Zundert 8 Trappist Ale

Zundert 8 Trappist Ale.
Brouwerij de Kievert,
Klein Zundert, Noord Brabant The Netherlands.
8 % ABV. 34 IBU.
Ale brewed with spices.
Product of Zundert, Netherlands.

The people of the Netherlands. They are Dutch, and they live in Holland, which must be the same thing as the Netherlands. And some of them are Trappist monks who actually brew their own beer. I love Trappist ales, and was surprised and delighted to see a new one on the shelves of a local store.




Zundert. I like the sound of that. Kievert sounds nice, too. That's the little bird in the logo.

Although it doesn't say so on the label anywhere, this one is purported to be a tripel, which is a style that I love. I found this out through articles I've researched before opening the bottle. Why they don't want to say so anywhere on the label, I'm not sure. (Edit: Now, I know after drinking. Because it isn't, really.)

Enough is enough. Let's open it up and see if I'll be back for more Zundert.

Clouded, chestnut/amber- hued, large and lasting fuzzy, cream-toned head. Looks terrific.

In the nose: Ah, that's the stuff! That's the classic Belgian aroma that I dream of...I wish I could smell this every day. Put it in a locket and hang it 'round my neck. Light floral hops. Sweet malt, nutty, stone fruit, earthy, funky, wild and wooly. Some citrus and spice. Everything nice.

In the mouth: More malty goodness spreading on the palate, with spicy notes become prominent. Delicate, well-balanced hop presence. Medium bodied. Quite tasty. Firmly in the Belgian-style, but more of an amber, not anywhere near a dubbel, and just missing the mark for a tripel. It is it's own thing.

Let's see if the label tells us anything: We brew a beer that we describe as slightly unruly--our Trappist 8 is a beer you must take time to understand. Chestnut-colored and bottle-conditioned, with aroma of herbs and spices, initially floral and slightly sweet, character develops from light caramel to a lovely dry, hoppy bitterness as the flavor opens. Brewed within the walls of Zundert Trappist Monastery by monks. 

Zundert 8 is a Trappist beer produced by De Kievit Trappist Brewery, part of the Trappist abbey Maria Toevlucht, from the town of Zundert in the Netherlands. Since 2018 De Kievit Trappist Brewery produces another Trappist beer.

This "other" beer is called 10 and I'll be looking for it. As it is, 8 is truly beautiful. Somehow I left out  the fact that while the brewery is called Kievet, after the bird, and the beer is called Zundert, after the town, the abbey is actually called Abdij Maria Toevlucht. More confusion. It's okay. Just takes a little time to figure out.