Trappist, not bestist

Monks eh? They've got a flippin' racket going on. Only 7 Trappist breweries exist in the world. One isn't in Belgium (it's in the Netherlands) and another you can't really buy from unless you really make an effort (the size of the effort depends on where you live). So the 5 accessible Belgian Trappist breweries lay claim to a large portion of a market that sells itself on tradition and religious affiliation. I'm sure that many a pious deed is completed with the money made but is the beer any good?


I'm returning to Westmalle beer, one of the first Trappists I tried. Their Dubbel to me was the blueprint to which all others were referenced. Surprisingly to me, a lot surpassed it and I now don't really bother with it unless I'm in a bar where it presents itself as the only thing worth buying (not often). It's no bad beer but unexciting. So I move on to their Tripel today to see if that can offer joy.


It's a mildly cloudy and very pale beer with a typical Belgian head; something which can be coaxed into excitement if desired. It's got fizz to give but not too much. 


Aromatically, it's got a strong banana side to it to start with. There's a suggestion of allspice too but not a lot going on. Booze comes through to be honest. At 9.5% you'd think I shouldn't be surprised but I do find myself commenting how many Belgian beers seem a lot smoother and tamer than they actually are, but not in this case. It hits you in the face.


Taste-wise, there's nothing earth-shattering here (unless you forgot to check the strength on the label and your nose is broken) as alcohol once shows its tactless face. And not a lot else above that. It's pale and sweetish.


The aftertaste is impressively long. The bitterness goes on and on. And on. It's about 40% hops and 60% alcohol influenced.


The 9.5% steals the show here and doesn't leave much else to show its face. Which is a bit of a shame really as I really want to like Westmalle. There's something very uncomplicated and genuine about the way they present themselves but unfortunately neither of their beers are worth shouting about. Unless you're shouting 'make your ruddy beers better!'


If you're into your blonde beers and really want to try a Belgian Trappist then you've pretty much got Achel and that's it. Luckily, it's very good and worth a go. There is of course the Dutch Trappists, La Trappe, who offer a Blonde, Dubbel, Tripel, Quadruple and Witbier. It's been too long since I've tried them to comment but I remember enjoying them.


On other fronts, Rochefort is always excellent but dark and murky, Orval may be your cup of tea but not mine. Chimay is very unimpressive. Of course, there's the exquisite Westvleteren but you'll do well to find it (but do read my post on it, 'The Holy Grail').


The moral of this story is, if you want excellent Belgian beer, it doesn't have to be Trappist. That just means monks are involved (perhaps sometimes in place of brewers). 


Westmalle Tripel - 5


http://www.trappistwestmalle.be/en/page/tripel.aspx

Monky Business

Brewer: Hey, you should try my beer!

Drinker: Ooh what's it called?

Brewer: Adelardus.

Drinker: I'll never remember that. What's the label look like?

Brewer: There's a picture of a cheery monk on the front holding a glass of frothing beer.

Drinker: Oh, isn't that Petrus?

Brewer: Um...

Drinker: And St Bernadus?

Brewer: He's next to his abbey.

Drinker: Like St Benoit.

Brewer: The type-face is kind of old-fashioned.

Drinker: ...

For an industry swamped by choice, it amazes me how so many decide against sticking out from the crowd. As a consumer it can be quite difficult to remember which ones you've tried; which 'Saint So-and-So'; which 'Abbey des Whatsit'. I suppose in Scotland you might have the problem of "Have you tried Glenthingamig 12-year old?" I shouldn't grumble. It gives geeks like me an opportunity to really KnowMyShit. But I guess that it proves that many of the breweries really do 'brew to live'. Funnily enough, the Kerkom brewery's official philosophy is

"we brew it here, we drink it here and sell what's left".

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since the Belgian beer industry is so intrinsically linked with the history of Trappist monasteries. (Maybe British ale should have images of people having a real knees-up in their local, or a good old-fashioned bar brawl on the higher strength stuff.) There is still a brewery in Belgium which won't sell it's beer to bars, shops etc. To sample its wares you'll have to take a trip to the monastery and buy a crate of the stuff. Anyway, Westvleteren beer is for another (happy) day.

Today we're drinking Adelardus Tripel, a dark gold, fairly cloudy affair reminiscent of Hoegaarden Grand Cru and Chimay White so I thought that perhaps there's a little bit of wheat involved. However, the excellent Kerkom website http://www.brouwerijkerkom.be/en/ includes ingredients for all their beers. Guess what? No wheat in this beer! Shows what I know! Other than the usual malt, hops etc. there is 'candy' and 'sweet gale', which is a blend of local spices.

The 'candy' (presumably some sugar variant) is definitely present in its sweet, slightly fruity aroma (a touch of banana) but there is an iron-like whiff that unfortunately builds to a point where it overwhelms the scent. It's not a beer that you can sit sniffing for a while before drinking, so drank I did.

As you'd expect, its got a nice smooth fizziness but contrary to the thick, cloudy appearance it's fairly thin in the mouth. The sweetness that was there in the nose is present in an initial caramel flavour but changes quite quickly to a bitter aftertaste. On further drinking (and after some grub) this develops into quite a characterful tanginess. However there's not an awful lot for your saliva to play with afterwards. The sensation in the mouth is a touch insipid and is a result of the lack of body in the beer.

So unfortunately that leaves me wanting a little. The taste is lacking the sparkle needed to lift it from the pack and its label blends in to a mush of monk-age (although he is particularly cheery). However, I will be going back to the Kerkom brewery, not just because I love their website, but because their other beers are called 'Bink'. Now there's a name you can remember.

Adelardus Tripel - 6.5

Mad Bitch!

This month I’ve bought a load of beers that I’ve never tried or heard of, on my impossible quest to have tried everything going! Last night I opened a bottle of De Dolle Dulle Teve – the name itself is a mouthful. I had no basis for this choice apart from the fact that De Dolle brewery begins with ‘D’ and I was looking at ‘D’ breweries. There you go.

The label is a piece of work, as are all the labels in the De Dolle brewery. It looks like a cross between a child’s drawing and... well, it looks like a child’s drawing... and not in a good way like a few of De Dolle’s other offerings sport on their bottle (see Oerbier). Labels obviously have no relation to the liquid inside but they can be so important. There are people who know loooads about breweries, region and style who will make their choice on a much more informed basis, but for mere mortals, just like a book is so quickly judged by its cover, why should a beer not be judged by its bottle and label? With Dulle Teve, shit as it may be, half of you thinks “well if they wrap the bottle in this turd of a label they must be pretty confident in what sits inside.” Well, that’s what I thought, anyhow.

The label informs me it’s a tripel and the 10% strength tells me it’s a real strong one. Dulle Teve means mad bitch so I see where they’re going there. I’m happy I didn’t know that before buying it because I think I’d have probably avoided it for that reason. Rubbish name AND label are perhaps a step too far.

I’m pleased I did get my hands on it though because it definitely holds its own. Just like English bitter ale can sometimes taste a bit samey (although that’s no bad thing – just not exciting), blondes, dubbels and tripels can occasionally fail to have character to lift them from the surrounding pack. It looks fairly standard, with a deep gold colour and a nice lasting head and it smells great. My first impression was that it belied its super strength and there wasn’t that kick you get at the back of your nose with 7/8%+ beers. The main initial aroma is tropical fruit and that’s the kind of whiff that I like. In the mouth, once again there’s a familiar frothy fizz that most Belgian ales give and the strength begins to show. It comes through the nose after you’ve swallowed as opposed to on the sniff. After you’ve swallowed comes the interesting part. A very unfamiliar but distinct smokiness appears in the mouth. It was very unexpected because you usually only expect that from stouts, porters and the like, or for the very adventurous – Rauchbier (very freaky smoky fare from Germany to be tried at least once!). In a golden ale like Dulle Teve, however, it’s not to be expected, but I commend De Dolle brewery for giving me exciting surprises in an otherwise standard tripel ale.

Would I get it again? Yes. Not necessarily straightaway but it’s one to remember.

De Dolle Dulle Teve - 8

http://www.dedollebrouwers.be/en/dulleteve.htm#