Abbaye des Rocs Grand Cru

Brewed by Brasserie de l’Abbaye des Rocs
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Montignies-sur-Roc, Belgium

33 cL bottle from Secret Santa 2007 - pours a muddy dark amber with tons of clumpy sediment. almost looks more like protein coagulants than yeast but either way i feel like i should’ve run it through a coffee filter first. winey oaky aroma of caramelized sugar and red fruits and grapes. brown sugars, yeasty esters all present in the aroma, and little alcohol presence. flavor is similar to the aroma, at least in that it doesn’t surprise you based on how it smelled. excellent flavor profile, figs, toffee, light cocoa, fruits, and a touch of boozy heat - very good beer. i wish they could do something about the sediment/floaties, because the mouthfeel is awkward at best without some amount of filtering....

This "beer" pours out of the bottle into the glass a beautiful rootbeer brown. Its cloudy and looks to be unfiltered. The aroma is of sweet carmalized sugars, ginger-like spice and a tinge of alcohol. It appears to be highly carbonated, naturally, and has a large, tan head. A bit congesting. It was good, but I felt bad after driniking it.

Pours brown with some red hilights. Decent head, aroma is powerful mix of spice, brown sugar, yeast, candied fruit. Very complex flavors, alcohol is warming but well hidden.

This beer poured a nice head that dissapated into a small head with a lacing that’s slighty sticky. The color is bright red to dark. Smells very nice, pretty sweet and it’s very smooth on the palate. It also has a little nutmeg flavor in it with some slight orange undertones. It’s a little smooth and slightly crisp. I feel like it could’ve had a better head and mouthfeel, it seems like this beer had been abused and incorrectly aged.

1pt 9.4oz bottle. Aroma is big and fruity, belgian crystal, malt, spicy dried fruit, and yeast. Large off-white foamy head that mostly diminished and left good head. Dark rusty amber with butt loads of huge particles. Flavor is nice and balanced. Malty, sweet and yeasty. Lovely and quite drinkable. The alcohol is there but you feel it more than taste it. Palate is medium body with lively carbonation. Overall a nice and complex brew that doesn’t over do it but packs a punch.

Oh my! Right from the time the bottle cap cracks open to let out this great aroma of sweet fruit and breads to the last sip with a lovely alcohol burn, this is one great beer. My colleagues before described this wonderful brew quite well. Just try it for God’s sake.

Poured brown with a nice frothy head. Aroma has plenty of yeast and bread. Flavor was solid, with a little bit of spiciness on the finish. A good beer, I’ll have to try it again... the bottle I had doesn’t really fit the descriptions of most of the other posters.

750 ml bottle Poured into a trappist glass with amber colour and large frothy tan head. The particulates are large and dense, very similar to lots of pulp style orange juice. From the pour the nose is very floral, resembling more of rose petals, sweet malts, citrus fruits and mild caramel also play into the background character of this aroma. The overall aroma is vibrant and enticing for the taste to come. Initial taste is very complex, hands down. Liquid candy pours over the mouth, sweet malts render, powered sugar is also apparent. The fruits are the next level of taste along with fig & other dried fruits and mild cocoa. As the beer warmed the taste changed into more of a bakery cookie & pastry distinctiveness. The palate finishes strong as the intial taste, there is no stopping it now. Finishing with a syrupy sweet malts, cocoa, fruits and mild bitterness. Dry & chalky. Palate duration is good. Some lacing of the glass, good head retention and to mention absolutely remarkable particulates like no other. Medium body. Alcohol is well masked and this brew a delightful experience.