Abbaye des Rocs Triple Impériale

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

Popped the cap and it quickly foamed up and out of the bottle requiring quick reflexes to keep from spilling any. Waisting even a drop of this stuff should be a crime. Poured huge head of tan foam. Murky amber color. Pretty big aroma of brown sugar, caramel malts, a little spice and yeast. Smells like it will be a tasty brew. Delicious smooth flavor. All the flavors blend until about midway making them tough to distinguish. Just beyond midway a cherry, plum and date fruitiness rose above the flavor din only to be followed by some coriander, cinnamon and other spices. The fruitiness remains to the finish where it left a nice mild flavor until the next sip. Other than the slight warmth I felt there was no other sign of the ABV. Excellent beer.

750 mL bottle w/ Best By 2006 stamped on label... Appears a murky, dark chestnut toned brown with a huge, pillowy, light tan head that slowly fades out and leaves lots of lacing around the glass. The only down side to the appearance of this brew is the over abundance of the yeast & protein floaties that are moving up and down in the glass and sticking along the sides and the pillowy, rocky cap. Unsightly stuff to look at IMO and I’ve seen some nasty stuff during my time homebrewing. Smell is outstanding. Plenty of rich, nutty, cocoa, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, light cinnamon, vanilla, ripe plums, figs, and raisins. Jeez...I could smell this stuff all night. Taste is just as addictive as the aromas. An array of caramelized, sweet flavors explode along the palate, yet the light, citrusy hop profile buried in the background prevents it from coming close to cloying. There is a little spice evident in the flavor as well. It’s like a cinnamon, clove, and coriander mix. Mouthfeel is sweet, borderline syrupy richness, medium bodied, smooth, boozy, slick, and semi-dry. Again, those darn proteins and yeasty floaties are ruining the brew for me. I actually took it and ran it through a tea strainer and it was much better minus the head. Overall, this one holds it’s own against any of the big boys from Belgium(minus the abundance of floaties).

Bottle. Murky brown with some floaties (due to a full pour) and a thick cream colored head. Sweet malty aroma of caramel, molasses, hazlenuts, figs with a bit of alcohol and yeasty notes. Sweet but not cloying brown sugar, nutty and dried fruit flavors, with a surprisigly dry finish considering the complexity. Light to medium palate with some fine carbonation. Alcohol well hidden. A little different from most tripels..more like a brun. Nonetheless pretty tasty.

Although this is listed as a BSA, I think it is closer to its name (Imperial Triple). Hazy amber with beautiful, lasting off-white head. Good carbonation. Nose catches initial wiff of dark fruits and sweet malts (very evident in the Brune and Grand Cru) but also has an added flavor of spices and a bit of tartnes like you taste in a good tripel. Alcohol well hidden. Another great brew from Abbaye Des Rocs.

Beautifully filled goblet brings us a safire-hazelnut hue underneath a dense, stiff and one inch tall, thick and milky tan head. Some bubbles morph at the surface. Prunes, plums and dark fruited figs fill the nose with benevolent depth. A touch of freesia and cotton compliment the brandied dates and cello-strummed currant jam resting aromatically upon crispy spiced scones. A touch of cinder gives a brief aromatic interlude. Sweet flavored treat indeed, harkening on plum butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and caramelized raisin bread. Deceptively light, dropping gravity points with a refreshing spiced standpoint while the caramelized beets take care of the dark sugared depth. Mulled raisins weave in and out of subtle black currant. Concord and toasted graham crust fill in the rest. Anise creeps into the sweet syrupy cloister while a plum crème brulee personifies the broiled dark hearted nature within. Figgy pudding imbeds an underling and undying flavor accord. Broiled pistachios dipped in plum butter give a commendable syrupy sweetness in the finish while some dates absolve the distance between candi and nuts for a satisfying outtake.

hazy yellow body. fruity head. slight metallic after taste with small amount of alcohol burn. nice hints of orange and carmel

Sweet malty aroma with hints of carmel. Dark reddish brown. Taste is balanced towards sweet. Very rich, full bodied, almost syrupy palate. Alcohol was not noticable even at 10%. Very good overall.

Poured a dark amber/brown color medium head okay lacing. Tons of sedimentation. Aroma was of spices figs/plums and malts. Flavor was much the same some caramel. Solid beer.