Abbaye des Rocs Grand Cru

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

Poured medium brown with an eggshell white head and good lacing. Lots of yeast particles floating around. Somewhat subdued aromas of dark fruit, caramel, and a bit of brown sugar. Flavors came forth much more assertively, and were typical of the style - sweet bready malts, raisins, figs, caramel, and a nutty chocolate. Silky smooth mouthfeel, slightly warming alcohol, but I was a bit put off by the yeast solids.

Bottle @ Barley Wine. Pours deep brown/red color with white head. fruity sweet strong aroma. Taste strong sweet fruity well balanced alcohol.

750 mL shared into tulips. Gusher. Pours a cloudy deep ruby/muddy brown with tons of yeast floaties. I have never seen so much yeast. Has a nice tan, two finger head but has little retention and lacing. Nose is nutmeg, flowers, vanilla. Taste is lots of rum-raisin, chocolate-covered cherries, yeast, nutmeg with a dry, dark chocolate finish. Very sweet but not too unbalanced. Alcohol content is very well hidden. This was a vast improvement over my Tripel Imperiale experience.

Pours a deep red/brown, fluffy tan head that disappears and holds very thin, exceptional lace. This bottle was littered with yeast, tons of it, very scary looking. Nose of malt, fruits, spice. Taste is sweet, light spice, slightly sour/acidic, finish is dry, slight alcohol. Very warming. One of my top fav. Belgian Strong Ales. re-rate: I just had a 2012 exp. bottle, and the previous was a 2011 (only about a month ago). I must add that this newer batch had a higher warming sensation and more subdued flavors. So I recommend to anyone with a 2012 bottle, to wait atleast a year, because the difference was noticeable.

Bottle. poured a copper brown with a thin white head. Nose was a bit sour, malty and yeasty. Thin front, followed by a strong middle, and a big finish. Nicely carbonated. Some sweetness, with hints of dark fruits, and maybe raisins? This a big beer, It is rich and thick, and has some similarities to Rochefort 8, but is sweeter.

Dark red brown with lots of floaties. Lasting off-white head. Really great, complex aroma with citrus and other tropical fruits, dried fruits, licorice, chocolate, cranberries. The silly marketing blabber is actually somewhat right: Flavour of caramel and cherries, chocolate and almonds. Rather sweet, very spicy, tasty and complex. I’m not a fan of the brewery in general, but they have done amazingly here. Still ugly with all those floaties though.

Dark brown colour and a long head. Tasted at delirium. Caramel chocalete flavours but a dry beer. Complex and full body beer. Very nice mouthfeel and very long persistence after taste. Soft and velvety back of the tongue. Such an amazing beer.

Flaske: Fyldt til randen og med rust sidende på kapslen var jeg lidt betænkelig ved at åbne denne øl. Heldigvis var den i orden. Det første glas var klart og flot, men allerede i det næste begyndte klumperne at indfinde sig. Suverænt det jeg har at indvende imd dette bryggeri, det er bare ikke særlig æstetisk at se på. Dejlig sød krydret duft der nærmest er quad like. Smagen dejlig med en let bitter afslutning. Ville have været en suveræn øl uden klumper.