Achel 8 Blond

Brewed by Brouwerij der Trappistenabdij De Achelse Kluis
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Hamont-Achel, Belgium

(Bottle at Kaisla on 2008-05-09) A bit hazy. Orange/yellow colour. A bit sour nose. Malts, hops and liquorice in taste.

Drank this at Sunnys Restaurant Bangalore. Pours a hazy orange with lots of head. Intial fruity flavors - peach, apple. A touch of bitterness in the end. A complex beer and I like this a lot better than the Achel Brune.

33 cl bottle courtesy/shared with Naka. Pours murky orange with brown notes. Lots of dregs floating. White head. Bid fuit nose, apple and pear. Really smells like apple juice. Crisp and refreshing. Taste is rather bready, but thin, with fruity notes of white grape and apple with some pear. Bitter and very dry finish with some sweet notes of fruit in the after with dry feeling throughout. Very good beer. Complex and tasty.

Trappist beer tasting hosted by Coaltrain Wine and Spirits, Colorado Springs, 5/8/08. This one led off and was one of the two Trappists on hand I had not had before. Decent appearance, and a fresh wheaty aroma. Slightly fruity with a hoppish background. Sort of pales next to the Chimay Cinq Cents being served up next to it. Medium-light mouthfeel and decent finish. Near the bottom of the list at the event. Still looking forward to their Extra Bruin.

Bottle. Golden Orange, those monks are at it again. Spicness, peach and apples as fruit adjuncts. decent.

(330 ml bottle (stamped "09/05/08") from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/maine/portland/ target=blank>Downeast Beverage Co., cellared for 13 mos. after purchase) Pours hazy light gold-amber. Two or three fingers of white head start off quite effervescent, then settle to a pillowy finger or so. Aroma of brown sugar (fairly heavy), candy, fruit, red wine and yeast. Mouthfeel is light, fairly smooth and kind of spritzy. Nicely defined weepy rings of lacing. Flavor is sweetish and fruity with notes of candy, brown sugar, fruit and yeast. Light touch of red wine or port. Light warming alcohol presence. Pretty nice.

A solid beer, but slightly skunky. I’m not sure if that’s the beer or mishandling somewhere along the way. I got this in bottles that were shipped from a friend who can get the beer in his area. The skunkiness I caught was not all that overpowering, and just a hint. This beer has hardly any hoppiness and is dominated by yeast character, and I got a lot of citrusy notes. It had an awesome carbonation, I poured the beer and got half foam and had to wait to pour the rest. I loved the carb, almost as powerful as a champagne.

11.2 oz bottle.Poured dark golden amber, with a nice two inch head. Nice belgian nose with hints of yeast and banana. Very refreshing and very drinkable. Had a slightly bitter finish. Very solid beer.