La Trappe Dubbel

Updating my list of top ten Belgian beers, this weekend has been very vexing. Hard decisions had to be made. Thankfully I knew when I picked up La Trappe Dubbel, that no matter how good it was, I wouldn’t have to reshuffle the top ten.

This is because La Trappe Trappist beers are not made in Belgium but the Netherlands. The Koningshoeven Brewery is in fact the only Trappist brewery of the seven monk-made brands not located in Belgium. Still, for me it’s important -- if for no other reason than to collect the whole set.

La Trappe Dubbel is a dark beer with a burnt caramel taste. Lots of charcoal, I thought, and liquorice. It’s a bit thinner than some of the other dark Trappist beers such as Westvleteren 8 or Achel Brune, with not the same creamy complexity. At 7%, La Trappe Dubbel is also not as strong as those others either.

I think the overall taste is good: the burnt flavours are challenging in a way some of the smoother darks are not. But I do find it a bit too fizzy, unfortunately.