La Trappe Tripel

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

Hints of caramel in the aroma. Alcohol it present in the taste. Actually prefer the double to this.

Bottle: Very slightly hazy gold that glows beneath a whort lived white head. Lots of spicy banana and clove aromas atop a pleasant ’thikness’ and lemony apricot notes. Classic Tripel in the mouth; spicy and bitey with some lovely wheaty, banana and cloves, a quenching floral bitterness that takes all but a lingering sweetness, and a warming white pepper alcohol presence. My only criticism is a rather short palate. Very nice.

11.2 Oz bottle. Had a short lived white head. Aroma is fruity and sweet, and the flavor isn’t far off. Tastes of apricots, raisins, grapes. The alcohol doesn’t show up much. A bit richer and heavier that expected, but not so much that it ruins it. Leaves a pleasant aftertaste. Overall, this is a good beer, but lacking compared to it’s other Trappist brethren.

My ongoing assessment of the Tripel style hit a new obstacle when I visited Amsterdam. For once I was not greeted with the usual golden straw color but rather a deep resinous orange with a slight haze if held up to the light. The fluffy white head lasts longer than La Trappe’s other creations and produces thin creamy lacing that hangs for a short moment before it cascades down the glass. The aroma held more resemblance to the brewer’s Dubbel and Quadrupel than my previous experiences with tripels. Indeed the familiar creamy pear and dried fruit frangrance found in La Trappe’s range was clearly noticeable. Banana, bubble gum, sweet butter, nectar, honeysuckle and apparently Gorgonzola (in an epiphany my friend Nicholas had) emerge in the nose. The fresh aroma of entering a florist shop is also apparent but rapidly submits to the salient alcohol notes. Again far from the conventions of the style but nonetheless inviting. In the flavor appears a creamy blend of pear and pineapple the progressively softens as you hold it on the tongue. With a brusque swallow the heavy alcohol creates what I can only describe as a cheesy fruit sensation. Peach and apricot merge with a flavor that even my turophile palate cannot pinpoint. In the aftertaste, some grains develop, reminding of milled wheat or corn. Generally it is genuinely a likeable beer albeit far from what I had expected.

Bottle. Pours a nice hazy amber colour with a big creamy mostly lasting off-white head. sweet aroma of honey, caramel, toasted malt spices and alcohol. The flavour is sweet with honey and caramel, toasted malt, some dark fruits, spices, some oak and alcohol. Sweet spiced finish.

A light orangish/brown pour with a large white head that fades quickly. A brown sugar aroma mixed with yeast and a touch of the 8% as well. A flavor of fruit. It reminds me not in a bad way of apple cider that had gone hard. A nice soft mouthfeel and full palate. A beer I enjoyed very much.

Golden cloudy poor, nice thick head. Plenty of carbonation. Slight yeast aroma. Somewhat soapy, but not too strong. Easy to drink. Nice fresh bread like taste. Has more of a Belgian feel to it than a Dutch feel. Very enjoyable. Pleasant fruity, fresh ale taste. Despite the 8% alc content, the level is not pronounced in the flavor.

Pours amber wtih a nice haze to it. Aroma and taste extremely fresh with hints of fermented apples. Alcohol very well masked by the sweetness, and balanced hops. Definitely reminiscent of a Trappist orchard on a summer day.