La Trappe Isid'or - Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.

DougT

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

01-05-2013 02:54:24 | More by DougT

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.11/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

La Trappe Isid'or, named for Isidorus, the first brewing monk in the history of the Konigshoeven brewery, was released several years ago (2009, I believe) for the brewery's 125th Anniversary. When it first came out, I went through about three kegs on tap at the Blue Nile, and took notes one night, but somehow lost them. Gone somewhere in the missing spaces in the internet.
I put it on again not too long ago, last year or the year before, and I kept meaning to re-review it, and never got around to it. Well, it's back, and the third time is the charm...I think...we'll see...doing it now, before I go home to take on the oak-aged version.

7.5 % ABV. Belgian-style pale ale, or strong pale ale?

The look: gorgeous burgundy, reddish-brown coloring, opaque, showing clearer at the foot of the glass, underneath a creamy off-white head of foam, a good 1/2 inch, long-lasting, looking great.

The aroma: I'm getting hops first, a particularly floral, herbal, fruity hop, grown at the monastery, called Perle. Apple and apricot with a caramel twist. Malt flavors linger here, too. Utterly pleasant and arrestingly simple in it's complexity.

The taste: Smooth plus rich. Totally even, completely cool, balance incarnate, but a wonderful blend of tingly, tangy hop sensations on the palate, with the herbal, fruity malt flavors. terrific mix. A maltier, bigger Belgian pale, close to a Belgian amber, but really a thing unto itself. This feels, to my memory, a bit different from when it was first released, but I could be completely wrong. Maybe I was expecting something bigger, thicker, boozier, perhaps, and was disappointed.

What this is, is excellent. If you're not chasing after trappist rainbows or Belgian unicorns, just relax and be happy, get lost and ....taste the silence. Yeah....

I like this beer a lot. you should have one.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2013 03:54:24 | More by feloniousmonk

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.89/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle into a chalice glass

Appearance- The beer pours a lightly hazed orange amber color with a one finger just off white head. The head fades relatively quickly leaving a lighter level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of some lightly toasted Belgian malt with some aromas of tropical fruits as well as a decent citrus hit. Mixed with these sweeter fruit smells and malt smells are some notes of a hoppiness and a bit of a yeastiness. The hop brings a grassy and herbal smell while the yeast smells bring with them aromas of banana and some spice.

Taste –the taste begins with a drier fruit flavor of a mix of citrus and grape. It has almost a wine like flavor in the fruit, but it also has a nice amount of a Belgian grain upfront which balances out he fruit to produce a Belgian triple like flavor up front. A yeastiness soon comes to the tongue and brings with it lighter flavors of banana and a moderately stronger clove and coriander taste. These tastes are later complimented by hop flavors of a grassy and herbal nature that were detected in the nose, but also a little bit of an earthy like flavor. All in all, the flavors end up leaving a dry and balanced hop and malt flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the slightly thinner side with a carbonation level that is just above normal. The two in combination crate a very crisp and clean feel on the tongue and fantastically match the flavor profile of the brew.

Overall- A rather nice, tasty, and drier Belgian strong with just the right level of hop to compliment the flavors of the brew. Rather easy drinking and a good brew to try.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 00:41:17 | More by Darkmagus82

Stugotzo

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

05-10-2013 12:59:22 | More by Stugotzo

justforrazors

Missouri

4/5  rDev 0%

05-10-2013 01:47:23 | More by justforrazors

Nolen12

Kentucky

4/5  rDev 0%

05-09-2013 04:35:24 | More by Nolen12

Rohkey

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

05-08-2013 01:12:58 | More by Rohkey

joemacangel

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

05-07-2013 18:15:47 | More by joemacangel

rlee1390

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A-Translucent orange/amber, two finger head

S-Some plums, clove banana, wheat and yeast.

T-Plums and other fruits, very fruity. Some bread and caramel as well.

M-Light, dry, slightly carbonated and crisp.

O- Better than the Oak Aged (might be due to differences in age) and one of the better offerings from this gang of monks.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:54:14 | More by rlee1390

UCLABrewN84

California

4.01/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Verdugo Bar in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a hazy copper with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, toffee, dark fruit, banana, and spice aromas. Taste is much the same with fruit and wood flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of woody 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 but smells slightly better in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2013 06:22:32 | More by UCLABrewN84

tbryan5

Louisiana

4/5  rDev 0%

05-04-2013 00:01:50 | More by tbryan5

PEIhop

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

05-03-2013 00:40:45 | More by PEIhop

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

04-30-2013 16:54:42 | More by rolltide8425

ltdantheman

Georgia

4/5  rDev 0%

04-26-2013 14:39:22 | More by ltdantheman

jroberts8811

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%

04-21-2013 01:34:35 | More by jroberts8811

Tone

Missouri

3.76/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a cloudy, dark copper color. 1/3 inch head of an off-white color. Slight retention and slight lacing. Smells of hops, sweet malt, alcohol, slight spice, slight grass, and a hint of floral hops. Fits the style of a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, slight pale malt, slight hops, slight alcohol, and a hint of spice. Overall, decent appearance, aroma, body, and blend.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 18:30:27 | More by Tone

nickthegun12

Alabama

4.31/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

light brown, maple in color with a low profile white head, good carbonation
smell is of tropical fruit, typical belgian yeast smell
now heres where its different than other trappist brews ive tasted, light, light, light fresh fruit, maybe melon. the yeast profile is perfect!
mouthfeel is ultra dry, probably one of the driest beers ive ever had the pleasure of tasting
overall hard beer to find, but well worth it!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 23:38:25 | More by nickthegun12

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.76/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

From a 750 ml brown bottle, caged and corked. Pours out a hazed russet amber hue, tall frothy off-white head that tends to fall fairly quickly but engulfs the glass at first. This one takes a few attempts to pour.

Grainy malt on the nose, pear, green apple peels, slightly sour yeasty twang--a bit of a cidery character.

The malt opens up in the flavour, with some bready, caramel malt up front that also has a touch of a toasty note. Apple and pear skins in the middle, then some citrus kicks in, along with mild yeasty phenols towards the finish. Dry peppery phenols linger on in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is light, texture is thin and almost completely gives way to a brisk prickly effervescent carbonation that dominates the character of the mouthfeel.

A bit dry and dominated by brisk carbonation, this BSPA tends to maintain the basic characteristics of any of the other La Trappe ales I've sampled so far. I enjoyed it for what it is, there are really no faults to be found here, yet held up against other offerings of this style it does not really stand out from its peers. To put it bluntly, from my snobby opinion this is a well-crafted ale for the style, but at the same time isn't very memorable either. Chalk it up to an embarrassment of riches when it comes to selection.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:15:21 | More by IronDjinn

Elbrownbag

Netherlands

4/5  rDev 0%

04-13-2013 19:11:21 | More by Elbrownbag

AugustusRex

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev 0%

04-12-2013 14:26:04 | More by AugustusRex

Oboogie

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

04-07-2013 18:35:02 | More by Oboogie

WilstonOreo

Germany

4/5  rDev 0%

04-07-2013 01:41:38 | More by WilstonOreo

acevenom

Louisiana

4.24/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter glass. The beer pours hazy copper with a thick, biege colored head that dissipates slowly. There are some visible streaming bubbles that can be seen along the side of the glass. Some lacing is left behind on the glass as the head retreats. The beer smells pretty malty with some mild sweetness and fruit, but the aroma is not strong. The flavor is of malt, light toffee, and banana. Some flavors of clove come out as the beer warms. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. The finish is dry, but the drinkability is high for a high ABV beer. This is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 02:33:40 | More by acevenom

Anze

Slovenia

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

04-02-2013 15:54:35 | More by Anze

RochefortChris

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%

04-02-2013 03:17:42 | More by RochefortChris