De Koninck APA (Antwaarpse Pale Ale)
Brouwerij De Koninck NV

rapayn01 from Kentucky

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had a draft of 25 cl in a glass while in Antwerp -- at Bier Central near my hotel. There was a lot going on in this brew, including, Belgian spiciness with some hop. It's the local and I would not market it as APA. It tasted very fresh, which was probably worth a quarter point.

Jan 02, 2020

flyingpig from Scotland

3.97/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

250ml on keg at t Brugs Beertje, Bruges, Belgium (€3.50):
This one was an excellent beer from De Koninck, very smooth & balance whilst seeming quite refreshing too. It was an easy beer to drink with a nice caramel sweetness from the start & some good nutty flavours, although these seem a little strong on the nose than with the taste. There was a good mix of earthy malts whilst keeping the beer relatively light tasting but it's definitely one that I'd have again.

Jun 28, 2018

josanguapo from Spain

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.25

At Keepers, Tomares. Malty, sweet caramel notes, very smooth feel, easy to drink. I miss a more bitter end, less mild, but its pleasant. Maybe, light cherries in nose. Good, long lasting and smooth foam

Sep 21, 2017

Dzu from Russian Federation

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from 0.33l bottle into snifter.
L: Dark amber colour with massive white foam head.
S: Belgian yeasts, banana, apples.
T: Semi-sweet taste, caramel , apples.
F: Medium body and soft carbonation.
O: Pleasant ale. Worth a try.

Sep 01, 2017

Ginger-tipple from Belgium

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Interestingly, this beer tastes watery from the barrel; From the bottle it is like a different drink, it has more body and flavour and deserves its title as Antwerp's beer.

Dec 21, 2016

Zet from Netherlands

3.97/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful dark amber colour and a full head in the beginning, but this quickly turns into a thin layer. Smell of caramel, cherries, malt and some brown apple. Taste has the same flavours, though it is less sweet than you would expect. It is actually very well balanced. Mouth feel is medium and smooth. Not a very complex beer, but it is meant to be an alternative for the basic pilsener in a bar, and it does a very good job at that.

Sep 01, 2016

Marius from Netherlands

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

33cl bottle bought from De Hopduvel in Ghent. Clear amber pour with a thin light-tan head. Smells of caramel, generic bitter hops, dried fruit and metal. Light bodied and refreshing mouthfeel, bitter and crisp, not as sweet as the nose would suggest.

Jan 11, 2016

jonmikel from Spain

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served on a glass in a bar. The color is amber reddish. The smeel is quite good. The foam forms a small head. Middle carbonation can be seen and perceived. Overall, a quite decent beer.

Nov 12, 2015

captaincoffee from Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Eating at an Italian restaurant in Antwerp, the beer choices were Stella, Peroni, Duvel, and De Koninck. I chose the De Koninck because it was the only one I hadn't had before, but wasn't expecting much. Poured darker than expected for a "pale ale"...a full amber. Head was full, off white, and lasted through most of the glass. Nose was also richer than expected. Yeast and caramel malt notes, but no hops detected. Flavor was also full. Residual sweetness, caramel malts, dried fruits, and a bit of spice. Overall, this beer provided a lot more than expected, and I would happily drink again.

Oct 01, 2015

bark from Sweden

3.15/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The colour is deep amber (40 EBC), the liquid is clear. The two finger head is off-white and compact. It sinks quickly into a thick lid.

The smell is smooth with clean sweetness, dried fruits, raspberries, caramel and some spices/phenols. Quite a lot of warming alcohol.

The taste is malty with roasted caramel flavours. Some chemical bitterness, dark bread and dried fruits. Light to medium body. The aftertaste is a bit chemical and harsh with red malts and hints of earth. The finish is dry and fruity.

The carbonation is very strong, lots of large sharp bubbles. The liquid is light and a bit harsh.

A straightforward Belgian pale/amber ale. Uncomplicated, almost simple.

Sep 19, 2015

infinitebruner from Arkansas

3.96/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

June 24, 2015

11.2 oz bottle, tulip glass

A – Very dark amber with high clarity. A couple inches of light tan foam head, thousands of tiny bubbles, with moderate-long retention.

S – Raisins and cherries, reminiscent of cherry pits, are moderate in strength. Some caramel and sweet toffee. A small hint of lightstruck/skunk but this fades as the beer opens up. Additional fruit, peaches and pears, follow. Hops are herbal and bright.

T – Rich bread crust and golden cracker malt flavor. The cherries are more subdued here, with herbal, slightly floral hops. A hint of cola and rum.

M – Fairly high carbonation with a medium-full body. Slightly juicy up front, but well attenuated and dry towards the finish. Mildly sweet with a hop-bitter snap at the end.

O – My first beer from this esteemed brewery, and a fine offering it is. Fairly clean with some pleasant fruit flavor and excellent mouthfeel. Seems like a dubbel-lite, to some extent.

Jun 25, 2015

baile208 from Michigan

3.32/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Smell isn't powerful but does have hints of fruit. Dark amber orange in color. Tastes of malt with small hint of apple and pear. Mild in taste but drinkable.

May 06, 2015

REVZEB from Illinois

3.51/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap. The nose was full of caramel and cherries to go with the yeast and hops. Taste was blande however, focused too heavily on pale malts. Feel was too thin for style, with no texture to assist. Average bpa

Nov 26, 2014

seedyone from New York

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%

05/30/12 At first blush, a pleasant tartness that was reminiscent of cherries but not at all sweet. Blind tasted I would never check off the Belgium box, but would the 'I'll have another' box.

Sep 30, 2014

BMMillsy from Florida

3.41/5  rDev -6.6%

Had on tap while in Antwerp. Pours amber colored with a fluffy white head. Aroma is light bready malts, faint yeast, and a bit of grass. Flavor follows with bready malt and crisp grassy finish, bit of caramel, with very little of that Belgian yeast flare, and extremely low on the sweetness. Light plus body with medium plus carbonation. Seems like quality of a Sam Adams for Belgium. Not bad, but not sure why one would choose this when there are so many other options.

Sep 12, 2014

thecheapies from Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Amber beer with a thin lip of foam. Looks good in its own glassware.

Musty Belgique maltiness, brown apple flesh, sprite acidity, and darker grains. Not bad.

Amber twist to a Belgian Pale. Follows the nose with apple and pear, but picks up some drier bitterness and herbaceous hops toward the finish. Tasty and simple. Mouthfeel is carb-light, but still good. Great swish. Drinkable as hell.

May 24, 2014

TMoney2591 from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a De Koninck chalice at Beelow's.

This tap has been here too long without me partaking of its contents. Time to rectify that. It pours a hazy rusted tawny topped by a half-finger of faded khaki foam. The nose comprises rye bread, light ruby red grapefruit zest, Belgian yeast, a hint of clove, and a few drops of maple syrup. The taste brings in more of the same, along with some mild grass and flowers for the sake of it. The body is a lithe medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, a nice little BPA, nothing to write home about, but if you're here and need a bit of Belgian-ness, it's here for you.

May 01, 2014

BWED from Colorado

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

330 ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- Golden orange, dark, in color. Fizzy off white head. Retention is okay.

S- Very mild grain, mild wild yeast esters. Gives a sweet and tangy aroma, a little berry-like.

T- Mild grain again, with a slight berry/citrus tang in the finish.

M- Light in body, slightly dry and tangy finish.

O- Very mild, but has some really nice characteristics.

Jan 14, 2014

CalgaryFMC from Canada

3.86/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Ordered on tap at a Calgary ale house (1600) and arrived in a genuine De Koninck tulip glass. This iconic Belgian pale ale is in fact a fairly dark orange to reddish amber hue, with a little white lacing left on the glass as one proceeds. Aroma is classic Belgium, fairly strong and redolent with sweet and fruity yeast esters, caramel malt, and bright floral hops. Everything is well-integrated although the floral/herbal hop notes from genuine Saaz are striking. According to Roger Protz in "The Taste of Beer", Saaz is the only hop used and with a fairly heavy hand I'd add. The aggressive hops lead the way on the palate, evoking lavender and fresh perfume, layered over a fairly rich caramel flavor with a little vanilla creme and dark raisin. I also get some green fruit sourness and the body is fairly heavy with a lot of residual sugars. Satisfying. Finish is similarly complex, with a rich buttery character, lingering sweetness and some booze accompanied by a dry pepper spicy bitterness. One is left with an overall impression of sweet dough, dessert sugars, and bitter medicine all bound together in a way that works, although some might wonder about a clash between the latter two components. I like it, personally.

Nov 02, 2013

mhaugo from California

3.49/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2 ounce bottle decanted into a tulip glass. 5.2% ABV.
Appearance: Brilliant mahogany. Light, broken cap of foam (4/5).
Aroma: Apples and pears. Gingerbread cookies. Then the Saaz show up wearing their earthy, floral perfume (3.75/5).
Taste: Cidery and sweet. Tastes a little like someone spiked it with white wine. There is a suggestion of bitterness at the end, but it never really turns into much (3.25/5).
Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation (3.5/5).
Overall: This beer is slightly sweet, a bit phenolic, and very easy to drink. My only problem with it was the hops. I understand Saaz are inherent to the style, but I really struggle with this particular hop. I just don’t like it very much. Fortunately the bitterning was dealt with a very light hand and I was able to look around them for the most part. Overall, very nice (3.5/5).

Sep 05, 2013

eduardolinhalis from Switzerland

3.51/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

250ml bottle served in a pint glass.

A: Pours a nice clear copper color forming a medium bubbled and aired light yellow head. Low retention and only few spotty lacings left in the glass

S: Strong caramel and the traditional Belgian bready yeast aroma. Sweet and fruity in the nose. Caramel and crystal malts. A bit metallic and a bit spicy too

T: Slightly sweet upfront becoming quickly softly bitter. Strong notes of Belgian yeasts, very bready taste. Notes of toffee, caramel malts, roasted malts, crystal malts. Metallic notes and some spiciness. Mild hops bitterness in the end

M: Light to medium body. Good carbonation. Caramelish/metallic aftertaste

O: Good drinkability. Nice brew. Traditional Belgian Ale

Aug 17, 2013

Samp01 from New Jersey

3.59/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark copper hued amber with a small beige head, mild lacing. Aroma is fruity, apples and pears, yeast with some biscuit malt and caramel. Taste same as aroma with some bready yeast flavors, fruity with mild tart flavors. Palate is a medium body with moderate carbonation. Finish is sweet fruity apple and pears, yeast and bready notes. The ending has a pleasant mild tartness, some light bitterness and a nice caramel malt flavor. Overall I found this to be a very good and tasty brew.

Jul 19, 2013

JerzDevl2000 from New Jersey

3.52/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up this beer a few weeks back at Top Hops. I never had this before and didn't know what to expect and after downing most of it, I have to say that this is a bit underwhelming. Relative to the stronger examples of this style, this was much lighter in body and taste and not even spicy at all. This was a good beer for the Summer but because it was so malty and easygoing, there wasn't a whole lot else going for it.

The pour was decent as this had a reddish-brown hue to it, a moderately fluffy head, and just a bit of lacing that quickly fell down the sides of my pint glass. Not much of an aroma to this and the taste was that of sugar, caramel malt, and a splash of apple, pear, and plum in the back that turned into a hint of booze. That quickly faded into sourness in the back and all of this slid right down as the carbonation was light and the mouthfeel was a bit weak, with just a hint of creaminess thrown in for good measure.

I could have had more than one in a sitting, since I didn't feel any of the alcohol aside from the taste. While I only bought one bottle of this, it was enough for a sitting. I like Belgian beers but don't expect one to be of the "lawnmower" type. That's what this was and with so many better offerings out there, only a true aficionado of this style should give this a go.

Jul 04, 2013

SLeffler27 from New York

4.18/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Glows iridescent, deep copper (SRM 14-16) with a 2 ½ inch, white mousse that settles to form a ½ inch blanket and leaves no lacing.

The fruity funkiness which emanates from the bottle gives way to orange peel citrus and light floral notes in the St. Hermes tulip.

Well balanced with fruit and spice which are distinct from subtle apricot. A short, subtle finish accentuates earthiness that is light – similar to white wine – and develops with warming.

Medium body with lively, fine carbonation, light alcohol, and a dry, woolly texture.

This is a great beer to help settle down with after a day in the hot sun. This is by no means a lawnmower beer, however, as it has much more to offer. A contemplative nature would also allow it to accompany afternoons of conversation.

Jun 16, 2013

jjanega08 from Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pretty sure this is the correct beer....

Bottle says 05/2013
L3010 18:07

A= Pours a nice amberish brown color with a thin finger of head that rises and falls fast into a thin layer on top of the glass. LIttle retention but there is some.

S= Has a typical Belgian yeast aroma. There is a little caramel malt in it and some yeasty spiciness.

T= The taste is nice and light on the Belgian yeast which I like but it still is present. A solid yeast profile with a little spice. There is a caramelly malt flavor as well that comes through providing a little sweetness.

M= A nice level of carbonation. Sometimes Belgian beers are too carbonated for me.

O= This is a solid brew. I was told that this is what New Belgium modeled Flat Tire after and while they didn't quite get all of the nuances in this beer I would say it was an admirable effort.

Jun 16, 2013