Beer sellers: Beers of Europe
ABV: 6.5%
Origin: Berkel-Enschot, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Website: www.latrappe.nl
Koningshoeven La Trappe Dubbel
The only official Trappist brewery outside Belgium is operated by the secular Bavaria brewery in partnership with the brothers of the Abdij Onze Lieve Vrouw van Koningshoeven near Tilburg — for more background see the review of La Trappe Blonde. These days the monastery brews a somewhat uncharacteristic range for a Trappist brewery, but retains at its core a trio of traditional monastic ales — this dubbel, a tripel and a noteworthy extra strong quadrupel. Interestingly, these date only from 1980 — back in 1884, brewery founder Brother Romaldus opted for a cold fermenting lager plant, then a rare beast in North Brabant. Nearly a century later, when the brothers brought the brewery back under their control after the ending of a partnership with Artois (now AB-InBev), lager brewing finally ended and the Trappe brand was developed for a range of products more in keeping with what the beer world generally expects from a Trappist brewery.
The dubbel, created from pale and coloured barley malts, caramel, candy sugar and German hops, isn’t the top choice in the style but is certainly a decent example, notably improved in recent years. A red-tinged chestnut colour with a thick yellowy head, it tempts with a malty fruity aroma with a waft of nuts and dusty books. The palate is thinnish for the style but nicely malty, with roast nuts, candy and a port-like note. A light swallow leads to a pleasant dark fruit finish with quite firm roast and light hops, and a note of plain chocolate and mint.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/la-trappe-dubbel/4563/
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