Achel 8 Bruin

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

Sometimes things that are famous and acclaimed are famous because they deserve to be...and that is the case with this beer. During my Belgium visit, I kept thinking that the best beers of my trip would be diamonds in the rough, things I’d never heard of, and that just wasn’t the case. This one is acclaimed, and deserves to be. It poured a hazy brown, with an industrial-looking head of uniformly sized bubbles which had excellent staying power. It took me about 20 minutes to drink this beer, and the head stayed whole pretty much the whole time. Aroma was sweet and just slightly sour with some non-descript fruit notes. Taste was excellent; lightly fruity and sour with an excellent dry mouthfeel and very good drinkability. I was impressed by this beer and would recommend it highly. I bought this bottle at Beer Mania in Brussels.

33cl bottle: appearance is a dark amber brown with slow fading off white head, aroma kind of fruity has some plum along with some yeasty smells and a hint of alcohol, flavor is kind of sour again some plum and a hint of yeast and way over carbed, i have never had a beer with this much CO2 other than that not bad but was way different that any other belgian strong ale i have had.

Pours dark brown with thin, tight head. Aromas of yeast, a brown sugar, with slight caramel evident. Flavor is very sweet but well balanced. Some roast apparent, which surprised me. Dark fruit rounds out the malt character with a slight yeast offering. Flavorful, and well balanced.

Pours an ugly brown. Dirty looking. Extremely effervescent head which worried me at first. Aroma is a bit chocolaty and fruity. Flavor is of malt and a bit of booze. Nice sweetness and pairs well with chocolate dessert. Very full and silky on the palate. Very good beer.

pours a reddish brown with a big white frothy head. Aroma of fruit, malt, and some dry tartness. Flavor is pretty light- nice dark fruit sweetness, but nothing heavy. Nice beer, but nothing earth-shattering.

33cl bottle, deep brown/red colour, huge white head, fruits (raisins), yeast and malt aroma, spices notes, sweet flavor, medium body, dry finish with alcohol and chocolate notes

This dark brown ale poured in an Achel goblet with a beautifuil fluffy beige head. There is a delicate, but full, roasted malt and fruit flavor with a floral finish, the product of a masterful candy sugar technique. Beats the hell out of Orval.

Bottle. Dark bown with a big beige head. Aroma and flavour of spice, caramel, roasted malt and fruit.