Konigshoeven Things

This Friday I went to Four Firkins, beer store, to meet Prior Father Isaac Majoor. He is in charge of brewing at the abbey. The Trappist abbey of Konigshoeven is the only abbey in the Netherlands, and it is one of seven Trappist monasteries brewing beer in Belgium and the Netherlands. The beers I tasted were the Dubbel, 7% with a deep reddish colour. It tasted of dried fruit, with amalty sweet character. The Tripel, 8% was the next in line. It had a rich golden colour. It tasted of spices, and slightly bitter with hops adding a bitter profile. Next in line and my favourite was the Quadrupel 10%, deep amber colour, rich flavour, fruit, slight sweet, slight hop bitterness. This beer has always been one of my all time faves.. It is especially good with bread, cheese, and fruit like peaches. Two new beers in the profile were very good and tasty. The Witte a traditional Belgian wheat beer with lots of spiciness, flavour, and character. Refreshing and satisfying like no other wheat you will have ever had. The last beer is St. Isid'or 125th anniversary Beer was brewed to commemorate the beginning of brewing at this abbey 125 years ago. A picture of the monk, Brother Isidorus that started the brewery is on the label and was its first brewer. The beer is a amber in colour and mildly sweet with a slightly bitter taste and a taste of fruit in the finish with a hop bitterness. This beer is a fund raiser as well. All the proceeds from the sale of this beer go to the establishment of a new monastery in Uganda. The monks came under pressure and threatened violence last year in Kenya at their monastery. So they uproot themselves and went off to Uganda to reestablish a new monastery to continue to do God's work. Donations can be made to the Monastery directly, so please do. www.konigshoeven.nl

They no longer make the refectory beer, the Enkel, this was a very light weight beer and weighed in at around 3.5 - 4%. This was a beer the monks drank for refreshment. Another note, they are trying to reclaim the name La Trappe, a name they used to market under in this country. As I said, they are one of seven Trappist monasteries brewing beer. At one time, they were denied the appellation Trappist due to their relationship with a local brewery. In 2005, when Phil and I made our pilgrimage to Belgium and the Netherlands we did not stop because they were no longer considered part of the Trappist fraternity. They are back now and selling their great beer in the USA once again. Amen.