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

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Rattle N Hum in New York, NY

A: Pours a clear yet opaque dark brown in color. The beer has a finger tall creamy dark beige head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of malty sweetness - with notes of caramel, toffee, and dark fruits.

T: Like the smell, the taste of this beer has a lot of malty sweetness including caramel, toffee, and dark fruits. There are some very light hints of spices in the flavor of this beer as well.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth and slightly sticky.

O: The alcohol is very well hidden in this beer but it is still easy to drink - this is a very enjoyable sipping beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2012 02:01:53 | More by dbrauneis

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Brown with a good amount of ruby colouring coming through, just over one finger of tan head, great retention and plenty of lace. Smell is yeaty with a bit of spice in the mix as well, clove being the most noteable, dark fruits, alcohol and touches of brown sugar. Taste has lots of dark fruits, raisins and plum, lots of fruity esters, clove throughout, spices and possibly corriander every so often, a little alcohol heat in the finish. Light carbonation, creamy and medium bodied, light feel at points though. A solid dubbel but by no means is this a world beater, just a quality beer that I would welcome again anytime.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2012 13:54:04 | More by peensteen

kylehay2004

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: no head to speak of on a marroon brown murky body. Little lacing.

S: sweet dark fruit, Belgian yeast and toffee.

T: Very bready and yeasty with a strong malt presence for the style. Dark fruits are semisweet with some banana as well.

M: medium body and light carbonation. Smooth.

Overall: very drinkable but bland for the style. A little disappointed in this one.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2012 23:13:57 | More by kylehay2004

RodneyFarva

Spain

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

on-tap, poured into a chalice at El Lupulo Ferroz.

one-finger head, slowly dissipates, good head retention. deep brown, mahogany color

dark fruit, overripe plums, some malts on the nose

more dark fruits, cherries and plums, some spices such as cloves, a sweetness which perhaps becoming cloying over time

fairly thick mouthfeel, finishes with some creaminess.

a solid dubbel, but a bit cloyingly sweet. better widely available options.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2011 20:35:57 | More by RodneyFarva

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Cafe Belgique in Amsterdam. From notes.

A - Pours a really deep mahogany or copper. Thick, creamy one finger beige head. Decent carbonation streaming up the sides. Appears bright. Fairly good lacing down the sides of the chalice and a thin cap of head retention.

S - Rich dark fruits, some alcohol, sweet spice, and yeast.

T - Sweet with obvious candi sugar. Rich prune, plum, and date flavour. Some alcohol, and sweet spice.

M - Medium body with mild carbonation. Sweet, slightly alcoholic finish.

O/D - Not a bad Dubbel. Not too full of those yeasty notes, most likely because it's filtered. A nice drink in a small alley with people passing. Tasty and worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 21:34:30 | More by tbeckett

GilGarp

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served into a branded snifter at the Cheeky Monk, La Trappe Dubbel is a chestnut brown color with good clarity. The head settles fairly quickly but leaves some nice lacing.

The aroma is sweet and malty with a nice Belgian yeast character. Some dark fruits and mulling spice comes through.

The flavor is just about perfect for the style with a nice mild sweetness that supports a broad spectrum of subtle nuances. There is the usual dark/dried fruit like raisins and figs. Over that comes some mild clove from the yeast.

Mouthfeel is smooth and perfectly carbonated. The alcohol is barely noticible.

Overall a very solid dubbel and one that is probably just a little better on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2011 00:15:55 | More by GilGarp

yapi

Belgium

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I'm not really into Dubbels, but this one rather satisfied me. It has that typical La trappe sweet dark malty caramel toffee taste I like. You can find it in the quadrupel (oak aged) as well. But you have to like it... Went down really well, fresh and warmed up, would drink this again for sure!

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2010 13:23:34 | More by yapi

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at Smokeless Joe's in Toronto in branded glassware. Pours a mahogany brown with a finger or two of off-white head. Nice lacing in the glass. Smells of strong brown sugar and candied cherries. I cannot overstate how sugary this smelled. Flavour is incredibly sweet. My friend wasn't a huge fan of the style so I basically had 2 glasses of this in a row. I enjoyeded it, but prefer a bit less of the sweetness.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2010 20:00:34 | More by kwjd

cbak999

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have to preface this with the fact that I don't particularly like Belgian style beers...but I like this one. No head at all on draft. Great amber color. Not much aroma..but real great taste. What aroma there is, is sweet and spicey. Taste is great....not too sweet. Perfect. I will seel this one out again for sure. The monks know what they are doing.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2010 22:29:56 | More by cbak999

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours something of an amber brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is the prototypical Belgian dubbel (at least in the good ones), showing brown sugar, sweet ice tea and cola in what smells as if it will be a fairly sweet beer. On the palate, this is about as good as it gets in a Belgian dubbel. While on the sweet side, I just love the sweet lemon ice tea, brown sugar, cola, caramel and spice. The combination together is just terrific. Mouthfeel is sweet, rich, smooth and just mouthfilling. Despite the sweetness, drinkability is still very high. There's nothing heavy or tiring on the palate, and no hint of alcohol.

The dubbel style is not among my favorites when it comes to Belgian ales, but this beer is the exception to the general rule. Maybe it's the cola and ice tea that balances the sweetness so well, but whatever... this is just a very fine beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2010 22:19:48 | More by johnmichaelsen

soju6

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Was served in a La Trappe Chalice at a cafe/pub in Amsterdam.

It had a deep amber color with a decent head. The smell was sweet and fruity. The taste was sweetness and finished with a bitterness. It has a medium body that went down easy with no real hint of alcohol. Enjoyable brew to finish the day with.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2010 22:05:49 | More by soju6

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

8 oz pour into a goblet ($5.95). The beer menu noted 7% ABV which is inconsistent with this website, but consistent with other locations on the internet. Seems to have changed over the years. Also, my experience with this brew seems to be different than others from years past.

A: Average-size off-white head that came and went. The body was dark orangish-brown with amber moments. Opacity is around 80%.

S: Above average toasted caramel malts. Light grassy hops. Yeast notes were not particularly forthcoming.

T & M: Lots of wonderful flavor packed into my tiny expensive pour. All praises due. Big ripe fruits of cherries and raspberries, both brandy soaked. Nothing hot. The surprise to me was the banana, bubllegum and melon (cantelope) notes. Very enjoyable but at the same time riding a unicycle blindfolded down the line of being too sweet. Nice long finish. Medium to light body and thin texture.

D: For me it's a sipper, but a darn good one. Take your time and enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2010 18:00:35 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

Brabander

Netherlands

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank this one in a hotel in the south of Holland on tap. It was served in the original La Trappe chalice. It's a beer as can be expected from one of the abbey brewers. Delicious double with a very nice dark colour and a nice head in the glass. The alcohol is hardly noticable, but with 6,5 % that's to be expected. This one can be bought in Holland in every liquorstore.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2009 21:48:17 | More by Brabander

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours a dark amber color with a one-finger light tan head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of mildly sweet malts with good amounts of pears, green apples, and hints of figs. Also present are slight amounts of brown sugar.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sweet malts with hints of brown sugar and milder hints of toffee are joined by green apples, pears, and figs, in that order. The fruit flavors carry through to a mildly bitter ending that leaves a bit of leafy hop flavors lingering on the palate.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a thinner than average thickness with soft and grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I didn't have a problem finishing the glass and could have another.

Overall this didn't blow me away but it did serve as a good representation of the style, even if it was a bit on the bitter side. Worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2009 22:39:11 | More by glid02

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On draught at Kickoffs in Waterloo. Great to see some Trappists on tap in town!

A - Dark cherry-mahogany, leaves a off-white head that lingers throughout.

S - Great nose of malts and dark fruits (for me, I get a strong taste of grapes).

T - Lovely balance of malts and fruits to produce a great sipper. No trace of the alcohol whatsoever. Grapes and honey are predominant as well.

M - Smooth and slick, well-carbonated.

D - Like a fine wine, La Trappe Dubbel is well worth savouring. A great find on tap - certainly one I'll go for again. Great stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2009 04:58:04 | More by JohnnyBarman

endovelico

Portugal

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Taken from notes.

Appearance: Poured into official La Trappe chalice, forming a thin thick white head which persists reasonably well. No apparent effervensce. It shows off a hazy muddy brown color.

Aroma: Coca cola like character on the front. Slight lactic tartness, nutty, sweet chocolate, overripe pruns and raisins.

Taste: Assertive earthiness with a clove taste up front aswell. Warming alcohol. Pasty and yeasty taste. Chocolaty and nutty. Some strong roastiness (black patent like) on the back. Some Dark candy sugar. Lingering aftertaste with roasty, earthy, chocolaty and coke like caramel depth.

Palate: Slight tartness, medium high carbonation, medium full body. Some alcohol hotness. Coating. Very sweet. Medium to medium high bitterness.

Drinkability: The alcohol hotness harms the drinkability. The residual sweetness (most likely needed to help counter balance the hotness) ends up being a bit cloying. Its true to style and interesting, but has some (aforementioned) flaws.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2009 13:35:45 | More by endovelico

ToasterChef

Maine

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I was lucky enough to have ths on tap at Novare Res; it was poured into my Uprising chalice. Te beer is a great color--dark red, like a glass of port. It lost some appearance point because of the disappointing head. There were some bubbles atop my glass when it was poured, but by the time the glass was brought to me, it had largely disappeared (not even a skim was left), and I was sitting at the bar! The aroma is rich and sweet, with some caramel and a little bit of alcohol. You can pick up some alcohol in the taste as well, along with sweet grapes. There is a lingering feeling of sourness. It has a light mouthfeel but much more carbonation than I expected. The amount of carbonation and fruit flavors remind me of a grape ginger ale; I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Overall, it's a decent beer although there are both Trappist and non-Trappist dubbels I enjoy more.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2009 17:26:02 | More by ToasterChef

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My tongue, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy claim.
Glorious to some.
To taste this Koningshoeven,
In the bar as it is in Belgium.
Give us this sip our daily dubbel.
And forgive us our indulgences,
As we forgive those who indulge with us.
And lead us not into the drunkenness,
But deliver us from the gutter.
For thine is the dubbel,
The tripel, and the quad,
For hour after hour.
Amen.

Excellent... they have the correct glass. Its wide brim encompasses a frothy tan coloured head, resplendent on an oaken body. Lots of lacing drapes the sides in floor to ceiling sheets. The aroma makes me tingle - candied sugar, spicy yeast, and alcohol soaked dark fruits. Its how a Christmas cake would be if I was allowed to get rid of all the crap I hate. Lifting the chalice to my lips I feel as if the heavens have opened and rained riches upon me. Everything about this dubbel is luxurious - from its sweet raisin notes, via milk chocolate and phenolic spiciness to its long, drawn out finish. The balance is sublime, and the drink neither improves nor deteriorates as it sits in front of me. Instead, it sheds and dons new layers of complexity. At first the raisins and dark fruit are more apparent, but as the clock advances the spicy yeastiness comes to the fore and the warming alcohol makes its presence felt. The body adds to the sense of richness, with its chewy, full feel and restrained carbonation. The sun was indeed shining on the holy fathers when they brewed this masterpiece.

Sin & Redemption said the sign over the door. What sin is this beer redeeming, I wonder?

Somewhat later I had it in its bottled form, and still enjoyed it, but without the same feeling of rapture. I guess it was just one of those magical moments. Scores adjusted down slightly.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2009 16:51:56 | More by bobsy

magictrokini

California

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tap at Pizza Port Carlsbad. Mahogany pour with the remnants of a tan head. Malt, yeast, dates, and fruits in the nose. Velvety mouthfeel. Earthy and yeasty, with a sweet malt, plums, and some banana esters. Could have been better on a colder day given its weight.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2008 22:57:51 | More by magictrokini

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

BeerLover729

New York

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Mousy brown dubbel with white frothy three finger head.

S: Subdued caramel malty aroma.

T: Smooth malty brew with creamy finish and pleasant residual sweetness. Almost lagerish in character, with little to no phenols or esters or any other yeast bi-products.

M: Light medium body with soft but appropriate carbonation.

D: Smooth easy drinking beer with enough going on to keep me interested for more than just the first one or two.

Notes: A terrific Trappist treat. Mine's from 2008 and the bottle is different then the picture shown. It's still delicious though.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2008 01:22:48 | More by BeerLover729

alysmith4

District of Columbia

3.13/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tried this beer at a cool spot in town. It was a nice example of the Dubbel style, although this category is not my favorite.

It had a nice reddish, brown color, with a minimal head. The smell was good, but not great. Smelled like syrup and raisins, niether one of my favorite flavors. Taste was about the same.. syrupy, raisiny, with a touch of apples a caramel. This beer was pretty good, I'd try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2008 00:10:45 | More by alysmith4

AWolfAtTheDoor

California

3.38/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap somewhere in Amsterdam.. probably at t'Arendnest.
-Pours dark ruby, tall white head, dissipates relatively quickly.
-Malty sweet nose
-Very sweet, yet subtle. lots of raisins, decent hop bitterness rounds out the finish.
-Average mouthfeel
-With all of that said, this was probably my least favorite of all the trappist beers.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2008 09:17:42 | More by AWolfAtTheDoor

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled off tap in Amsterdam, Holland. When traveling I tend to enjoy pairing my beer with the country I'm in.

A cola like appearance - dark brown, lacquered oak like colour. A very "glossy" texture which I first thought to attribute to the condensation on the glass (because the taps were pretty cold) but it turns out was actually just the complexion of the beer. There was head - it did fade - but it really took its time in doing so.

The smell was nothing but appetizing. A modest but well layered blend of spice, yeast, and malts. The alcohol politely left out and an element of roast in its place. It's not overly one thing or another - but again a modest, well layered blend with spices and malts accompanying each other nicely.

A quenching mouthfeel, the malts are dark but not heavy. The flavours too are modest, comprising mostly of lightly roasted malts. The yeast really is what carries the aftertaste but oddly enough stays almost completely clear out of the taste otherwise. Spices seem relegated to the nose. Warming made this even better.

Not a standout beer, then again not a standout Trappist. In any case this was a tasty dubbel and I do feel the Koningshoeven line to be under-appreciated by most people.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2007 18:19:58 | More by biegaman

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From my notes 6/6/2007 pours one-finger light tan head that fades quickly to a ring leaving a good lace. Deep mahogany color. Caramel nose. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Flavor is a nutty brown and some caramel. On-tap for €2.40 ($3.29) for a 250ml chalice from Corner House Cafe Amsterdam, NL.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2007 21:18:44 | More by jdhilt