Trappist Extra
Brouwerij Westmalle

Trappist ExtraTrappist Extra
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Brouwerij Westmalle
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Pale Ale
Ranked #5
ABV:
4.8%
Score:
90
Ranked #8,901
Avg:
4.04 | pDev: 8.91%
Reviews:
113
Ratings:
227
Status:
Active
Rated:
Today at 12:20 AM
Added:
Mar 01, 2005
Wants:
  84
Gots:
  31
This golden yellow Extra is the ale that the Trappist monks of Westmalle drink with their meals. Approachable but still rich in flavor, that's what makes this Trappist beer so unique. Enjoy its fruity notes and its refreshing crisp character.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.27 by MeIquiades from Illinois

Today at 12:20 AM
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.81/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Bottle purchased and drank at The Sovereign in Washington, DC.

This one pours a clear bright golden yellow color, with a big fluffy head, and lots of lacing.

This smells lightly grassy and herbal, with pear, stone fruit, coriander, and wheat.

This is absolutely phenomenal. It’s got a wonderfully spicy and herbal hop note, with pear skin, a touch of peach, some peppery, clovey bitterness, some coriander and wheat.

This is extremely well balanced, crisp, clean, and super drinkable.

It’s not often that Trappist breweries release new beers, so it was wonderful to see this one.
Feb 08, 2024
Photo of MutuelsMark
Reviewed by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours slightly cloudy, pale yellow in color. Super thick white head. I wish you could see the thickness of the head and the staying power in the lacing!
Nose was a lot like a pilsner to me. Taste was very bready, almost malty forward. Dry finish. Lots of carbonation.
Feb 01, 2024
Photo of stcules
Reviewed by stcules from Italy

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Blonde, clean, beautiful, with a beautiful foam.
Belgian smell, fresh, yeast, a touch of pepper. Clean.
Good taste, full for its 4.8 ABV.
Light white fruitinss, pepper, litchee and citrus fruit, gooseberry.
Bread crust, well managed yeast, grainy.
Light spiciness (ginger?) in the aftertaste. Pear.
Jan 14, 2024
Photo of txaudiophile
Reviewed by txaudiophile from Texas

4.62/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
This beer is divine. It has a wonderful aroma, and a flavor that is pleasant and not too bitter. It has a great body and I am surprised that a lower ABV beer like this tastes the way it does. It is a brewing masterpiece, and I like it better than Westmalle's Tripel.
Jan 13, 2024
 
Rated: 3.74 by emiliobaratta from Venezuela

Dec 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4.08 by TrueMetalJake from Oregon

Dec 10, 2023
Photo of JackRWatkins
Reviewed by JackRWatkins from Georgia

4.31/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
A: pillowy white one finger head, hazy straw gold body,
S: skunky hop aromas, prominent biscuity malt and grainy notes, subtle hints of noble hops
T: mild but prominent phenols, prominent citrus and a more pronounced tartness, pleasant and very prominent minerality almost like Perrier, a pleasant sweet-tart-astringent marriage in the finish, with a slight bitterness.
M: medium body, very dry
O: this is an excellent session beer, its only failure is not being affordable enough to buy in large quantities to sell at parties. It is refined, simple a beautiful, in a word, excellent.
Nov 27, 2023
 
Rated: 3.58 by Jcreason569 from Washington

Nov 11, 2023
Photo of Lucular
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
11.2 oz bottle poured into a tulip glass. Marvelously complex flavors of green apple, pear, white peach, light candi sugar, spice (coriander), and hints of bubblegum and floral hops. Overall, this is a beer that makes me want to drink more Belgian (specially Trappist) beers. Amazing stuff.
Oct 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.06 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Oct 21, 2023
Photo of TheHammer
Reviewed by TheHammer from Canada (ON)

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: An over abundance of head is the only negative here, as three fingers worth crept up on me an overflowed the glass. It left ample lace behind, retained extremely well and well compliments the slightly cloudy gold body that showcases it's high carbonation.

Smell: Mild floral hops, far more subdued then most pale ale but probably where a Belgian rendition should be. Cereal grain and notes of pear take a back seat and seem to come out as the beer warms, and reveals an occasional note of bubble gum. That said, that warming is needed to achieve respectable potency.

Taste: Starts with pear, grain and maybe a bit of apricot and moves onto bubblegum and herbs that just seem to work before light floral and earthy hops clean things up nicely. Remarkable in it's simplicity, and while isn't quite a full bouquet of flavor, it knows what it is and when to stop.

Mouthfeel: It is here this beer reveals what it is, and that is a crisp, easy and joyful experience as beautiful transitioning, perfect carbonation with just a mild floral hop and apricot aftertaste that sticks around a short while and departs quickly. There's nothing negative I can say here.

Drinkability: Light, bright and refreshing which while it could use a bit more character, still does an exceptional job with what it brings to the table, which is completely understandable with the slightly lower ABV.

Final Thoughts: Trappist/Belgian beer when done well, knows when to stop and this beer does just that. I honestly wish some brewers would experiment on this slightly lighter but not light beer territory ABV. However, most seem to feel they are obligated to brew to 5% which is fine. Really, the only downside is this beer, while more complex then many, is at it's core a plain brew done to a tee. Two thumbs up, and not surprising from the Trappist Monks.
Oct 19, 2023
Photo of CarolinaCardinals
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Picked up a 330ml bottle from the Appalachian Vintner 12-7-23 for $5.22. Bottled 2022 APR 17; Best Before 2024 APR 07; consumed 10-4-23.

Beer poured pale gold with a very nice long lasting white head.

Nose is giving estery notes of apple and pear.

Taste is wonderful and the pale malt base is so light yet allows the yeast to do it thing and impart a wonderful pear and apple flavor profile. Hopping is spot on and finishes perfectly balanced in the end.

Mouthfeel is perfection! Light bodied and so very smooth as each sip is so light.

Overall, wow this has got to be the best BPA i have ever had!
Oct 04, 2023
Photo of pkalix
Reviewed by pkalix from California

4.11/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
golden, yeasty pour with unremarkable aroma, particularly compared with the other Westmalles. semi-sweet with a twinge of bubble gum and subtle fruit. low abv, typical belgian trap brew....
Oct 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.06 by Gkruszewski from New York

Sep 26, 2023
Photo of NorsemanOne
Reviewed by NorsemanOne from Utah

4.24/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottled 11.24.22

Purchased from local grocer for $4 unrefrigerated

Poured at fridge temp into a big ol wine glass.

Pours a cloudy but brilliant golden with a fluffy foam cap. 4

Earthy honey and sweet florals, banana esters. Some light pepper. Honestly there is a lot going on and I don't think I'm adept enough to pick up on all of it, but it's clearly brilliantly done. 4.25

I feel taste follows. It reminds me of a gentle version of a favorite Tripel of mine, minus the clean Belgian Candi Sugar. Initially banana and yeast, joined by pepper and earthy near woody notes, and light fruity ester finish. 4.25

Frothy and full bodied without being heavy or filling. Mild biting carbo that softens out very quickly. 4.25

Overall it's an experience of a beer and one I'll keep coming back to, to learn and appreciate more. I was expecting a nearly clear body, but I suspect the cloudiness of mine was due to improper merchant storage 4.25
Sep 17, 2023
Photo of mactrail
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

4.17/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a clear golden yellow with plenty of foam in the Orval chalice. I apparently have never had this before, and it shines a light on the gentler side of Belgian brewing. Flavors of apples and cereal. Light and bright with carbonation. It still has the fruity flavors and the estery finish, but all very refined. It is quite flavorful, just not bitter or yeasty tasting. This is one you must taste for your beer education, and also the sheer pleasure. From the 11.2 oz bottle. Dated 2022 April 07.
Sep 16, 2023
Photo of PlutonowyManiek
Reviewed by PlutonowyManiek from Belgium

3.64/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Golden colour, slightly hazy. White foam, high and persistent. It is made up of small bubbles.
Aroma malty, yeasty, cellar-like. Fruit esters and spice accents complete the aroma palette.
Taste is malty sweetness and dry hoppy notes, enhanced especially in the finish.
Saturation high. Medium body. Soft texture. Medium-long, malty, yeasty aftertaste.
14.08.2021
Sep 08, 2023
Photo of Hophazzard
Reviewed by Hophazzard from California

4.93/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This is close to my favorite ever. It’s close to the corked Saison Dupont. I can't name a flaw in this beer. Simply OUTSTANDING! I guess my only gripe is that it's expensive. Other than that it’s perfect. So incredibly drinkable. I could absolutely drink this beer every day for the rest of my life.
Sep 02, 2023
 
Rated: 3.89 by cabsandking from Ohio

Aug 25, 2023
Trappist Extra from Brouwerij Westmalle
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 227 ratings