Trappist Ale
The Spencer Brewery

750 ml caged and corked bottle. Served in a chalice, the beer pours a hazy golden/orange color with about an inch and a half off-white head. Head retention and lacing are both good. The brew smells like clove, bready malt, apricot, apple and some citrus peel. I think the taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some stone fruit, bubblegum and minerally flavors noticeable. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and coating, and is well carbonated. I think it's an enjoyable brew, I was looking forward to trying this and I wasn't disappointed at all. Worth a try if you've never had it before! $9.99 a bottle.

Copenhagen 4/9 2018. 33 cl bottle from Ølhandleren from Hørning. Usual label design from Spencer with the little Abbey tower. This time in Yellow.

Pours murky, dark, golden yellow with small white head. Bubbly. Settles as thin, almost transparent layer of foam covering the surface of the beer. Chunks of yeast floating around. No Lacing.

Aroma has solid malty backbone. Sweet and malty with notes of caramel, sugary candy and bread. Citrus. Humid Belgian cellar.

Rather strong carbonation. Slightly thick, lively, prickly texture.

Flavor is medium sweet followed by a more moderate bitterness. Aftertaste is medium bitter with lighter sweet undertones. Finish is semi-dry.

Very nice, fairly light American take on a Golden Trappist Ale whatever that might be.

RB transfer

I’ve opened a bottle, 4, no 5 years past it’s exp date. It’s still tasty! I would get more if I could!!

 

My goodness. This is among the best beers I've ever had. Casual Saturday evening mix a 6 pack session. Did not expect to find the best beer I've ever had. I've had about 200 different kinds.

It's not the best looking beer. A bit dirty looking. Pours a decent head. Nothing special.

The flavor is outstanding. It tastes like the finest brew that you'd find among all Trappist style beers in the world. And it's American?

I did not see this one coming. Excellent beer. Superb brew.

 

 

Yields an orange to golden color with a beige colored head, which noisily collapses.

Smells of marzipan, earthy toffee and sun ripened straw among salted caramel.

Offers a refreshing, very well carbonated, easy drinking beer with a well working balance to it.

Tastes of cloves, allspice and banana, together with a subtle, herbal dryness. Develops a „cold“ rock sugar sweetness, toned down by the prominent, mineralic carbonation in this. Finishes even sweeter with more caramel cutting through and a light, balancing hop dryness, leading to a refreshing finish, due to the maintaining high carbonation level in this.

This is okay. Quite sweet and not overly complex, the beer manages to deliver a solid refreshment.

Undated bottle; drank 4/21/23 @ the Yarchives.

Cloudy dull orange rust appearance.

A slow pour yielded a small eggshell-colored head; frothy lace.

Apple, banana & mild clove notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Banana, apple cider & faint clove flavors.

Solid Belgian vibes here; I'd have another!

Poured from a 33cL bottle, best by November 4th 2023

Upon opening, this beer was a gusher, and spilled in my lap. Despite that the 2 finger off white head faded over a few minutes to an average covering and ring around the glass. Body is hazy and a light golden amber, similar to a mulled cider appearance.

Aroma is actually wonderful. Belgian yeast is right up front, but extremely unique with a bright crisp almost tart citrus, almost like a fresh lemon, with a nicely tempered, and mild, but very present caramel malt sweetness. The citrus melds nicely with some nice spicy traditional phenols from the yeast. Hard to put into words.

Flavor, unfortunately isn't quite as amazing as the aroma, but is still quite enjoyable, with a sweet and biscuity malt note up front along with a bit of that citrus, that may actually be coming in the form of hops, as the flavor imparts a slight earthy and bright bitterness. There is a slight, deep dark bready molasses flavor in the finish.

Feel is drinkable, and could be crisp if it was colder. But at the warmer temp I'm drinking it at it makes it more of a relaxing dinner beer, making this beer quite versatile. Very full malty feeling, but quite attenuated and has a very dry but long finish.

Overall this is a very unique, and quite rare beer, that I never thought I would see in a store in Colorado, especially in 2023, but it isn't as bright and crisp as the aroma suggests,, although the malt fullness is on point.

 

 

330 ml bottle, purchased from Monastery Greetings Belgian-Style Ales, poured into a Spencer chalice. Expiration date 04/07/2024. Straw yellow color, lasting head and lacing. Typical Trappist yeast taste, lemon notes. Seems lighter than expected. Overall a very fine patersbier. A shame this is no longer brewed, as well as the other Spencer offerings.

Slightly hazy orangey-gold with quickly-dissipating pale gold head.

Smell is vague fruity aroma , akin to dried apricots, but not quite, honey, slight yeastiness, and a little vague spice mix. All-in-all , reminds me of some from Ommegang, but less spicy. (Blend Hennepin & Rare Vos?)

Taste is pretty close to aroma, but a little less fruity, and with a bit more spice (typical coriander+black pepper+clove mix) on the finish. Has a deep jammy & doughy quality to it.

Feel is medium, a bit slick & juicy, with moderate, very,very fine carbonation tingle, that lingers awhile.

Overall, really enjoying this one. Sorry that it won't be around much longer. (Though brewery is closed, there is still some out there, at last look.) I'll definitely grab more , til it's all gone. :(,,,