Achel 8 Blond

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

A delicious trappist beer. I thought I had rated this before but I guess I missed it. Aroma was nice. Strong apple/pear notes with a heavy yeast presence. Pour was typical trappist. Gold with a ridiculously huge head full of tiny bubbles and thick enough to stand on. Taste was delicious. Spice and pepper mix with the extreme biting carbonation to assault the mouth with what feels like little pin pricks. Heavy fruit, must and citrus as it warms and a strong yeasty aftertaste. Nice and dry. Hides the alcohol well. Love this one!

33cl bottle served in a Chimay chalice. Served at basement temps, which appears to be 57°. Monster 3 fingered head grows in the glass, due to the vigorous carbonation. Golden color, excellent clarity. Spicy phenols on the nose as well as soft alcohol, an earthy/musty character, yeast/vanilla, floral notes and fruity esters. Nice aroma. Light pils malt, honey, yeast, and lemony citrus at first followed by a rush of flavors-black pepper, mustiness, fruitcake, clean but prominent alcohol, and and earthiness. Alcohol heat and black pepper lingers into the finish. I recently judged Belgian Blond Ales at a homebrew competition and it made me appreciate this great style even more and this is a fine example.

Beer poured gold with a white head that stayed on the top as a film and laced nicely down the side of the glass. Aroma is spicey with earthyhops in the backround. flavor is dry, featuring pilsner malt, earthy hops, and a spicy yeast character. Some light esters. nice soft mouth feel. solid brew.

Bottled sample via presario. Light gold in colour with strong carbonation. Focused aromas of pilsner malt, flowers, a bit of stone fruit, and black pepper. More stone fruit in the mouth, along with some mandarin orange, spice, minerals, and a bit of earthy hop. The slight malt sweetness that is there is balanced by some mild bitterness. Very nice indeed.

330 mL bottle. Poured cloudy gold with fizzy bone white head. Floral aroma. Citrusy, spicy, and dry with notes of orange, coriander, lemon. These Achel monks make a damn fine beer.

Bottle, split with after4ever. Pours a cloudy gold with a lacy, massively fluffy white head. Aroma of candy and brown sugar. Sweet full body and light carbonation. Candy-coated sweet taste that leads to a woody dry finish with touches of spice.

Bottle, yeast swirling in the dark golden haze. Named as Achel Blond, no number 5 or 8. Fantastic aroma. Smooth and robust with notes of sweet fruits. Quality, drinkable, but not elite.

Pours a cloudy golden sunshine color. Explosive whitehead. Nice line of of bubbles rising up the side of the glass and good lacing that sticks around for a while. Aroma is aweet with hints of lemon. Some grainy scents, wheat, also bubblegum and granny smith apples. Flavor is apples and spice, bubblegum, pepper. Some astringency and a good bitter hop balance. Very creamy mouth feel and a lingering play between the hops and sweet yeasty flavors. Very enjoyable.