La Trappe Quadrupel

Brewed by De Koningshoeven (Bavaria - Netherlands)
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Tilburg, Netherlands

1994 bottle...brown, small head. Rich malt and cardboard aroma, but the flavor is amazingly rich with sweet fruits, tasty malts, toffee. Very nicely aged. Far better balanced than a newer Koenings Hoeven Quad which tends to be hot in the alcohol.

This was my first bottle in 10 years. It was as I remember. I had the 750ML corked version. The pour: deep caramel color with a head with large bubbles. (This usually is a result of bottle conditioning.) The bouquet: heavy "Trappist" yeast smell. Very fruity- dates, figs, raisins. The palate: intense, malty, sweet- you can definitely tell this ale is fermented with Belgian candy sugar. The finish: definite alcohol "bite" at the back of the tongue. Aftertaste: nutty, toffeeish. Very good Quad... not the world’s very best, but it’s up there.

i thought i would like this a lot more than i did. i bought it in a pint/glass gift set under the moniker "Koenings Hoeven Quadrupel Trappist Ale". When poured, NO head was produced. Flavor was pretty good, with plum and raisins and malt. did i not let it ferment properly? why was there no head? most people seem to report a beautifully laced head. i got nothin’. i’ll try it again, at the very least to get another trappist glass, but i donno if its in my radar of favorite beers. granted, though, i’m not much of a belgian guy.

Bottle. Poured a surprisingly clear reddish brown with a good amount of head, that lasted for only a minute. Aromas of cherries, beet sugar, molasses, some light malt notes. Mouthfeel is fairly sweet, thick, but with a striking metallic note to it (it’s an older bottle, so that may explain it). A decent quad, but definitely not the best. A little too light for my liking, but a good choice if you don’t want something as intense as say, a Chimay Bleu.

Pours a dark amber with tan head. Aromas of grapes, raisins, figs. Flavor is mildly sweet with some spices and bitterness. The alcohol is slightly noticable but not overwhelming. A very well made quad. Not the best but very good nonethelesss. I will definately drink this again.

Bottle 33 CL, Nice beer, amber, clear, frothy, medium sweetness, medium bitterness, medium sourness, medium body,

On tap at O’Briens in San Diego. Flavors of some spice and yeast. A very nice example of a Quadrupel.

Very lacing head covers a nutty amber ale. Spicy and fruity, figs and raisins above all. Rounded and smooth. Alcohol is little noticeable. Flavourful, full bodied, sweet.