Achel 8 Bruin

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

Bottle. Deep hazy copper colour with a giant off-white head. Komplex, roasted and somewhat biscuity malt aroma with some coffee and yeast. medium bodied and smooth. Balanced flavour with a slightly dry finish.

brown with a loose foam head, a caramel malt nose, with a toasted malt warming flavour

Aroma of sweet malt, caramel, dark fruit, and spice. Pour is a dark brown/amber with a nice light tan head. Flavors of spice, dark fruit, cherries, sweet malt, and yeast. A nice belgian, but not quite up to par with the other trappists.

Bottle. Cloudy amber colour with a huge off-white head. Sweet fruity flavour, candy and cherries. Moderate flavour, a bit burned and almost thin despite the alcohol content. Slightly rough mouthfeel.

sampled at blind "Better Know a Style: Belgian Strong Ale" tasting 07. poured an amber-brown with off-white head. nose was cookie, molasses, raisin, plum, vanilla, and pear. very nice nose. flavor was so watery and bland, some caramel notes. palate was light-medium body, watery, and alcohol was well hidden. just way too watery.

Huge beige creamy head very slowly subsides into weird ice cream shapes. Hazily opaque brown body with carbonation. Sweet firm malt aroma with harmonic licorice and hop notes. Taste is again sweet and acidic malts with notes of licorice, pepper, cane sugar, and hops. Some chocolate, paradise seeds, cinnamon, and wood as well. A bit watery. Extremely complex, and a bit rough, but still very nice. (0.33l bottle.)

Bottle at St. Veronus. Was recommended as an alternative to Rochefort 10. On first sip I wanted to jump out of my seat and say "you’re kidding right?" Not too bad a beer. But certainly not satisfactory. Hints of spices in the flavour. Nose was a little dull and the body itself didn’t hold out too well. Amber-brown ale with a minimal bitterness to the taste, and just plain unpleasing. Wouldn’t buy again.

Bottle @ Bishops Arms Umeå. After I’d seen the light with the Achel 8 Blond I started getting high hopes for this beer. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, my inflated expectations were punctured after the pour. Murky, muddy brown in appearance with a fizzly head that sparkled for a minute or two. Like the Blond there’s a drier, more cork and caramel quality to this beer than most BSAs. Semi-sweet upfront, then quite bitter, earthy (mushrooms?) and finally a spiritous finish. It was disappointingly bland. From this brewery this particular gentleman prefers Blonds.