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

mjc410

Virginia

2.55/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle code K08K4

The pour into my Chimay glass raises a thin soda like head that quickly fizzes away with a great din (for a beer, that is). Lacing is very splotchy and thin. The body is a hazy brown, with golden highlights at the edges of the glass. Quite dark for a tripel. The nose is spicy, herbal, acidic, and has a strong apple cider note. The taste seems to indicate that it might be going bad, with possibly a bit of vinegar creeping in. But, it has a nice caramel thing going on too, and some of the herbal notes from the nose. Pretty weak overall, though. The mouth is a tad thin, and too fizzy. Not absurdly bad, but one of the worst tripels I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2007 01:39:37 | More by mjc410

Dave_Treat

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2%

05-25-2013 01:47:03 | More by Dave_Treat

desint

Belgium

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

05-24-2013 12:00:36 | More by desint

Blindpigbiz

California

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Smell: herbal with subtle hops and sweet citrus

Taste: spices cardamom, floral notes, hints of clementines, sweet champagne, and subtle scotch-like smokiness

This beer, as Trappist style dictates, is designed by those under and for God; it's going to be good. This beer, although not life changing, is one of the better tripels out there. With its pseudo complexities, this beer is an interesting stand-alone drinker. However, if you feel like pairing it with something, this beer goes great with a smoked salmon pear glaze on a rice pilaf with mild spice; try it with Chinese food too

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 07:30:00 | More by Blindpigbiz

brureview

Massachusetts

3.99/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured a light golden color with a 1 finger head in a snifter.

Aroma: light cloves and banana which fades with warming.

The mouth feel is very carbonated- perhaps too much for a tripel.

Taste: light cloves and spice.

Overall: a solid tripel. This beer is worth cellaring. I cellared the quad which after 9 months was quite complex.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:35:46 | More by brureview

apasternak

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

05-22-2013 08:15:31 | More by apasternak

Kingcurio

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +2%

05-21-2013 02:25:40 | More by Kingcurio

johntfox

Florida

4/5  rDev +2%

05-21-2013 00:19:11 | More by johntfox

apanloco

Sweden

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%

05-18-2013 16:42:32 | More by apanloco

hotsudge

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

05-18-2013 02:45:43 | More by hotsudge

DutchBeerDrinker

Netherlands

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

05-17-2013 20:05:05 | More by DutchBeerDrinker

Matak3

Serbia

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

05-16-2013 23:56:50 | More by Matak3

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2%

05-12-2013 17:48:16 | More by mikeburd1128

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a chalice glass

Appearance- Pours a slightly hazed golden orange color with a two finger off white head present upon pouring. Rather quickly the head fades leaving a moderate level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell- The aroma is heaviest of a citrus and yeasty smell with lots of banana and spice mixed within. Other aromas of other lighter fruits, like apricot and peach are present as well with all the smells being complemented by a light alcohol aroma.

Taste – The taste follows the nose fairly well with a front showing of citrus and some lightly toasted malt. The yeast quickly come to the tongue and bring with them flavors of banana and a bit of clove. As the flavor advances fruiter a bit of a warming alcohol taste begins developing with some flavors of apricot and a little bit of earthy hop coming at the end of the taste. With the alcohol now slightly stronger at the end of the taste, a fruited and yeasty, warming taste is left to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the medium side for an 8 % abv triple with a carbonation level that is average to slightly above average for the style. The combination of the two, when mixed with the lighter fruit flavors, give a crispness to the brew, making it quite easy drinking.

Overall- A nice triple that has a great easy drinking character with a good blend of malt, light fruits and yeast. Rather enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 00:35:57 | More by Darkmagus82

dalepryor

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

05-07-2013 22:46:05 | More by dalepryor

joemacangel

Belgium

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

05-07-2013 18:18:55 | More by joemacangel

pkenkman

Estonia

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

05-03-2013 19:35:10 | More by pkenkman

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

05-03-2013 00:41:15 | More by PEIhop

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

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

(4.0) A: Cloudy rich copper colour with a finger of velvety head. Adequate retention and waves of lacing cling to the glass.

(4.0) S: Green apple, banana, cloves, spices, faint floral qualities, and dried figs and dates. A good mix of strong aromas that work together well.

(4.0) T: Ripe banana, pineapple, cloves, yeast, slight grain taste, and floral qualities. Smooth with a honey-like finish. Not overly sweet with a solid dryness.

(4.0) M: Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. Appropriately slick with a bit of gritty texture.

(4.0) D: A good and solid all-around tripel and one I would enjoy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:51:10 | More by Digimaika2

ltdantheman

Georgia

4/5  rDev +2%

04-26-2013 14:39:57 | More by ltdantheman

Poupae

Thailand

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

04-16-2013 13:44:06 | More by Poupae

Elbrownbag

Netherlands

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

04-13-2013 19:13:34 | More by Elbrownbag

AugustusRex

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

04-12-2013 14:25:45 | More by AugustusRex

Chrysostom

Ohio

4.41/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

As always, I review live, not from notes, puzzling out the libation brewed in houses of salvation. As always, I review to style (ala BJCP), modified by personal taste (contra BJCP), not solely to personal taste, which would be unfair to many great examples of styles that I don't personally favour.

First time I've had this beer. Ratings subject to revision upon consumption of additional bottles.

Apologies for my short review this time. Christ is risen! It's Easter/Catholic Pascha (Orthodox Pascha isn't until May 5 due to the Revised Julian Calendar differences from the Gregorian - lots of discounts!), so I'll be heading out to the House of Worship in an hour. Or less. I'll try to keep it brief. And likely fail.

Presentation: 750mL corked and caged bottle, $9.99, served at 40ºF and warming as I write, poured in to a Chimay goblet/chalice.

A: Slightly hazy, still mostly transparent, apple-juice or hard-cider colour, with one finger of soapy white head which recedes relatively quickly to a scum upon the face of the beer and a ring around its edges. Minor rings of lacing. Mildly active carbonation.

S: Cracked black pepper, very mild citrus fruits, bready yeast, "dry bubblegum" (bubblegum aromas, surprisingly lacking much sweetness), applejack, a little Belgian funk, and an extremely elusive (possibly imagined) whiff of Belgian spiciness.

T: Peppery and fruity, probably from the inimitable Belgian yeast, slightly dry, quite bready, bordering on the biscuit-like. There's a bit of undefined alcohol in there, along with an undefined hop bitterness which holds the malts and sweetness in check without being obvious. A little bit of weird skunkiness, probably part of the Belgian funk, with an almost-imperceptible twang of DMS on some sips - it may just be my imagination, but it gets a 4.5 instead of 4.9 or 5.0 for this bottle.

M: Medium of body, light and spritzy of carbonation,

D: High.

O: An extraordinarily well-balanced Tripel, not exceedingly complex but complex enough for the job. Easy drinking, but with layers of flavour that exist if one wishes to drink it more slowly with the goal of puzzling them out. Better than St Bernardus Tripel, not quite as good as Chimay or Westmalle Tripel, but it's a beast of it's own sort - less fruity, less estery. Better in some ways, not in others, it's hard to make a direct comparison: try it. It's certainly worth it.

To style: 85/100
To taste: 92/100

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 13:33:21 | More by Chrysostom

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.08/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

330ml bottle purchased from Steve's Cool Booze in Kensington.

Pours a rather deeper hue than I expected: an amber-golden colour, that looks rather dense and syrupy. Head fizzes up quite a lot on the first pouring, but then settles back to an inauspicious film across the top. Body looks fluid, but also retaining some of the thickness initially perceived. Overall, it looks like a decent beer, but a pretty average tripel.

Nose is dusty and slightly savoury. Some green sprouting wheat characters, and a hint of dusky spice, like pepper mixed with earth. There's a noticeable booziness as well, and a suggestion of oxidation. I note the best before date is 05-2013: so it's still within that range, but towards the back end. Overall, I'm not particularly impressed.

Taste is dank and limp, with a metallic character rising on the mid palate, and a old sherry oxidised bitterness on the finish. Some spice and booze are noticeable, especially when the beer is allowed to evaporate on the tongue, but otherwise it feels flat, and rather uninteresting.

Feel is overly fizzy, despite the perception that it has burnt itself out quickly. It is light, however, belying the appearance of thickness. Some boozy heat is also present.

Overall, I'm not a big fan. This has really darkened, dampened and flattened with time, and I'm far from being enthusiastic. Indeed, this tastes a little like a mediocre homebrewer attempting a strong Belgian golden without much success. Very average indeed.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 06:13:32 | More by lacqueredmouse