Just Over the Borde
When we think about Trappist beers, we tend to think of the six Belgian Trappist breweries. But, one of the best Trappist breweries is just across the Dutch border. The Abbey of Our Lady of Koningshoeven is located in the village of Berkel-Enschot, near the Dutch city of Tilburg. The brewery, which was established in 1884, produces the La Trappe line of Trappist ales.
History
The Koningshoeven Abbey was founded in 1881 by Trappist monks fleeing the Abbey of Notre Dame de la Grande Trappe in Soligny-la-Trappe in northern France. This abbey was known as La Trappe and the La Trappe line of beers is named after the monks’ origin abbey. Making their way to the southern Netherlands, the monks settled on a farm that had formerly been the summer home of King Willem II. The farmhouses and sheep barn were called Koningshoeven (the king’s farmhouses in Dutch) and served as the early monastery. In order to make the money needed to build a permanent abbey, the monks decided to make beer. By 1884, the brewery was completed and beer brewing had begun. The construction of the Abbey was paid for through beer sales.
Originally the beers were lagers and included some contract brews. In 1928, the first Trappist ale, a 4.5% Blond, was introduced. This was the major product of the brewery for some time. From 1969 to 1980, the Abbey licensed brewery operations to the Artois brewery (now AB-InBev). When the agreement ended, the monks again took over the brewing and created the brand La Trappe. They started exporting ales in 1985 and by 1989 the brewery was modernized.
In 1999, many of the monks were aging and were struggling to keep the enterprise going, so they set up an LLC company as a subsidiary of brewing giant Bavaria. This new company took over day-to-day operations of the brewery, renting buildings and equipment from the monastery. However, the International Trappist Association, which governs labeling products as Trappist, took issue with the Bavaria arrangement, saying it was too commercialized. La Trappe had to stop using the Authentic Trappist Product logo until the dispute was resolved in 2005 as a result of the monks taking a more active role in the brewery’s operations.
As always, the brewery is focused on supporting the monks, the Abbey and its various charities, rather than making a profit.
La Trappe’s Beers
The La Trappe product line consists of 10 core offerings, and various special releases are brewed from time to time.
La Trappe Blond is a 6.5% ABV Blond ale in the Abbey tradition. It is malty with a pleasant hop balance and has won many awards. It is the only La Trappe beer that is not bottle-conditioned.
La Trappe Dubbel was the first beer released under the La Trappe label and is a classic Trappist brown ale. It is malty with caramel notes, hints of honey, dates and dried fruit, with a long dry finish.
La Trappe Tripel is a pale amber-gold brew with a nice balance of fruit esters, malty caramel and hop bitterness. Alcohol is on the low side for a Tripel at 8.0% ABV.
La Trappe Quadrupel (10% ABV) is a classic dark strong ale that is big, rich and malty with date and caramel notes. La Trappe coined the term “Quadrupel.” Belgians prefer the name “Grand Cru.”
La Trappe Oak-Aged is the Quadrupel which has been barrel-aged in various wine and spirits casks. The cask-aging results in an ABV of 11.0%.
La Trappe Bockbier is the only Trappist bock ale (German bocks are lagers). It is dark brown with a tan head, smoky, herbal, licorice notes and substantial bitterness. It is a seasonal brew at comes in at 7.0% ABV.
La Trappe Witte Trappist is the only Trappist white beer. It is smooth, lightly sour and well-carbonated. At 5.5% ABV, it is very drinkable and refreshing.
La Trappe Isid’or was originally a special release in 1969 for the brewery’s 125th anniversary. It was named for Isidorus, the abbey’s first brewer. It was so well-received, it was added to the full-time lineup. Isid’or is perfectly balanced between fruitiness and maltiness, and is 7.5% ABV.
La Trappe Puur is a 100% organic ale that is pale gold with a moussey white head. Its fruitiness is balanced by a delicate hoppiness and its low 4.5% alcohol makes it very drinkable.
La Trappe Nillis 0% is a non-alcoholic beer that is deep amber colored with an enjoyable fruitiness and maltiness balanced by a pleasant bitterness. One of the best NA beers anywhere.
La Trappe’s Beer Garden Makes for a Perfect Afternoon
The Koningshoeven Abbey – Patience and Serenity
The core values of Koningshoeven are centered around people and the environment. As important as the people helped through their charities and the people associated with the brewery is a deep respect for nature. Sustainability is more than a belief – it is a daily practice. The water from the monastery’s own wells, recycling of spent grain for baking and cattle feed, organic “green” products and locally sourced ingredients all contribute to the brewery’s respect for the environment. Patience in allowing beers to optimally develop is increasingly rare in the commercial beer world. At La Trappe, “time is a reluctant servant.” But, perhaps most important, the serene environment of the monastic order affects everything they do in a positive way. It is the path to the truly great Trappist ales of La Trappe.
