La Trappe Isid'or - Brouwerij De Koningshoeven, Tilburg

With this bottle of La Trappe Isid'or I will have had at least one beer from each of the seven Trappist brewers. This is a fact that just now dawned on me... I probably should have built this event up a bit more, but there's really no pomp and definitely no circumstance. This bottle of Isid'or has been sitting in a cupboard for about two and a half months. I meant to get to it sooner because I'd never had it, not because it would complete some Trappist drinking achievement... Oh well, I'm glad to finally say I've had a beer from all of the Trappist brewers even if it were something I almost overlooked.

La Trappe Isid'or pours a cloudy amber color, much darker than I was expecting. The head on this beer is vigorous at first but quickly fades to a thin, but persistent, layer that spans the entire top of this chalice. There's a rich candied apricot aroma to the Isid'or that I know is deceptive but very intriguing... A vaguely pale crispness is all the indication you get that this may be a Pale Ale as there are practically no hops noticeable.

The flavor of the La Trappe Isid'or is more sweet than pale and more malty than hoppy. There's a nice balance here between a great Belgian Pale Ale and a great Trappist Tripel. Isid'or isn't a lightweight by any means, this is a 7.5% ABV beer so it fits right in between a Tripel and a Pale Ale. The dominant flavor in this beer is an amalgam of stewed banana, candied apricot and bittersweet orange peel. It's borderline citrusy but leans toward the candied/stewed end of the spectrum. Hops are present for bittering only, there's nothing else they've contributed to the flavor.

Overall, this is a very tasty Trappist beer. I hesitate to call it a Pale Ale or a Tripel, it belong somewhere between the two styles. If you're a fan of either, you should give this beer a try.