Achel 8 Blond

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

16.12.2006, 0,33l Bottle. The colour is golden yellow. Aroma is malty wheat. Very lively carbonated. Tastes really nice.

From bottle, straw color, high carbonation, nice large head, nice body, main impression is spicy

Of the six official Trappist breweries, the newest one to descend upon my wide world of beer is Achel. As the newest addition to official Trappist brewed beer, they have three simple yet decadent offerings: blonde, bruin, and extra. Today, I am about to wrap my lips around the simply sublime Blonde, a hot sensual tryst that I may never return from.

Hazy orange and gold, she glows in the light as if a product of light herself. A blessing from above? She is a beer of sacred standing, after all. A halo of white exudes its own brilliance, never fading once during our holiest of matrimonies. Bubbles bead all along the sides and bottom of my chalice, bursting forth to bring me sweet, doughy, yeasty Belgian blonde esters. Spice and oranges tease while lemon becomes lemon ice which transforms into the finest of chilled lemoncello. A cup of shaved orange ice sits next to me, sprinkled with cinnamon and chopped apricots. Dinner rolls of buttery, sweet varieties flesh out the background while slightly faint over-ripe banana esters lead into wet cereal grains, honey, and more tropical esters with cantaloupe and honeydew. I could smell her blessings all day long, but that would be a disservice to the lady. Our embrace is long, full-bodied, and decadently rich. Her effervescence is slightly subdued in comparison to some of her more bubbly compatriots, but I don’t mind. Hops sparkle and tingle on the top of my tongue with grass, hay, and bitter citric skins. Composing the meat of our time together are juicy melons and oranges drizzled with honey that coat the inside of my mouth while I gently chew through her warm butter rolls and sweet Hawaiian rolls. She finishes each quaff with a tantalizing nip of tart fruits while my breath is warm with cinnamon sticks and coriander. No detectable banana though there is a banana creaminess to her body. Refreshing and filling at the same time, I loosen my inhibitions even further, setting pen down to cup my chalice reverently with both hands for our final moments together.

Do not scoff at the notion of beervana; that moment of sheer enlightened bliss where it is just you and your beer. No noises, no sounds, no world to ruin the bliss. The time I spent with the Achel Blonde was just that. Simple, sheer, purely indulgent bliss of the most sacred of vestments: Trappist Beer.

33cl bottle bought in Belgium. Poured blond with a huge relatively coarse head, nose is gorgeous - honeyed with a hint of lemon, lots of alcohol, and nutty malt. Smooth at first on the palate, then spicey and honey again, with notes of peach and maybe banana, and a dry malty finish.

Bottle at The Only Cafe. More head than expected, and very frothy white. I thought I was buying the bruin until I saw the open bottle up close. I set myself up for disappointment (not the biggest fan of blonde ales), but this one took me for a ride. Lighter palate, but just as flavourful as the bruin (although milder in taste). Fizzy with brown sugar, banana, cloves, plums (oddly quasi-reminiscient of a weissbier). Wonderful brew.

A light golden beer with a massive 4 finger head that never went away. The head was so white & frothy I let it sit for 10-15 minutes & it never went away. Aroma was grassy & spritzy & had a fair amount of carbonation. Taste was the same as the aroma & was a very smooth beer.

Banana and clove aroma, moderate strength. Clear yellow, thick head, great lacing. Lots of banana with a healthy citrus accompaniment. ABV is obvious. Most definitely brewed with a wheat strain of yeast. Pretty nice.

Bottle, no notes really just going from memory. Nice colour, really good mouthfeel, sparkly. Flavour was nice and spiced but not as intense or refreshing as some other trappists.