and tongue. Respectively. The sip begins with a trickle of banana and chocolate, evocative of a banana split sunday, before the fruity esters subside into ignominy. After this sweet prompting, the chocolate persists with a new inkling of malts to further darken the quickly deepening taste. Then the flavor resurfaces back into a lighter, fruitier stage, marked most curiously by the taste of artichoke hearts and a chalky palate, only to lightly land on a soft, pensive yet decadent chocolate aftertase, running with rivulets of deep, dark sweet flavor. Permeating through the whole flavor storyline is a stalking and quiet hint of hazelnut which, interwined with the chocolate and sporadic fruit flavors is a wonderful flavor adhesive. All of this rests on a blithe palate, light and carefree despite the rich flavors. A contradiction, perhaps, but as such also mystifying.

Least favorite of the Trappist beers. Definitely an oak taste that may be appreciated by wine lover’s. The aroma is great with a hint of banannas. Good color. Poors with a 1 finger head that reduces quickly leaving a lace along the sides of the glass.

Bottled (7% ABV). A hazy dark brown beer with a disappearing creamy light brown head. The aroma is fruity with mainly notes of plums and some light touches of chocolate. Rather malty. The flavour begins sweet and finishes with a moderate bitterness. Fruits, chocolate and light coffee are detectable. Good mouthfeel, medium body, average carbonation, light acidity, quite long aftertaste. There is something missing (maybe some hops?) to be really a great beer,but at the end is enjoyable.

(Bottle, Monk’s Café, Stockholm) Dark reddish brown colour with creamy, pale brown head. Fruity, malty nose with notes of caramel, marzipan, chocolate and underlying notes of coffee and moccha. Malty taste with marzipan, toffee, chocolate and fresh notes of coffee and slightly spicy hops. Elegant beer with superb balance.

33 cL bottle. Pours hazzlenut brown with a golden hue and a collapsing orange/brown head. Aroma is sweet caramel malty with a mild underlying fruityness and a minor yeast note. Mouthfeel is only mildly carbonated. Flavour starts sweet with clear caramel malt notes but quickly turn into a more fruity sweetness. Along the way a note of nuts and dried fruit can be sensed before the beer descends into a soft malty finish with a mild bitterness and a bite from the yeasty spice notes.

Bottle. Pours a hazy ruby with thin head. Dark cherry aroma and flavour. Sweet full-bodied finish.

Very sweet overall. Some nice dark fruits and dried cherries. Earthy and yeasty.