Darwin Wearside Monk

Sunderland isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of Trappist ales but Darwin have brewed an absolute belter in Wearside Monk.  This Trappist ale isn't Belgian, it's Mackem and it certainly gives some of those well known Belgian ales a run for their money.

St. Peter's Church, Sunderland founded in AD 674 was one of the two churches that formed part of the Wearmouth-Jarrow monastery, with St Paul's, Jarrow following in AD 681.  Darwin Brewery had the Monkwearmouth monastery in mind when using Trappist yeast to brew Wearside Monk.  The monks were sure to have been avid home brewers so it's a wonderful tribute to our fascinating local history.

It's a beautiful chestnut brown ale with a loose beige head that disappears rapidly leaving a patchy layer.  There is a tiny bit of sediment in the bottle so I didn't pour it all into my glass in order to keep it lovely and clear.

Well it definitely smells like a Trappist beer with an aroma of sour tangy hops, malt, caramel and dark fruit.  It smells very rich and warming, almost as if it's been brewed in bourbon or whisky casks.

The taste is awesome and so complex that it's hard to describe.  I picked up hints of caramel, malt, dark fruit, tangy hops and even banana.  It has a dry/bitter finish as well as a lingering warming alcohol effect.  It has a medium body and it's perfectly carbonated to give a little fizz on the tongue without being at all harsh.

It's absolutely lovely and I'll be stocking up on more of these as soon as they're back in stock.  What a unique Mackem Trappist ale!  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Darwin Brewery, Sunderland

7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Darwin Brewery

Chimay Red

 

Chimay is one of the most well know Trappist breweries and they certainly know how to brew outstanding Trappist beer.  Chimay Red was the first Trappist beer to be brewed by monks at the Scourmont Abbey in Chimay, Belgium in 1862.  It is an amber dubbel made with water drawn from the two wells inside the monastery.

Pouring a rich mahogany colour with a tight beige head that seems to magically continue to grow, this is a beautiful red-tinged brown ale.  There is some sediment in the bottle so I poured it carefully to get a clearer ale as I'm not a fan of bits but you can of course include the yeast if that is to your taste.  

It has a mouthwatering aroma of dark fruit, particularly raisins and plums, sweet malts and a hint of spice.  Although it doesn't smell of alcohol, the aroma is so rich that you can tell it is a strong beer.  The taste is absolutely sublime: such a lovely blend of malt, treacle and fruit with a perfectly balanced citrus/metallic bitter finish.  The sweet/bitter balance is perfect and I had to remind myself of the 7% ABV to stop me glugging it down.

It's a medium bodied ale that is well carbonated, with bubbles slightly on the harsh side and they certainly left my tongue tingling.  It really is a delicious dark ale and I can definitely say that Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Chimay Brewery, Belgium
7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Chimay Brewery

La Trappe Quadrupel

Now this is what a lovely ale looks like!  After a careful pour, as there's quite a bit of sediment, La Trappe Quadrupel is a delicious ruby amber colour with a beige frothy head that disappears quickly to leave a thin foam layer.  The aroma of malt, treacle, liquorice and dark fruits is positively mouthwatering and I couldn't wait to have a sip.

What an amazing taste!  It's like treacle toffee melted and drizzled onto a fruity malt loaf.  The complex taste lingers and changes in your mouth to reveal hints of burnt toffee, liquorice and banana dipped in brown sugar.  It's quite harshly carbonated and very fizzy but at 10% ABV it's not a beer that you want to drink quickly.  

I can't rate it highly enough and I'm definitely adding it to my favourites list.  It's an amazing taste experience with dark treacle oozing out of each mouthful, making me want to equally guzzle it and savour it.  It's probably just as well it came in a 330ml bottle as it's so very moreish that I'd easily get sozzled on this one!

La Trappe Quadrupel is as near to perfect as you'll ever get, so it's no surprise that Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by De Koningshoeven Brewery, Holland
10% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at De Koningshoeven Brewery

La Trappe Dubbel

As with all trappist ales, this one burst out of the bottle and I found it quite difficult to keep the head under control whilst pouring.  The frothy beige head does settle to a more manageable tight thick layer after a while.  This dark brown ale has a beautiful ruby glow and you can buy this for around £2.69 at Beer Hawk, so it's quite a reasonable price for a trappist ale.

The caramel malt smells amazing; it oozes treacly sweetness with a slightly sour nose.  First sip is one to savour as the sweetness of the malts give way to a slightly metallic bitter aftertaste.  The overall impression is one of a succulent malt loaf sprinkled with brown sugar as I could taste dark fruits baked in a mouthwatering loaf.  Despite the evident carbonation resulting in the huge initial head, it feels very smooth and would be quite easy to drink quickly but for the high alcohol content.

It's one of those beers that results in you licking your lips long after you've finished it to make sure that you savour every last drop.  Those monks sure knew a thing or two about brewing and Ale definitely Be Seeing this one Again.  

Brewed by De Koningshoeven Brewery, Holland
7% ABV

Pint rating:

Find out more at De Koningshoeven Brewery

Durham Brewery Bede's Chalice

I've neglected my beer blog of late, so what better way to storm back online than with a 9% Belgian Tripel from my local Durham Brewery.

This is a bottle conditioned beer so I made sure to pour it carefully and managed to get a lovely clear pint, leaving the little bit of sediment in the bottle.  It's a traditional 'beery' coloured ale, being deep golden/light amber with a thin but very very tight off-white head.  The head is so tight that it looks like you've poured a layer of milk on top of your beer - very impressive.

There is quite a complex aroma - at first it just smells of malt and hops but it seems to develop into a smell of fruity peaches with a slightly floral edge as it lies in the glass.  So let's dive in and see what it tastes like.

It tastes exactly as I would expect from an abbey ale with the distinctive sweetness of fermented fruits but with a surprisingly bitter aftertaste.  You can't disguise the high ABV as the strong alcohol content is very apparent in the taste but it doesn't overpower the other flavours, as I've found with some other strong ales.  An added hint of caramel makes it feel initially very smooth until the zingy orange citrus aftertaste tingles your tongue.

A lovely beer for a treat and one Ale Be Seeing Again but I wouldn't have too many or I'd be dancing on the tables...with an empty purse at £4.49 per bottle!

Brewed by Durham Brewery, Durham

9% ABV

Pint rating:

Find out more at Durham Brewery

Beery Christmas Day 15

Well whatever is behind Door 15 of my Beer Hawk advent calendar is sure to be a cracker, as long as it's bottle shaped, of course.

I think the explosive picture is quite apt, as it's another blow your socks off trappist ale today.  At a staggering 9.5% ABV, this Westmalle trappist tripel from Belgium is even stronger than the Trappistes Rochefort 8 on Day 13.

From Westmalle Abbey's website:

Westmalle Tripel is a clear, golden yellow Trappist beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle (9,5% alcohol). It is a complex beer with a fruity aroma and a nice nuanced hop scent. It is soft and creamy in the mouth, with a bitter touch carried by the fruity aroma. An exceptional beer, with a great deal of finesse and elegance. And with a splendid long aftertaste.

The Westmalle Tripel is indeed called the “mother of all tripels”. This type of beer was first brewed in Westmalle abbey in 1934 when the new brewing hall came into use. The current formula has stayed practically unchanged since 1956, thus more than 50 years.

9.5% in a 330ml bottle

Found for sale on Beer Hawk for £3.49 or from Drink Supermarket for £3.19