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

RuudJH

Netherlands

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Trappist ale, with a classic label of an old monk. Isid'or stays within the catholic tradition. Cheers.
La Trappe does have a lot of different brews. This one I never tried before.

Dark amber colour, with soapy head, ok carbonation.

Smell is fruity and (roasty) malty, with a modest amount of hoppyness and floral notes. Not too strong aroma.

Taste is similar, also a bit faint. There's a bit of fruits, spice, herbs.
A bit simple sugary alcohol in the aftertaste. .

Mouthfeel is smooth, medium bodied. Refreshing it is because of the active carbonation, making it well drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 12:21:15 | More by RuudJH

LordAdmNelson

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice clear copper color with smallish white head that laces ok. Nose is largely bready malt on top of some yeastiness, simple, but not bad by any means. Flavor is similarly simple, bready and yeasty, witha bit of depth added from some light fruity notes--pears, maybe some apple. Moderate mouthfeel, well-carbonated. Decent drink, sometimes the booze shines through a bit. Not a bad beer overall, though not something I'd grab on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 02:58:01 | More by LordAdmNelson

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a La Trappe chalice.

A - Pours a light caramel color, a bit murky. Builds about a finger's worth of cream-colored head that dissipates fairly quick. This can be attributed to the absolutely hugely wide rim on the chalice.

S - Smell is spicy and filled with orange peel and coriander. Rich in Belgian yeast, a bit of a grapefruit component as well.

T - Taste is similar to the nose. Spices really come through the most, with the orange and other fruits following. As mentioned earlier, the grapefruit comes through at the end, along with some banana. Alcohol is noticeable in the finish.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy, with good carbonation. The remains of the head help the first wave of flavor be nice and creamy, and the carbonation complements the dry and spicy finish.

D - Drinkability is moderate. The flavors are pleasant, but a bit overwhelmed by the spice and alcohol at the end. Not bad, but not entirely interesting.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 00:04:56 | More by nhindian

jbphoto88

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another pretty Belgian brew. Isid'or is a ruddy orange, fully hazed drink with no visibility except in the thinnest of depths close to glass edge. The head is strong and fluffy but fades too quick. It neves goes away fully always having a nice ring of suds fed by tons of tiny bubbles.

The nose is very typical of a Belgian ale but this one seems to be a little bolder then just a pale. Yeasty and bready with hints of toasted grain and white fruits.

Taste is good but not the best. I find the flavor to be thickly sweet with a heavier malt profile then anything else. The sweet continues through some bready yeast flavors into the finish. Still sweet after it's gone but some yellow raisins and caramel brings it home.

Mouthfeel is crisp with a tart carbonation and a pleasant dry finish. A nice brew that's satisfying but kind of falls a little flat in the long run. Tasty and one I'd try again but it is a little expensive at $4 a bottle, ouch! So it might be a while before I buy another.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 22:42:31 | More by jbphoto88

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a warm amber colour, a little dark. A smallish white head dissipates at a moderate pace to a good sized film.

Smell is quite bready, along with some fruit (grapes, apple), some spice and some yeast. Has some similarities to apple cider. Reminiscent of La Trappe's tripel, which I suppose is not a surprise. A bit unusual compared to most abbey style pale ales.

Taste is similar to the nose. Bready, lots of apple flavour. The apple cider comparison is even more pronounced, almost leaning toward apple juice. Alcohol is more noticeable than expected for a 7.5% brew.

Moderate carbonation, medium body. A bit chewy. Not bad.

Overall, sort of an unusual beer. The apple flavour really sticks out. I could see some people being really into this beer. I like it, but it is not something I would be in the mood for all that often.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 03:10:52 | More by jrenihan

Douberd

Netherlands

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle 300 ml.

Pours a light amber colour beer, with a white-brownish soapy head. Lots of bubbles and all of them around he glass's walls, none in the middle.. Fruity smell,taste is good but high alcohol is very noticeable.

Overall quite good.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 21:34:23 | More by Douberd

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

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

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.78/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

300 mL bottle with some sort of stamp of 13:03 K08F09, perhaps brewed in Aug 09? Pours a fairly cloudy orange color with a large, fluffy beige head. Fades pretty quick and leaves a bit of lacing on the glass. Pretty average looking brew compared to the Belgian Trappists.

Smell is somewhat faint but exhibits some caramel malt sweetness and bready, even a bit spicy, yeast characteristic.

Taste is bready yeast with a bit of dark fruit and a surprisingly high amount of alcohol for a meager 7.5% ale. Caramely malt with a definite candi sugar flavor. A touch of toasty malt and a kiss of hops give it a little bit of bittering on the finish. Body is a bit thin, it just doesn't have a whole lot of heft to it. Not a bad brew by any means, but this has been my least favorite Trappist beers, perhaps the Dutch cannot quite hang with the monks from Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2010 19:23:20 | More by twiggamortis420

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: Brown 750, corked and caged, with nice label.

Appearance: Hazy dark burnt orange beer; a strong ivory cap fades to a decent (but not overly impressive) film.

Smell: Fruit up front; some red apple, backed with light sweet caramel and just a hint of spice. Nice, but fairly simple.

Taste: Really nicely balanced between slightly toasted caramel, juicy apples, and a slight hop bitterness. Again, pretty tasty, if not revolutionary.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied

Drinkability: Medium-high

Conclusion: Don't get me wrong; this is a tasty Belgian; just not quite what I was expecting from a Trappist brewery brewing a special-edition beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 04:42:47 | More by BedetheVenerable

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears an amber semid clouded crust of bread like hue...with a nice off white cream colored head. Fine Belgian style lacing coats the sides of the glass. Aroma contains toasted caramel malted barly with cherry/raisin/apple fruitiness going on. Hints of Belgian yesat spiciness blends in as well to form a unique BPA experience from the Netherlands lone Trappist brewery. Flavors slightly bitter roasted malts caramelized sugars flow with a fruity spicy mix of flavors. Caramelized apple/raisins with a slightly nutty spiced edge from the yeast. Effervescent carbonation kicks the medium bodied ale across the palate nicely. Overall this is a decent beer made for sipping on, glad I grabbed a gift pack with two bottles of Isid'or and Quad with an official glass.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2010 21:11:31 | More by WVbeergeek

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew had caught my eye at my local shop the one day I was there. I was interested in trying this one because I like mostly everything that La Trappe puts out. This beer poured out as a slightly murky orange color. The head was decent but didn't lace the glass all that much. The smell of the beer was a little spicy but had more of a yeasty malt aroma to it. The flavor has some bread-like qualities with some light herbal notes as well. The mouthfeel is sooth and nicely carbonated. Overall I found this to be a pretty good Belgian Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 16:16:03 | More by Knapp85

brewdoc75

Minnesota

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

Poured from a corked 750 mL bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Nice, rocky, off-white head is noticable at first. It quickly dies to a solid, one-inch crown. THe beer itself is a light-amber, mahagony concotion. Strong carbonation throughout.

S: Tart, fruity, with a hint of caramel. Some estery aroma and phenolic spice from the yeast, but not much. In the end I get a faint, cork-like character, which is slightly off-puting, but at the same time rustic.

T: Nice flavors with plenty of fruits like apple and pears. The fruitiness is on the tart side. I do get some nice phenolics with some clove-like character. There is a touch of caramel in the flavors and a faint sweetness of the malts. The hops are definitely there and supply an almost leathery or earthy bite. The alcohol is slightly noticable in the end.

M: Light to medium bodied. Crisp, tart, and refreshing. The acidity is noticable in the mouthfeel as a brightness on the tongue. The carbonation is on the stronger end and scrubs the flavors down nicely.

D: A nice Belgian Pale Ale. Maybe a bit too strong for the style, but definitely nice. I really enjoy the style however. The yeastiness may be a bit toned down for some as well. Overall, this is a solid BPA and worth a try. I would like to see the price (10 bucks a bottle)a bit lower though.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 00:12:56 | More by brewdoc75

Pegasus

Texas

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

Hazy amber body with a profuse amount of suspended particulates. The head presents as off-white4, dense, and retains well. The lacing is thick and sticky and in the Belgian form.

Aroma: Lots of sweet, vinous alcohol, caramel, bitter apple, dark fruit,nd some grassy, herbal notes.

Taste: Opens with caramel, followed by floral and herbal hops, spicy alcohol, pepper, and then ripe bananas, and bitter apple rind. Later in the taste, earthy and grassy notes appear. Finishes with a lingering mild herbal bitterness, and spicy alcohol.

Mouth feel: Smooth, fairly soft, pleasant, with zesty carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: This beer seems an ideal selection for Autumn, with its complex and rustic notes. This being said, today is the Winter Solstice, but here in Texas, it seems like a Fall day.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom 335 ml brown glass long-neck bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 23:13:09 | More by Pegasus

keithmurray

New York

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ML poured into a chalice

Appearance: Beer pours a magnificent caramel colour with white head

smell - i'm not picking up too much here except for a bready aroma

Taste - faint citrus flavor to go along with an aftertaste of the aroma which is reminiscent of baked bread

Mouthfeel - approppriate carbonation makes this a pretty smooth drinking beer, slight sweetness on the finish, no detection of the alcohol whatsoever, which may be a good or a bad thing depending upon your perspective

My first sample of this Dutch company's offerings and I have to say that this was a good brew that i'd be willing to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 00:10:38 | More by keithmurray

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured in my favorite Grimbergen's chalice.

A: Beautiful amber color. A bit cloudy. Huge two fingers head which dissipates quite quickly leaving a bit of lacings
S: Sweet malts. Sweet bubblegum and a bit of yeasts in the end
T: Sweet malts is very evident, caramel and yeasts. Bitter end
M: Medium body and molasses. Medium carbonation
D: Good

La Trappe, IMHO, is the "less good" Trappist. However, still a quite good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2010 18:24:43 | More by eduardolinhalis

searsclone

Arizona

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 1 pint 9.4 FL OZ bottle into a Chimay goblet. The cork is stamped "50/08" which I assume is 50th week of 2008. I drank in August 2010. Pours copper color with a quickly dissipating head. It looks like a dark champagne with all of the bubbles rising to the top.

Smells spice, alcohol and sweet.

Taste: raisins, spices and caramel

Feels sharp on the tip of the tongue and goes down smooth and easy.

High drinkability, overall very good.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 00:48:05 | More by searsclone

crnipeter

Slovenia

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Somewhat hazed orange-amber body gets topped by dense, creamy ivory head with yellowish hue and good retention, that slowly fades to a stable collar.
Nose is sweet with mild spicy notes of hops or phenols and evident citrusy and pear-like esters
Flavor is malted-wheat sweetness with caramelized sugar, phenolic or hop-derived spiciness and lemony esters.Ends spicy with mild alcohol in the aftertaste to balance the malt.
Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

In short: a bit too sweet Belgian Ale with caramel & malted-wheat sweetness, spice and lemony esters. (330 ml, BB date 05/2014, into tulip.)

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 14:51:48 | More by crnipeter

nrbw23

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a nice dark copper color with a fairly thin foamy off white head. Head has pretty solid retention and becomes a really thin layer of bubbles.

S- A very floral aroma. Quite a bit of candied sugar. A bit of tropical fruits as well. A good amount of spice here as well.

T- Pretty sweet overall all. A touch of hops toward the end. A good malt back bone here for sure. Yeast and spice make themselves known.

M- Lighter side of medium in body and a good amount of carbonation too.

O- Not too bad at all. Maybe a touch on the sweet side for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 10:30:13 | More by nrbw23

Bierman9

New Hampshire

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I stopped into the La Trappe brewpub with A-1 BA Brabander on 05Oct12. My first of two biers there was Isid'or, at €3.50 for a 0.25l glass.

The chalice held a clear, rich amber bier; truly a lovely hue, even if it was a little dark for a Belgian strong pale. Had a thin, fine, tan head; extremely fine, just a minute layer of bubbles. Lacing was excellent, I might add. Nose was mild, with some candi-sugar sweetness noted. Medium in body, it had a light, bubbly airiness on the tongue.

Candi-sugar sweetness also was on display in the flavor. Additionally, there was some caramel and toffee making it, to me, a bit dubbel-ish. I also detected some subtle hints of raisiny dark fruit. Solid, all in all. Thnx Thijs! Prosit!

3.83/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1519

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2012 18:36:01 | More by Bierman9

Xul

California

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy copper, topped by a tightly carbonated two finger head. Retention is good and light lacing is left behind.

S: Strong aroma of biscuity maltsup front, followed by green apples, lemon zest, and distinct notes of Belgian yeastiness.

T: Biscuity malts are prevalent again, but dark fruits and some spicy character comes through. Green apples and lemon zest are still present but take a backseat.

M: Medium body with very high carbonation, honestly it felt overcarbonated.

D: The ABV is well hidden and the taste is good, but the overcarbonation makes it a one and done for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2010 04:18:40 | More by Xul

wagenvolks

Texas

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

300mL bottle into a Sam Adam's Perfect Pint (really, is there ANY beer that doesn't look good in one of these?)

Isid'or pours a deep tangerine hue with a core of caramelized iced-tea. A big, frothy head holds court up top, rich custard in color and creamy in its consistency. Hazy body with torrents of carbonation pushing around the yeast like Miso soup. Lacing galore. A soft grassiness from the hops, but the aroma is by and large on the muted side. Pale malts and Belgian yeast throw off some spicy bread crust, dried fruit, and a light sulfur funk.

Flavor is big and fruity, with bananas, sweet bread, and clove leading the charge. Hops are faded, but show up in the finish to contribute a detectable bitterness that lingers well. Nice balance of spices and sweetness, but this beer does become slightly cloying after a while. Creamy-slick consistency to the medium body, with a bubbly carbonation level that perks up the tongue and allows the underlying complexity to really take hold. There's a lot going on in this beer, but it ultimately works. A great Trappiste ale, could fool even the most seasoned Belgian beer drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2010 04:48:51 | More by wagenvolks

rarbring

Sweden

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The beer is deep amber a bit orange, off-white head leaving no lacing, and some curtains.

The smell is very fruity, sweet ripe pears, apples and some honey.

The taste is also extremely fruity, pears, apples, melon. Some sweet jam and some mild Christmas spices.

Medium carbonation, lots of minimal bubbles, soft and a medium high body, round and balanced.

A really nice trappist.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 00:27:21 | More by rarbring

peabody

Kentucky

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours out a cloudy ice tea color with lots of suds.
Smell is spice and malt.
Taste is clove and cinnamon sugar then a bitter black flavor takes over.
Mouthfeel is decent but on the boring side. Not a lot going on.
Overall I rate this a low 4. Doesn't compete with the big boys from Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 11:54:19 | More by peabody

thierrynantes

France

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer bottle (33 cl.) purchased from La Cave à bières (Le Havre), tasted in 2012.

Appearance : amber golden color with white foamy head.
Smell : yeasty aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : sweet malty with caramel and fruits notes and spicy finish.
Drinkability : a good beer in the Belgian Pale Ale style.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 16:59:41 | More by thierrynantes