La Trappe Bockbier

Brewed by De Koningshoeven (Bavaria - Netherlands)
Style: Dunkler Bock
Berkel-Enschot, Netherlands

Serve in Dimpled mug, Snifter

chocolate, roasty, bread, spruce, resin, herbs, basement aromas, cooked vegetables, leather, smoke, rotten eggs, ginger, brown, hazy, frothy, brown foam, rocky head, medium sweetness, very bitter, medium body, slick feel, flat, long finish, bitter,

The caramel and brown sugar flavors accentuate the sweet character of this bock bier. The trappist character remains, however, with a bit of a dark fruit flavor. Dark brown, nice head.

caramel, cereal, alcohol, red, brown, tan foam, frothy, medium sweetness, medium bitterness, medium body, oily feel, average carbonation, long finish, bitter,

Pours a dark brown with a full head. Aroma is full of caramel malty sweetness, yet it is balanced and not overly sweet with a nice kick of bitterness at the end. Excellent bock!

Currently drinking while typing. Once poured you have a great beer on front of you, great aromas of caramel, malt, toast and subtle booze. The look of it is also spotless, a full almost beige bubbly but creamy head sat on a beautiful mahogany depth in which light nicely but gently permeates. The taste is full, complex and clever. Starts with gentle hops and nice caramelled malts, also toasty and nutty, slows down into a nice burnt, smoky malt flavour with a lovely bitterness which surprises you. A nice but subtle hop note stays in the mouth in the long run. Great feel in the mouth, not thick or heavy but feels full and big, great carbonation that contains well in the mouth and also the foaminess that tickles the top lip. Exceptional beer, I think I will be missing it when the stock runs out until next autumn. Recommended!

Name: Koenigshoeven Bock
Date: January 07, 2011
Mode: Bottle
Source: Brusin Ales, Asheville NC
Appearance: opaque dark brown, fine beige head, sudsy lace
Aroma: sweet fruity aroma, lots of fruity esters, sweet dark fruits, sweet chocolate, light spicy phenols
Flavor: rich fruity flavor, sweet esters, dark fruits, rich chocolate, hint of phenolic spicyness add depth
Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Drinkability: 9/10
Score: ***+ /4

As the Trappist brewers carefully toil amongst vats of fermenting ale, this one seems an oddity amongst the giants and yet is easily a cut above many. This was a fantastic bock, and first of the bottom fermenters, showing a little of the Dutch and, dare I say it, German influence. Honestly had the meaty consistency of a German Doppelbock along the monastic lines of Weltenburger or Andechs. Tasted from the bottle, sadly the only one I had, and poured into a shallow chalice. Deep hazy brown body with a tinge of ruby coming through in the lights. Crowned off by an amazingly dense, creamy lather of tannish foam that left a little legs. Rich and unrelenting, concentrated malt nose; bitingly spicy and reminiscent of fresh baked Xmas pudding with a zest of savoury fruits, doughy yeast and thick layers of chocolaty malts. Chewy, smooth well rounded body in the mouth; lightly spritzy carbonation tickled the front of the tongue whilst the back end had the viscosity of a fine port. A wonderful blend of strong malt and fruitcake flavours, peppery spices and zesty dried fruits and citric peels coat the mouth with a strength that belies its modest ABV. A light, earthy hop note came in late offering a meld of malt and hop bitterness before a long malty rich and lipsmackingly chocolaty swallow. Excellent balance of complex malt flavours have resulted in a wonderful Bock. One to try again. Lovely!!! (30cL, BBE 03/07, Int’l Beer Shop, W. Leederville)

bottled 30 cl, vy nice bok. reddish hazy color, beige head, perfect carbonation, hops in the aroma, taste is well-bodied. flavour has some caramel (what else?) maybe a bit too much that is why less than perfect score here. a lighltly bitter aftertaste. Best bok of the season so far.. brewed in Holland? impossible... just too good for it