I have no interest in getting into a pissing match about James Watt's antics - I mean that I literally don't care about Brewdog or their attitudes at all - BUT what I will say is simply this. About 15 years ago when Brewdog started, I had some brief dealings with him, and he was a dick. That's it, no more, no less, but that's the truth. Now back to this beer. This review is based upon a 33 cl bottle that was imported from Belgium. A couple of weeks later I saw 750s of it here in Fort Wayne,...
Notes on beers brewed by
Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.
La Trappe Isid’or
750 mL corked & caged from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. A new Trappist, always a time for general excitement ... ... actually ... hold on! Pour gives a very dark orange/brown body with some high, ice-cream like head. The head is poorly retained though and the lace disappointing. I have no idea why they would want the beer to be as dark either - for me, the color is a turn-off considering the style. Nose and tastes are really quite sweet. Bubble-gum, yes, but as others have said, I get a lot...
Tilburg’s Dutch Brown Ale
Purchased as a single from Michaels (I think). 11.2 oz bottle. Poured into the Koningshoeven small goblet. Good depth of color with a deep brown body, but small head and virtually no retention. Plenty of caramel notes in the nose with a little alcohol. I like the taste; plenty of malty sweetness, good sugary caramel notes and some bitterness in the finish. Mouthfeel is where this beer fails. "Thin" might be pushing it, but it's not great. Very lacking in depth for the style, but a decent...
La Trappe Dubbel (Koningshoeven / Dominus)
This drinks bigger than it's ABV, with a distinct alcohol presence and lots of dark fruit in the nose and in the initial tastes. Dark brown pour with a scant head, but a substantial looking beer. I was quite surpised by the level of carbonation - really quite aggressive. Solid malt backbone, but the finish was a little on the dry side for my liking. Good fruits all the way through with a full mouthfeel. Lots of ripe, bursting type fruits are present which adds to the palate sensation. Solid...
La Trappe Quadrupel (Koningshoeven / Dominus)
Very strong, but controlled flavors make this a Quad one that is not too overpowering. Don't get me wrong, it still needs to be handled with care, but it won't knock you over as long as you are concentrating on what you're consuming. Not as dry and warming as the ABV might sugggest, this starts off with some mild banana and spice that warms up slightly on warming(!) A lovely mid-brown pour in the Konings chalice, the head is "noisy" and thick. Mouthfeel is excellent with a real rounded fruit...
La Trappe Tripel (Koningshoeven / Dominus)
Updated notes 03/11/23 $14 for the corked and caged 750 from Blue Ridge Beer Hub, Waynesville, NC. I very much stand by my original notes from April of 2005. This 'tripel' is a dry one, but without being truly dry. It has some fruit and alcohol but those elements are unusually muted. There are bubblegum notes but the beer is really 'soft'. For me it lacks presence, and there is little to no white pepper or spice, and everything is limited. In short, it feels watery; diluted. Perhaps my least...
La Trappe Blond (Koningshoeven / Dominus)
Purchased this as part of the gift pack (A tripel, Dubbel, Blonde and Quad with a Konings Hoeven Chalice) - GREAT value at $7.99 the lot! Interesting - not a real clean tasting beer, lots of action going on. Some good, some bad. Good looking golden body, but distict lack of head was disappointing, especially in the wake of what appeared to be some lively carbonation. As others have observed, a certain amount of "flatness" to the beer. Aroma's are very low key, some alcohol and little else...