If I was in Brussels today I would be attending the first day of the Belgian Beer Weekend 2026 at the Grand-Place (website), much as I'd love to be there, I'm elsewhere. 😖 But nothing to stop anyone not there joining in at some time over the weekend and knocking back an excellent Belgian ale, perhaps my favourite Westmalle Tripel (blog), whatever, PROOST! 😁
I bought these 4 La Trappe ales because I had only tried one of them before, and I hate being too uneducated; 😉 they are brewed at the Brouwerij de Koningshoeven (website) in the Netherlands. In 1881 French Trappist monks sought refuge in Brabant, setting up residence at farm cottages and a sheep barn (the temporary monastery) on farmland once owned by King Willem II, at Koningshoeven, which means "King's Farmhouses" in Dutch. In 1884 they started brewing beer to sell for an income and to support their charitable work.
They built a new brewery in 1891, increasing production to raise funds so they could build a new abbey, which they started building in 1894. It wasn't until 1980 that the brand name La Trappe was created, and in 1989 the brewery was completely modernised. To be an authentic Trappist ale, the beer must be 1) brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery either by the monks, or the work must be supervised by the monks, 2) the brewery must only be of secondary importance to the monastic way of life, 3) the brewery must not be a profit-making business, but its income must only cover living expenses and the maintenance of the monastery's buildings and grounds, whatever remains is donated to charity/social work, and to help people in need (website).
The first ale brewed under the name La Trappe was a 7.0% Dubbel in 1980, and I do need to get hold of a bottle, hopefully more of at some future date, fingers crossed. But, back to these ales. The monks originally brewed a 4.0% Blond ale back in 1928, but the present day 6.5% La Trappe Blond has been brewed since 1992, no doubt with a different recipe. I cannot find details of the hops used for the Blond, sorry. It's a golden/yellow colour, and I got fruit in the aroma, particularly peach. To taste, slightly malty, but peach indeed, with hints of citrus, orange, lemon and lime, sweet at first, but drying out in the mouth particularly at the finish, not bad. 😌
My second, the 7.5% La Trappe Isid'or, is the latest of these to be brewed, first brewed in 2009 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the brewery, and named in honour of Brother Isidorus, the first master brewer at La Trappe. A reddish/orange amber colour, the only way I can describe it 😁 with a big fruity, slightly malty aroma. Brewed with Perle hops grown at the monastery (hopslist), and tasting of rich dried fruits, slight caramel, and I got apricot! Sweet at first, but with a refreshing finish drying out to very slightly bitter, and very nice indeed! 👍
The 8.0% La Trappe Tripel was the second of their ales to come out under the brand name a little later than the Dubbel in 1980. As you can see, a golden blond colour, with apricot and pear in the aroma. I've seen reference to the hops used being the same as for the Quadrupel below, which may just be AI gleaning information incorrectly, or lazy journalism from others, but similarities exist, despite the difference in colour, which makes me wonder. There was a hint of apricot and banana in the taste, with a big fruity dry finish, I like it! 😁
I've written about this before, and I've seen La Trappe Quadrupel described as an amber beer, but it pours out so dark it looks more like a dark reddish brown colour, it is that dark an amber, see my photograph above. Brewed with Hallertau Northern Brewer (hopslist) and Slovenian Super Steirer (also known as Super Styrian, ie Aurora grown in Slovenia - hopslist), this Quadrupel has a fruity, notably apricot, and slightly vanilla aroma. I detected apricot and banana in the taste, and dark fruits too. Rich, complex, slightly sweet and smooth to drink, with a warmth from the alcohol, but dry enough finish to ensure this is a very good ale to knock back! 👍
My La Trappe ales and glass arrived in a box unsurprisingly like in the above image, cheers!
Don't forget there are many things that can go wrong drinking alcohol, be aware of limits and potential physical, social, and legal factors. The drinkaware website offers advice, tools to help, where to get support and 'facts' that you may not be aware of. Stay safe folks, cheers! 👌
The distillery first released their whisky at the beginning of July 2021, this Lindores Single Malt Scotch Whiskey 'Casks of Lindores' (49.4%), aged in bourbon casks, has a natural pale golden colour and gorgeous 'smooth' aroma, with vanilla dominant, but also fruity, particularly apple. To taste, not quite as smooth, a wee bit sweet, vanilla with hints of apple and orange, and I certainly noticed the alcohol strength as it went down, warming my insides, with a dry finish and I noted "roasted nuts coming through, pretty damn good!" I liked it, sláinte! 👍
Once again I have been asked by friends to sample 4 beers from Sussex brewery Only With Love (website), it's a hard life. 😁 I begin here with my favourite of the ales Big Bongo, a 6.0% New England IPA. Their beers are all vegan friendly, mostly hazy/cloudy except the lager, and regular readers will know I'm not particularly fond of cloudy beers, I prefer beers to be clear for many reasons, mostly 'cleaner' flavours. Anyway, Big Bongo is brewed with Citra (hopslist), El Dorado (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist), Sabro (Yakima Valley) and Simcoe (hopslist) hops, which together with the strength tells you there will be a BIG fruity aroma and taste, mostly tropical fruits but citrus too. Big Bongo has a slightly dry and bitter finish, is very tasty and is pretty good!
Second, its not so strong sibling Bongo Tropic IPA (4.5%). Also brewed with Citra (hopslist), El Dorado (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist), Sabro (Yakima Valley) and Simcoe (hopslist) hops, this still produces big citrus and tropical fruits in the aroma and taste, with a decent dry finish, unsurprisingly thinner when compared to its bigger sibling! However, similarly, it could be a belter if it wasn't so thick, add some vegan friendly finings and/or adjunct and I'd be singing its praises, oh well, too pretentious for moi. 😉
Third, and sold as a "Hazy Session Pale" their Hoopla (4.0%), brewed with Citra (hopslist) and Motueka (hopslist) hops. The hops again producing tropical fruit flavours and aroma, with a hint of citrus, dry slightly bitter finish, not bad, but cloudy, see Bongo above! 😣
Fourth is their 4% 'Helles Lager' Banger, brewed with Saaz (hopslist) and Mandarina Bavaria (hopslist) hops. Pale and clear (Beer Guide behind it obvious in the image!), although it was a wee bit darker than I expected, but quite dry and with a subtle fruitiness in the taste, gluten free and it's 'vegan friendly' too, but nice and clear, see, it can be done! 👍 I'm not a lager drinker as such, but I do like some of the European beers, notably from Bavaria, and I noted that the Banger was "good" again! Indeed, I can be unpredictable in my opinions... Prost! 🍺
Indeed, it may always be quafftide somewhere! And many thanks to good friend Brigitte for pointing out this 16th century word to me, and in turn Susie Dent, lexicographer, who made this her word of the day a while ago, and certainly published about this word in the Radio Times Christmas/New Year issue 2020/21, but had referenced if before too. Basically, Ms Dent paraphrased its meaning as 'drinking time' and the O.E.D. defines it as the 'Season for Drinking' as perhaps first written down in Richard Stanyhurst's translation of Virgil's Aeneid (Brookston Beer Bulletin - and many thanks to them for the image used above!). 🍺🍷🍻
Something a wee bit different from me, and it may well be Quafftide now, cheers! 😉
Second, and which I have written about reasonably often (eg blog), is from Brouwerij St Bernadus (website), their St Bernadus ABT 12 (10.0%), also bottle conditioned. Strictly, not a Trappist ale, but you wouldn't know it, as they had earlier brewed Trappist ales for the Trappist monks at Westvleteren from 1946 to 1992. In 1998 Hans Depypere bought the business and it has flourished since. The St Bernadus ABT 12 is a very deep dark coloured red Quadrupel, brewed with hops grown in their own hop field. This has a slightly malty/fruity aroma, again, a bit sweet, but with a dry slightly bitter finish. Tasting of dark plum and damson fruits, indeed, a Christmas Pudding of a beer, as many Quadrupels tend to be, very rich and tasty, nice one! 😋
So, to celebrate, maybe raise a glass of Tynt Meadow or St Bernadus, cheers! 🍺
