Beer of the Weekend #318: La Trappe Quadrupel
The beer tonight, and fifth candidate for my February LV recommendation, is La Trappe Quadruple, brewed by the Brouwerij de Koningshoeven B.V. of Berkel-Enschot, The Netherlands.
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. There are batch codes on the back label but no freshness dates.
Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is cloudy mahogany with mostly caramel brown tones. Two fingers of slightly tanned, buttery head dissipated to leave a skim of foam and a ring around the edge.
Smell: Big time spice, dark fruit, and sweetness. Plum, cherry, raisins, red apple, yeast, lemon, caramel, chocolate, and boozy sharpness. All of it is tinged with spice.
Taste: Velvety and sublime. It is so good it is hard to taste. The dark fruit from the smell is most prominent, especially the plum and cherry. All the fruits, though, create an excellent blend that is difficult to deconstruct. It is also maltier than the aroma led me to believe; there is quite a bit of caramel that balances everything. The yeast is there, as well as the spice, though it is not as potent as it is in the smell. The alcohol is noticeable, but faintly.
Drinkability: Excellent stuff. For some reason I get the feeling I am drinking a piece of heaven.
Fun facts about LTQ:
-Style: Quadrupel. Here is the skinny from BA:
-Price: $4.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. (I did not realize it was that expensive until I looked at the receipt.)
-Serving temperature: The beer’s webpage suggests “pouring temperature 10-14 ºC,” which is 50-57.2ºF. The thermometer in my fridge read 30ºF when I took the bottle out, so this puppy needed to sit for a while. (Thirty degrees is way too cold for a fridge. It should be around 40ºF.)
-Alcohol content: 10 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), sharp cheeses (Blue, Cheddar), “General (Digestive),” beef, smoked meat, and game meat.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. There are batch codes on the back label but no freshness dates.
Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is cloudy mahogany with mostly caramel brown tones. Two fingers of slightly tanned, buttery head dissipated to leave a skim of foam and a ring around the edge.
Smell: Big time spice, dark fruit, and sweetness. Plum, cherry, raisins, red apple, yeast, lemon, caramel, chocolate, and boozy sharpness. All of it is tinged with spice.
Taste: Velvety and sublime. It is so good it is hard to taste. The dark fruit from the smell is most prominent, especially the plum and cherry. All the fruits, though, create an excellent blend that is difficult to deconstruct. It is also maltier than the aroma led me to believe; there is quite a bit of caramel that balances everything. The yeast is there, as well as the spice, though it is not as potent as it is in the smell. The alcohol is noticeable, but faintly.
Drinkability: Excellent stuff. For some reason I get the feeling I am drinking a piece of heaven.
Fun facts about LTQ:
-Style: Quadrupel. Here is the skinny from BA:
Inspired by the Trappist brewers of Belgium, a Quadrupel is a Belgian style ale of great strength with bolder flavor compared to its Dubbel and Tripel sister styles. Typically a dark creation that ranges within the deep red, brown and garnet hues. Full bodied with a rich malty palate. Phenols are usually at a moderate level. Sweet with a low bitterness yet a well perceived alcohol.
-Price: $4.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. (I did not realize it was that expensive until I looked at the receipt.)
-Serving temperature: The beer’s webpage suggests “pouring temperature 10-14 ºC,” which is 50-57.2ºF. The thermometer in my fridge read 30ºF when I took the bottle out, so this puppy needed to sit for a while. (Thirty degrees is way too cold for a fridge. It should be around 40ºF.)
-Alcohol content: 10 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), sharp cheeses (Blue, Cheddar), “General (Digestive),” beef, smoked meat, and game meat.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
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