La Trappe Dubbel (Koningshoeven / Dominus) - Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.

gonzo46and2

Florida

5/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Dark red to brown with a massive pillowy head.

Smell: Brown Sugar, Peach, Apple, Clove, Raisin, Fig, and a bit more.

Taste: Flavor blends the aromas and alchohol with a very even taste.

Mouthfeel: Thin mouthfeel with sparkling carbonation.

Drinkability: I'd drink it every day if it was affordable.

***First beer of the night... hard act to follow....

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2008 04:00:49 | More by gonzo46and2

basica

Singapore

4.9/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

La Trappe Dubbel (AGED: 1984 VINTAGE) (Rating 10/10) - 6.5 ABV - 5 September 2007

I pondered over whether to give this 9.5 or 10 and in the end gave it a 10. This is a old bottle of La Trappe Dubbel that I got from Wim, my Netherlands beer friend. I had a contemporary La Trappe Dubbel a 3 days ago and that would serve as a good benchmarking for an aged version. This age old beer pours out with a nice dark ruby brown without much of a head to speak of. It has a strong and slightly vinous fragrance; lot's or raisins and some plums; very strong smelling with sweet maple sugars in the nose too; I could really go on sniffing this for a while. The taste punches in with strong dark fruits, mainly plums and some raisins; very well balanced with maple or brown sugar backing to provide hints of sweetness though never too much. Could taste some dark malts towards the finish as well; the finish itself is slightly dry and majorly plummy leaving bag loads of aromatic dark fruits on the nose. The taste reminds me of the Chimay Blue and also the Westmalle Dubbel; it seems like a selective features extract from this 2; at the start it reminds
me of the Westmalle but after a few mouthfuls, I think it is more reminiscent of the Chimay Blue. The after taste was strong plums and raisins and lingers for and fades of into light plums with grapes and a dash of apple concluding the after taste; very very wonderful... Now I shall say that a 9.5 rating is an understatement for this one. The mouth feel is between medium to full body and carbonation was pretty well preserved for a beer this old! Amazing... The beer is not as "flighty" light as the contemporary La Trappe but the extreme smoothness of this beer has never detracted over the years. The main differences between the Vintage aged version of the La Trappe Dubbel and the contemporary Dubbel would be first of all the taste which is very very much stronger
in the aged one; and with an immaculate masterful balance. Next would be the change from a refreshing and "flighty" light beer to something that has "strength" and character yet still so unbelievably smooth to drink. What am I thinking when I pondered over 9.5 and 10... this is a clear
10 and I think I am going to put it at the same level or above the contemporary Chimay Blue. Truly a GREAT beer and if I were to coin the experience in a phrase... "Immensely fruity tasty and sweet; totally complex and immaculately balanced; full of strength and character yet unbelievably smooth". Very nicely aged... Kudoz to the owner who aged it so very well.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2007 19:05:16 | More by basica

jreitman

California

4.8/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Was lucky enough to find one of the last kegs in the states at the Taphouse in Bellevue, WA. This beer was damn near a religious experience for me. I am a very big fan of dubbels and this is everything I could have wanted. Poured a hazy dark brown with a nice thick layer of light brown head. Aromas were that of belgian yeast and candi sugar. Fruitiness and sweetness are most prevalent in the mouth with nice apple and pear undertones. Mouthfeel was spot on and the flavors were so well balanced that I could have had two or three (if it weren't for the alcohol level). It really is a shame that this beer will not be available any longer. I know Taphouse is going to be seeing a lot of my money till the last of the kegs is tapped.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2003 22:16:34 | More by jreitman

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer pours a ruby red with a touch of brown and a thin tan head and lace. The aroma is of cherries, dark chocolate, a hint of brandy and some yeasty hay. The flavor is complex leading off with mildly sour cherries followed by dark choclolate, and wood notes with just a hint of smoke. It's mouthfeel is medium and smooth. Koningshoeven La Trappe Dubbel (Koningshoeven/Dominus) is an excellent brew, well balanced, drinkable, and what the style should be. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 03:23:34 | More by B967ierhunter177

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

4.78/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

330ml draught
6.5% ABV

I tried this beer on May 9, 2008 at "Smokeless Joe's" in Toronto, Ontario on tap. The beer was a beautiful dark brown with some plum coloured hints and a thin, rocky, tan coloured head. The aroma was sweet malt, with some yeasty tones, as well as chocolate and cherry hints. The mouthfeel was medium bodied, mildly carbonated, and slightly creamy. The flavour was caramel malt, some other fruit flavours like cherries and plum, and a little hoppish bitterness to round it out. I loved this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2008 05:51:36 | More by cyrenaica

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance:
Poured this, not all at once, into a small Ommegang chalice...almost like a flute glass. The color was opaque and looked like historic, unpolished mahogany...or, an orangy brown to put it more simply. A creamy chestnut-colored head dissipated after a bit, but actually never went away. It stayed throughout the entire time I drank it with satisfactory lacing.

Smell:
Aroma consisted of fruits...mainly fig, apple, and slight banana.

Taste:
VERY well balanced, which is definitely its strongpoint. I felt that the taste of fig developed even better as I drank this.

Mouthfeel:
Feels very smooth on the tongue, and a slightly fizzy. But not over carbonated at all.

Drinkability:
The strength to this beer is perfect...and on the easy side for Belgian brews. With it's great balance, this is very drinkable. In fact, it's not just "drinkable" - it makes you want to drink it. At least that was the case with me.

I highly recommend this beer, especially to people looking to get into Trappist ales...or to have around as a beer for those guests you have over who can be impressed by more artisan beers and just need someone to show them the way.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2009 02:12:38 | More by jbertsch

bluHatter

Michigan

4.68/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Dark brown/red with lots of fog and debris floating around. Big noisy popping light brown head with some darker brown drops from the final drops of the pour.

S: Dark fruit, berries, yeast. Very nice.

T: Bready hops, mellow malts that quickly dissipate into a savory almost molasses-like character.

M: Surprisingly smooth and light for such a heavy looking beer. Perfect texture and carbonation, with a really light finish. Perfect.

O: Fantastic. Really well rounded, perfectly balanced, and expertly crafted. It's rare to taste something so good.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 01:23:49 | More by bluHatter

mzwolinski

California

4.63/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark brown, ruby in color with a creamy thin head. Dominant aroma is malty with a deep raisin-like fruitiness. There is also a certian tartness to the smell, perhaps a bit of lemon. Flavor is of a crisp, slightly roasty toffee. Good malty body with an extremely well-balanced finish -- just slightly dry. Slightly sweet aftertaste. Medium-full bodied and creamy. Very pleasant indeed.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2002 09:59:33 | More by mzwolinski

atsprings

North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep ruby read color that was just barely not opaque. Good thick head that was diminishing and left spotty lacing on the glass. The aroma was an interesting blend of malts, dried fruits, crisp yeast with some alcohol presence. The taste was very complex. There was an interesting fruitiness that blended well with a great sweetness well balanced by some subdued hops. There was a good yeast bite in the flavor as well. The mouthfeel possessed a great level of carbonation. The alcohol was well hidden, but there was still a slight astringency present, but not too much. Overall, this is a very enjoyable beer, but not something I can have that much of. I would certainly try and find this for special occasions.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2007 02:11:38 | More by atsprings

Quaffer

Nevada

4.58/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: This beer is brown, amber, and red all at the same time. The light head dissipated very quickly. Halfway through the beer, a small patch floating in the center of the goblet (from the brewery, by the way) was all that remained. No lace at all.

Smell: Very fruity with an overtone of spice. Very nice.

Mouthfeel: This beer was very smooth and as full as I expected from the style.

Taste: I've had this beer before, but I do not remember it being this wonderful. I did drink it at a proper temperature this time, so maybe that is the key. This brew had a nice fruitiness to it, topped off with a full, round spiciness that completely filled the mouth. I think it might have been cloves. Not sure, but I know that I liked it. A little bit of an alcohol hit and some warming afterwards as well.

Damn, this was good. A huge, round, complete flavor. I could almost taste this one in my cheeks. I think that in my review of the blond, I said that it was my favorite of this brewery's beer. I was mistaken.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2003 22:09:03 | More by Quaffer

SilentSabre

Georgia

4.55/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deep, reddish amber with almost no head. A thin haze of a head floated on top of the surface for some time. The smell of this stuff is positively amazing. Very sweet and rich. Instantly reminded me of bananas, although there is another "sweet" smell present there that I am unable to put my finger on. The taste is very good. It's quite sweet and quite a bit malty as well. There is very little carbonation present in this, which makes for an easy drinking beer with a great mouth feel and wonderful drinkability. I don't think this would be a session beer, but I could most certainly drink perhaps 3 of these, and even then, not quickly back to back like you would something like Miller Lite.
I would definately buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2004 04:04:58 | More by SilentSabre

brdc

Wisconsin

4.55/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a large, corked bottle into a goblet.

It is a dark brown beer with crimson highlights, and the beautiful creamy, light brown head eventually comes down to a collar that follows the beer all the way down to the last sip. Nice presentation.
Aroma is not that remarkable initially, but I probably got it a bit too cold. As it warms, that typical candy, bubblegum, sugary malt and fruity aroma starts coming easily out of the glass.
Medium bodied, it is gentle and smooth in the tongue; the taste is rich but not explosive, malty, candy-like, fruity, with a mild spiciness.
Another nice brew from Koningshoeven, if not as remarkable as their quadrupel.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 03:17:18 | More by brdc

botham

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1 pint 9 oz growler poured into a goblet. pours chestnet brown with brilliant garnet highlights and a single finger of light tan head.

aroma is yeasty, with fruit notes of apple, pear, and a bit of banana. overall a sweet aroma, but not overly so. caramel malts are also present, though ancillary to the fruit.

taste is more of the same, with a smooth profile and a subtle caramel malt that adds to the fruit nicely. very well proportioned dubbel.

mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a creamy texture and a smooth finish. CO2 provides a mild bite, but nothing too harsh. alcohol is only present upon a bit of warming.

drinkability is great. this beer advocate can finish off a 1 pint 9 oz growler in one sitting and love every sip, which is more than can be said for most brews. cheers!

Serving type: growler

02-29-2008 02:47:17 | More by botham

dbalsock

Vermont

4.55/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This might be my favorite dubbel out of the trappist breweries, but I need to revisit the others again, especially westvleteran 8.

Appearance: Brown with a reddish purple hue, large tan head with more red hues. Very elegant, very pretty and very enticing.

Smell: The caramel and molasses hit immediately but upon closer inspection a generous note of pie crust comes through, followed by cherry and prune, raisins and a hint of what i think is a noble hop variety... maybe saaz.

Taste: Prunes and raisins w/ the alcohol is the most dominant taste to start. It finishes with sweet blueberry and more pie crust/biscuit malts. The aftertaste is of heavy molasses and replicates a cookie in taste long after the swallow.

Mouthfeel: The alcohol is a little more prevalent than I want but the carbonation and bitterness are both perfect and nicely lingering.

Drinkability: Like I said, probably my favorite dubbel, a sipper and great for dessert.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2009 13:17:56 | More by dbalsock

catrone

Italy

4.55/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown beer with a thick, persistent head.
The smell is sweet and very fruity, mainly grape, similar to sweet wine.
The taste is very round and fruity with a faint alcoholic note that doesn't overwhelm the sweetness at all and lasts long after you sip it.

The aftertaste is sweet too, with the alcoholic note now more noticeable

Definitely one of my favourite belgian.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 13:28:00 | More by catrone

scooter231

New York

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I like this beer even more than the blonde. It pours a slightly cloudy dark caramel color with a little bit of tan head that doesn't linger for too long.

Smells very fruity, lots of dark, ripe fruits. Almost smells like candy. Tastes lovely. Almost a wine taste, cherry and grape flavors, and hints of chocolate. Sweet but not too sweet. No bad aftertastes. The taste would probably be well complimented and highlited by a bowl of berries- I'd opt for raspberries or strawberries, but cherries would probably go well too. And dipping them in chocolate certainly wouldn't hurt.

Mouthfeel is chewy, not watery, and pleasant. I could and would be content with drinking only this all night. A really well-rounded beer on the whole.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2005 03:10:24 | More by scooter231

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Of all the Trappist breweries, this is the one that I came to learn about latest. Poured in to my Westmalle chalice a dark ruby red complexion, with a strong, buttery white heading with substantial retention. Aroma is lovely, made up with vinous fruits such as plum, raisin, strawberry, fig and date. Bits of earth and spice lurk in the corners of the nose. Taste is complex in every sense of the word. More of the same fruit, earth and spice, which has the ability to almost lift the palate up while inside. After letting it swish around the mouth a bit, and after swallowing, there is a slight numbing sensation as the flavors and alcohol marry in the finish. Body is medium, and despite being a beer to sip and savor, is beautiful in its drinkability. As i sat with this beer over the course of an hour, I listened to the monks singing on the Weihenstephaner tour section of the website. Although that brewery is German, and this beer Belgian, I truly felt like I was tasting a bit of history. I would go so far as to say the atmosphere was a bit haunting. A delicate, complex Trappist beer that I cannot say enough about.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2008 03:10:02 | More by jamie2dope

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a chalice)
A- This beer has a dense warm brown body with a strong carbonation of big bubbles gliding up the side. There is a bubbly creamy light tan head that last for the full beer.
S- The caramel malt sweetness has notes of raisins and some darker fruit esters. There is a light clove note and warms with a touch of chocolate and a toasted malt note.
T- The slightly woody quality is well blended with specialty malt flavors and some raisins and dried fruit complexity. There is a soft spice note and a nice alcohol heat in the finish. The rich and complex malt lingers with a faint green hint in the finish and some dried cherry flavors come through as the beer warms.
M- There is a medium-full mouthfeel with a full fizz and a very soft alcohol heat present.
D- This is a great balanced and complex malt forward beer that has everything in balance. There are some oxidative notes that get in the way a bit but still this very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 16:26:40 | More by rhoadsrage

AaronRed

New York

4.47/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark tan with a creamy head. What I loved about this beer, was its smoothness. I could not get over how subtle the hops and yeast combine with a medium bodies malty thinkness. Sort of a caramel flavor, with a hint of sharpness that keeps it from being boring. I had this with a meat suace and pasta, and it was great.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2002 19:55:01 | More by AaronRed

DogFood11

California

4.47/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle corked and caged. Poured into a chalice this jumps up to a large foamy tan head. Retention is decent, always a solid cover with each pull. Brown body.

Funny how you can turn your back on a style over time and when you revisit it you ask yourself "why has it taken this long". For the most part I found it to be a dumbed down version of the Belgian Strong Dark Ale. All I know right now is this has an identity all its own, or it could be the hot weather. In any case, this is a world class brew. First pull I was thinking this was a medium bodied brew with some light caramel throughout. Dark fruits may be more evident as it warmed but they helped this along from the get go. Carbonation is very fine. It sharpens it up a bit without becoming annoying. Silky body. Some younger fruits mix in to give this a bit of balance and a ghostly tartness.

Notes: Loved it. The smoothness, restrained malt dominance, and the slightly spiced backside make this a can't miss.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2007 05:27:52 | More by DogFood11

zythus

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Koningshoeven Dubbel Trappist Ale pours from a small brown bottle into a large crystal Riedel wine glass, making a light head that dissipates into a thin film in about two minutes.

Appearance is what you expect from a dubbel - dark maple.

Smell is very unique. Brown sugar, molasses, maple sugar, and there's something that I can't quite describe - maybe the yeast.

Taste yields vanilla notes that linger as spice. A pronounced butterscotch finish. If you are from New England you will have tried candy made from maple syrup. Imagine caramel melted with those candies and scented with cinnamon.

A very tasty dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2009 23:53:09 | More by zythus

EPseja

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Served from a 750ml bottle at just below cellar temperature in a Chimay goblet. Had this one aging in my cellar, but not quite sure how long. I would estimate that this bottle is vintage 2004.

A - Clear but dark chestnut brown. Dark, burnt gold highlights during the pour. Fluffy off-white head that rises to about an inch before disappearing fairly rapidly.

S - Vinous nose like from a low-alcohol tawny port. Interesting "clean" and "sanitized" smell, like a freshly cleaned pool (mixed with the smell of a fresh box of raisins?) -- Not pehenolic at all -- which adds a sense of refreshment. Low-amplitude dark fruits and brown sugar. Very interesting and inviting indeed!

T - Delicious malt-forward sweetness, balanced by a mustiness that reminds me of an old library, or well-worn leather. Only a touch of tartness in the back of the throat and a very light bitterness that simply refreshes the palate without drying. Balanced to the nines, and full of subtlety.

M - Watery, but with micro-bubbled carbonation that puffs up ever so slightly, creating a creamy mouthful. Swallow is slow and easy. Very, very nice.

D - Alcohol is almost non-existent in the taste, and only apparent in the belly after a few sips. I could easily drink this whole bottle by myself (if I weren't currently sharing it). Amazingly refreshing given it's maltiness and dark body. This beer has aged splendidly.

ADDENDUM: After the yeast is swirled in... Nose becomes noticeably creamier, and the head gets a quick revitalization. Taste becomes a little more raisiny and the finish gains a touch of added tartness.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2009 19:36:01 | More by EPseja

Tballz420

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This one comes out looking good. Its a dark brown with almost a touch of purple in there. Big tan head that sticks all over the place. Its got a malty smell, with a touch of alcohol detected. There are quite a lot of flavors going on in this beer. Some malty sweetness, with some lemon notes, plum as well perhaps. Some well balanced hops hidden in there carefully. Slight alcohol taste as well. This is my first beer of this kind so i have a hard time comparing it, but this is quite a sweet drink in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2003 22:55:44 | More by Tballz420

Backer2004

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Okay, mind you this is the first Trappist Ale I've tried and my comparison is obviously limited. However, if others retain the same qualities, I may have found my new favorite style. Great head retention, carbonation and lacing. Appears like cream soda. First tastes of butterscotch followed by light liquid candy on the lips. Enjoyed every sip. Not sure if i could drink more that two in a session. Paid $2.99 for a 12oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2005 22:25:09 | More by Backer2004

marcpal

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

This is the last of the Trappists for me to try- as always, these monks sure know what they are doing. Well constructed.

11.2 oz bottle poured into oversized wine glass.

A: Dark brown thick color that didnt really come out in the feel of the beer. Puffy meringue toffee colored head, looks good.

S: Figgy, nutty and malty. No real hops in the nose but tons of sweetness.

T: Dark fruits. This is the most fig flavor I have come across in a beer and I love figs. Terrific. There is some bitterness which is also pleasant and really round out the flavor of this. Something like cashews in spices as well that add complexity for a mild dubbel.

M: The weakest part of the beer, a bit thin. Bubbly and almost sparkling, interesting take for the style.

D: Very much so. For a dubbel of relatively low abv, packs in a ton of flavors and taste that many higher abvs lack. This has me eager to try out some other beers from these guys.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2008 20:54:27 | More by marcpal