Achel 8 Blond

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

Hazy gold and very carbonated with a sticky white head. Spicy, yeasty citrus sherbert flavors with banana notes. Spritzy mouthfeel. Earthy finish.

Bottle. Yellow/ orange colour with a large off-white head. Fruity apple with hops aroma. Flavour is long fruity apple with ahint of hop. Weak dry fruity finish. a beautiful beer.

This beer reminds me of Jurassic Park in that I feel I can penetrate the amber with a needle and suck out DNA from all the neutrally-buoyant chunks floating throughout. Pouring with a tight, creamy head that crinkles into fjords as it dissipates; the Achel 8 Blond is effervescent with a fruity and slightly metallic scent. The taste begins with a spiciness that holds onto the back of your tongue and gently converts to a modest bitter end.

Bottle sampled with Stegosaurus. Pours hazy golden with an off-white head. Aroma of spices, sweet malts, fruit and yeast. Flavor is sweet, spicey, floral, yeasty, sour and bitter.

12 oz bottle. Pours a slightly hazy gold colored body under a creamy one finger white head. Great retention and lacing. Moderate sediment in bottle. Very nice fruity nose with banana, spicy yeast, light alcohol, clove, and pepper. Flavor is very fruity and refreshing with lots of spicy yeast, fairly dry on the finish. The finish also has sort of a dusty aged character to it. Mouthfeel is light with lots of carbonation. After the carbonation settles dawn, the texture becomes fairly creamy. Overall, a pleasant beer, not overly complex, but enjoyable. I found this to be much better than their Brune.

This one poured a clear, golden brown from the bottle until I got to all the yeasties disturbed all that. Slightly hoppy aroma, but somewhat muted. Not bad. Medium to full bodied. Small carbonation (not crisp, but you notice it nevertheless). Almost no head or lacing, small white bubbles. Aftertaste is very dry. Flavor dominated by the alcohol with some citrus and malt.

Pours hazy golden into the glass, with yeasty floatations through and through. Good head and decent lacing. Doughy spice aromas. Honey and slight alcohol notes to the flavor, with spice afterthoughts. Thicker consistency to the palate, and extremely satiating. Some astringent alcohol latent in the pull, and as the beer warms, the bouquet opens and more notes of citrus and vegetable compliment by shining through.

Hazy honey gold with a massive chunky head that lasts forever and leaves generous lace. Aromas of baked bread, honey, and vague stonefruit. Very smooth and heavy, sweet malt with subtle spicy vanilla and fruity yeast. Alcohol is well integrated and unobtrusive. I admit that I’m not the biggest fan of this style, but this was excellent.