 ElGaucho (1721), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Jun 28, 2008
750 ml bottle. Somebody or some entity did not want me to rate this beer. It has eluded me for years. Twice I have bought the Abbaye des Rocs Grand Cru, mistaking it for the top rated Abbaye des Rocs brew. The last time was last weekend at Bottleworks in Seattle. Luckily, I had a notion I bought the wrong one again and called tennisjoel from the parking lot who set me straight. Luckily the store clerk allowed me to swap it out despite the Grand Cru bottle having spent several minutes in the bright sun, which is sacrilege in the dark store that is Bottleworks. When I finally sat down just now to open the bottle, I had the hardest time opening through the black foil and ended up cutting my finger on the cap. Like I said, somebody or something didn’t want me to get this brew. Of course, there wasn’t much of a carbonation sound when opening the bottle and the head is flat, so I hope I didn’t get an old or flat bottle!!!!! Smells rich, sweet, Belgian and somewhat sour. Lots of complexity in the aroma. Beautiful cloudy darker brownish red. Whispy head gives way to no head. Yup, this is flat. I’m telling you, I’ve had the worst luck with this beer. The label says best before 2010. So, two years before it’s best before date, it’s flat. I’m thinking the cap had somehow been compromised, which may be somewhat tougher to do with the foil "seal". Regardless, very disappointing to have lugged this bottle home from Seattle to Minneapolis only to have it be flat.
I can tell that with carbonation this would be a pretty darn good brew. Plenty of flavor and good balance. A pitty to drain pour Abbaye des Rocs Brune.
jredmond (621), New Jersey, USA
Sep 28, 2008 Bottle. Pours a hazy brown with sediment. The aroma is apple, malt, and some caramel & dark fruit. The flavor is a bit stronger than I would have preferred. At first, you can taste the fruit (apple, dark fruits) in the mouth - but it ends with alcohol and malt.
MrChopin (204), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Sep 27, 2008 Somewhat of a gusher. Shimmering red-amber with a small white head. Similar to the grand cru in flavor and aroma, but whereas the gc gets bogged down in yeast and pepper, brune soars above on wings of fruit, both dark sweet and lighter citrus. More malt than gc also helps balance the aggressively spicy abbaye profile. Palate similarly avoids the fizzy overkill of gc; it’s a perfectly smooth example of full bodied carbonation. High quality stuff here.
davidpl (403), Santiago, Chile
Sep 26, 2008 Appearance: hazelnut color. Medium head, yellow, dense and lasting.
Aroma: dark malts, intensive smells hints of candy, honey, toffee, "manjar", butterscotch and vanilla. Very light spicy reminiscences of ginger and nutmeg. Fruity aromas like fig, plums, berries and raisins. Yeasty and cookies touch.
Flavor: sweet malty start, like in the nose, the toffee, butter, raisins, berries, plums, honey and vanilla. Also, the toast hazelnuts; spiciness like ginger, nutmeg and aniseed. Truffle reminiscences and liquoriness similar to "cherry liquor" and raisins in rum. Warming final.
Palate: medium to full body, oily texture and medium carbonation.
Remark: aromatic and flavor complexity, sweet but balanced, good body and not excessive yeasty.
thornecb (1132), Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA
Sep 19, 2008 Pours amber into a trappist glass. Off-white head recedes to nothing. Spicey pit fruit aromas. Sweet from front to back with pit fruit and a dry, lasting finish.
gam (576), brisbane, Australia
Sep 7, 2008 Good head on a dark murky red/brown pour,carbonation ample.Aroma caramel vegemite,soy sauce,plum,wine notes,raisins,malt strong.Flavour dry,plum,soy sauce port or cognac like,each mouthfull is fantastic,with aswetness on the tongue of the raisins plums figs caramel like velvet,brown sugar hint.Finish dry sweet fully flavoured ,lasting.
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