La Trappe Bockbier - Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.

drpimento

Wisconsin

2.58/5  rDev -36%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured with a nice head and some lace. Very ahcoholic aroma. decent dark wood color. Not as sweet as I would expect in a bock. Give 'em credit for distinction though. Full mouth filling body. Slightly unpleasant bitter finish. Not one of my favorites. Some odd stuff going on here. Can't recommend it. The score I give is me trying to be objective; subjectively would a been much worse.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2008 03:40:17 | More by drpimento

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle at 't Arendsenst in Amsterdam. From notes.

A - Poured a dark brown, muddy, colour with good carbonation and a one finger beige head. Some filmy lacing remained with one finger of retention.

S - Mild. Nice fruity malt. Breadiness too.

T - Dark fruit and lot's of yeast. Really yeasty in fact. Bready again. Kinda plain.

M - Medium carbonation and a medium body with a dry finish.

O/D - Too yeasty IMO. I would never think of a Bock being that yeasty. Not enough fruity malt character giving it richness. Not bad, but falls short where it doesn't need to.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 19:50:26 | More by tbeckett

schuim

Netherlands

3.15/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this beer in the tastingroom from the brewery.
Looks: The beer has a good dark color.
Aroma: Aroma has a mix from dark malts and cottoncandy.
Taste: A nice mix from dark malts and candy sweetness.
Notes: Also brewed with rey and wheat, after the example of the Jopen Bokbier, but a little sweeter than Jopen Bokbier.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2009 10:40:49 | More by schuim

froghop

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

had as a "Koningshoeven Bock Trappist Ale".

pours a dark ruby with a very large tan bubbly head, fine lacing.

smell of some dark fruit, wheat, touch of caramel, malt in the back.

taste of tin, watery, malt, some cocoa, touch of caramel, some spice.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2008 17:20:58 | More by froghop

Talisker

California

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml corked, caged bottle purchased for about $12 at Healthy Spirits in San Francisco, CA.

Label reads "Koningshoeven Bock Trappist Ale". And the marketing speak is all about Trappist monks overseeing ale brewing. Isn't it a contradiction in terms to call a bock an ale?

Anyway, pours a rich brown. Lots of persistent head. Understated malt aroma - some roast, some sweetness. No hop or alcohol edge at all to the smell.

Tastes a little like it doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up. Lots of roasty malt jostling with some unintegrated sweetness, the yeast characteristic of a "typical" Belgian ale, and a certain unwelcome alcohol burn on the finish.

The generally pillowy texture would be welcome if not turned sour by the alcohol. Carbonation definitely present, but not prickly or unpleasant.

The alcohol burn sticks out and keeps me from chasing after the second sip.

Not remotely a bad beer, but expectations are higher for Trappist ales (or whatever this is). If you're going after Trappist in general or Koningshoeven in particular, then stick to the more traditional ale styles. And if you really want a great bock, then the Germans (or even Gordon Biersch) can hook you up more cheaply and satisfyingly.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2008 03:46:22 | More by Talisker

dbek

Greece

3.45/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

I was very surprised to see La Trappe launching a bock beer. I got it right away and tried it the same evening. La Trappe Tripple and Quadrupel are always high in my list of preference and I respect this brewery very much, so my expectations were very high but I got a little dissapointed. This is a very good beer indeed, but I was expecting something really exceptional. It has a very strong taste for a bock - a little too strong for me. But then, it is not a typical bock. There is a hint of Quadrupel in it, but perhaps it's just my idea. It has a well-balanced smell and a beautiful rich dark-brown kinda-red color. I would drink this beer as a delicacy, but not in large ammounts.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2008 14:05:36 | More by dbek

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.48/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep brown color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains brown sugar, dark fruit, caramelized malts, some lager yeast and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste likewise starts out very sweet with flavors of caramel, dark fruit and honey. The malt character is hearty and there’s a mild hops presence that brings a little bit of balance. The after-taste is also quite sweet.

M: Smooth and a little crisp, medium-to-heavy body, medium carbonation, finish is sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down easily, slightly filling, good kick, good but heavier representation of style, it’s a solid beer but not one of the first beers in the style that I would pick.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 04:20:13 | More by TheManiacalOne

woemad

Washington

3.65/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz bottle purchased at Jim's Homebrew in Spokane for $4.99. Different name on my bottle - Koningshoeven Bock - presumably La Trappe Bockbier is the name in Europe.

Poured into a Duvel tulip glass, where it showed a dark, cloudy brown color that took on a dark ruby hue when held up to the light. Big, light tan head that hung around for a while. Light lacing on the sides of the glass.

Malty and earthy in the nose. Caramel sweetness stands out, but it's nowhere near over the top. There's also some mild, dark fruit scents, and an earthiness and a mildly bitter hop scent. There's also a little bit of booze to the nose on this one, more than I expected for a 7% abv beer.

Similar to the nose. It starts out malty, but the malts are matched with a earthy bitter flavor that balances things out nicely. In the background is a roastiness and a mild alcohol warmth that becomes less mild as it warms. Odd, that last bit.

A little lighter in the body that I would have thought for a bock, but not to a disastrous degree. Slightly slick mouthfeel.

Not a bad beer at all, but I'm not sure I'll be a regular quaffer of it. As it warms the booziness seems a little too much. It's hitting the spot well as I watch Obama's thankyou speech.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2008 05:05:31 | More by woemad

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to slovaksniper (ratebeer) for this one.

Poured from a 330ml. bottle, best before 07/2012.

Appearance: A dark brown body with major ruby hues. Fluffy light tan head with good lacing and excellent retention.

Smell: Figs, nuts, caramel and berries.

Taste: Good mix of bread, caramel malt and dried fruit. Flavor is good but lacks some fullness.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is felt and it has a melt in your mouth quality. The only problem is it feels a little thin.

Overall: I liked it but could have been better.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 03:23:42 | More by papat444

Arborescence

Finland

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Jumps out of the bottle and pours a massive, thick head that persists. Very dark brown, hazy, with a slight ruby tint.

Aroma: Malty, with a hint of cherry. The aroma is quite mild though.

Taste: There's a certain softness before the robust malt hits. Not a lot of sweetness here, but some hints of dried fruit are present. Solid flavour, but nothing overly interesting.

Mouthfeel: Rich, smooth, and creamy. Medium to full-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: It's a peculiar concoction -- a trappist bock -- but I don't think it brings anything sublime to the table. It's tasty though, not a bad representative of a strongish bock.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 19:15:22 | More by Arborescence

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.71/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with a large, lasting head.
Nose shows caramel, chocolate fudge and toasty, bready malt. Very sweet-smelling.
Not as great flavours, but still showing some of the bready and toasty characters. Also a little booze.
Too much carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 10:51:33 | More by CrazyDavros

gerardoluna

Mexico

3.73/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The first time that i taste one trappist bockbier

[Eyes] amazing creamy foam head, the color is strong and deep dark red

[Nouse] Good malty, floral, sugar and hoppy aroma.

[Mouth] Good carbonation a little bitter, fresh, dry and full body.
Amen!

CHEERS

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 23:12:49 | More by gerardoluna

Absumaster

Netherlands

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a typical Dutch bockbier, roasted, slightly sticky and very drinkable on dark nights.

Appearance is very good, dar brown, with a stable head and thick, compact foam which sticks to the glass with each sip.

Smell is caramellic and roasted, something like raisins, a little acidic. Perfect sniffing beer, although after more sniffs, I suddenly detect some dirty socks, but this is very far at the back.

Taste is roasted, burned malts, with a good caramel support. The dark malts give the beer a malt bitterness, together with the hop bitterness, more bittter than the average bockbier.
Mouthfeel is sweet and slightly sticky. The 7% ABV is not noticable, drinkability is more inhibited by the fullness and sweetness.

One of the better bockbiers from Holland.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2006 10:02:28 | More by Absumaster

brdc

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Large corked bottle; an ale according to their own label.

It pours a reasonably clear reddish brown brew, with a voluptuous tan head that shows good retention and lacing.
Aroma is good, but not that powerhouse I got used to see on other "La Trappes"; mostly sweet malts, caramel, perhaps a note or two of yeastiness and fruitiness.
A bit thin on the palate, taste is pleasant but not complex, malty sweetness all over, but with little depth.
A decent brew, but well under the usual high quality of Koningshoeven. I will keep my Koningshoeven buys with the more traditional trappist styles.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2008 21:18:42 | More by brdc

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tapped at Abbot On the Hill. A great haul for them. Pours an active dark brown with white crown. Bold malt, and yeast aroma, including chocolate malt. Carbonation, natural, does not quit. In your face taste,a bit rochfort/cocacola caramel like, some nutmeg. Overall not too complex, good drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2008 21:50:46 | More by northyorksammy

Mora2000

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a hazy brown color with a tan head. The aroma is brown sugar, yeast and caramel. The flavor is dark fruit (the main fruit I get is raisins) as well as brown sugar, caramel malt, alcohol and yeast. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Not bad, but not too similar to a bock. It tastes much more Belgian than German.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2010 02:30:31 | More by Mora2000

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I just saw this one on the shelf at Spec's and I couldn't pass it up. I was just coming for a couple German beers and here we have a Bavarian Style beer that is made in a Monastery in Holland. Wow! What a concept. The Tilburg's Ale that this brewery makes is very good, so I am sure that this beer will be too. This is exciting!! Here we go.

Appearance: Pours very Bock-like with a clear dark garnet hue with a small, but thick, head of tan bubbles that is relatively active, but is maintained by many bubbles rising. After a couple minutes, the head had pretty much faded back into the beer and is only a small island in the middle of the beer.

Aroma: I got tons of toasty malt just from the pour. After I can smell it, it does remind me of a Bock. It get lots of toasty Munich malts and some dark fruit like black cherries. There is a good portion of Melanoidins in this beer as it has a firm earthy component to the background of the malt.

Taste: The flavor is a little less Bock-like than the aroma suggested. It is still very malty and has the components of the flavor, but the mouthfeel is quite thin to qualify for a Bock. It is so thin that it leaves a bit of the dark malt character sitting on your palate after the finish as an acidity that gets a little muddled with the alcohol to leave you almost wanting a drink of water after drinking to lighten it up on your palate. The fruity flavors are a really big player in the flavor and they get more noticeable as the beer sits for a bit...the almost make me wonder if an Ale yeast was used and that would also explain the attenuation and mouthfeel.

Opinion: Well, I had pretty high expectations for this beer. It is good, but falls short of what I would consider "outstanding". The lack of malt in the finish really hurt this beer in my opinion. All that said, this beer really has a pretty good flavor and I will certainly drink the whole bottle...so it doesn't suck. It just reminds me on an amped up Tilburg more than a beer to stand up to Korbinian...or even Erdinger Ur-Bock if you want to stand it against a non-doppelbock.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2010 01:01:31 | More by SkeeterHawk

Lexluthor33

New York

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown with a reddish tint. Good sized head with foamy lace.
The aroma is fruits,malts and ALCOHOL.
The taste is fruity,some malts and notes of grains. The alcohol is stronger than expected,but not in any way does it ruin this brew.
The truth is I was expecting some more malt or maybe even a roast like flavor. This tastes better as it warms.
The feel is well balanced,high carbonation and a semi dry finish with a slight alcohol burn.

Notes: First off,the alcohol burn is minor and it's fine. Carbonation seems a bit high and the body is medium weight and almost refreshing.
A good beer,it is just that I expected so much more from the Monks.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 02:26:10 | More by Lexluthor33

TKempe

Netherlands

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The color is a dark red with brown tones. A lot of carbonation visible and a tremendous tan head that doesn't seem to shrink.

Smells fruity and malty in both a toffyish and a roasted way. Hops spice up the nose and so does a touch of earthy ale yeast. It's probably the oats that add to the creaminess of the smell.

The taste is a bit more salty and spicy, not as sweet as the nose might suggest, with plenty of yeast apparent. After the fullness of the malt settles, a semi-dry aftertaste develops that is marked by a pleasant bitterness of the roasted malts and a mild hoppy note.

Mouthfeel is smooth and a bit slick, with just a bit too much carboantion and a body that is in-between medium and full.

An exciting balance between a Trappist ale and the Bock style, more or less in the same line as for example the La Chouffe Bock.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2008 23:24:53 | More by TKempe

DaveHS

California

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish brown color, with a huge foamy head. Leaves beautiful Belgian lace after a few minutes. The nose is malty and sweet, with light aromas of spice and dried herbs. Chocolate, caramel and raisin notes make more of a showing once the head dissipates. A sharp little kick of fruity yeast, immediately followed by the drying Hallertauer hops. An average example of the style, in no way a standout.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 22:01:55 | More by DaveHS

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz bottle.

It pours a reddish-brown with a huge, foamy off-white/tan head.

The smell is super nutty with a bit of dough, spices, caramel, and raisins.

The flavor has some roasted caramel with a nice bittersweet flavor, dark fruits, and roasted nuts.

It is a decent bockbier, and certainly interesting considering the brewery and location.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 00:17:48 | More by crossovert

safaricook

Netherlands

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this delivered by my wife from a work colleague, who picked it up directly in Tilburg at the Koningshoeven brewery. I poured into an Orval chalice, after letting it warm up a little bit from the fridge.

It pours gigantic beautiful beige finely pored head. Body is of dark clear amber with some fine carbonation visible.

Wonderful rich smell of yeast, malt, plums, roasted nuts and cocoa.

Tastes is a let down compared to the smell. I get surprisingly moderate taste of burnt malt and bread with a slight metallic aftertaste.

What a creamy nice head that sticks to your lip! The liquid part though is a bit watery with little carbonation.

Overall an interesting beer with ups and downs. Nevertheless, certainly not to forget when talking about Dutch bockbier. A country that is full of the style around the dark times of the year.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 20:40:00 | More by safaricook

baggio

Sweden

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a 750ml bottle of this sitting in my pantry for awhile and then one of my friends wanted to try it so...2006 Vintage!

A: Dark red with a huge beige lace that sticks to glass.

S: Malt, Caramel, Port wine and a slight note of metal.

T: Caramel, Belgian yeast, Bread, Fruit, Spices.

M: Sweet and smooth with a nice complexity. Low carbonation.

A very pleasant drink even if it is a tad bit too sweet. Gonna try this one again for sure! Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2008 10:50:17 | More by baggio

patra7

Greece

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a stange glass, almost 2 years before exp. date.
Appearance: Deep brown-reddish color; brown, very thick head that hangs on for ever with almost immovable bubbles.
Smell: Strong smell of alcohol, caramel and coffee with a momentary smokiness.
Taste: Same as smell. Bitterness manages to peek through the mostly caramel, siropy feel giving it a slightly more balanced character.
Body: Full body. Carbonation just enough to give the beer a fresher character and balance out the mellowness.
Drinkability: Very interesting beer; more than any other bockbier I’ve drunk. Perhaps a bit too sweet for some.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 23:12:51 | More by patra7

UCLABrewN84

California

3.96/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Congregation Ale House in Pasadena, CA.

Pours a clear dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, dark fruits, and brown sugar. Taste is much the same with a fruity flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2013 03:09:51 | More by UCLABrewN84