 eaglefan538 (2013), Wilmington, Delaware, USA
Jun 2, 2006 Updated: Jul 14, 2007
Outstanding. Poured a nice dark brown color with hues of red in the light. Head was about a finger thick and pillowy and lasted throughout the drink with sound lacing. Sediment was fun to watch settle at the bottom. Aroma was sweet and spicy with some dark fruit and yeast scents. Mouthfeel was smooth, slightly creamy, with solid carbonation. The flavor was outstanding: started out spicy and finished sweet with plum or some other dark fruit (plums). Alcohol didn’t hide as well on my second tasting of this beer, although the first time it didn’t seem overpowering and the 3/07 tasting of a fresh bottle was smooth as anything. This beer is rated highly for a reason, a little fruitier and sweeter than Westy 12. (Sampled a June ’04 batch both of the first two times, and a Nov ’06 bottle the third time.). Re-rate, 2/07, 2yr old cellared version (June ’04), and this thing was ever so smooth, the alcohol settled down so well, the dark fruits were very nicely supported, waiting underneat the entire beer experience, those plums really catching mem, yet not sweet. The main knock on Roche 10 when fresh can be the alcohol, but this aged version was fantastic. Somewhere in between fresh and 2yrs is probably the optimum, though (slight oxidation, cardboard underneath???). 7/07 re-rate of a few month old bottle (24.01.11) in a horizontal between St. B’s 12 and Westv. 12, this one the clear and firm winner, my favorite quadruple, surpassing the others in a few verticals to-date, only one bad experience with alcohol heat, never repeated. The pour was beautiful, the aroma was floral, plums, dark fruits, overall fruits, spices. The flavor followed suit, so rich and full, finishing with a little spice zing, bready yeast finish, touch of metallic notes (but in a good way and probably only described as such for lack of a better descriptor). Really, a wonderful quad, sweetens with warmer temperatures, yet the alcohol was sublte still, the sweetness not over the top, rich, balanced with some spicey zing, and light yeast bitterness. Wonderful stuff.
thejoeshow (61), Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Jul 6, 2008 330ml bottle. Pours a deep dark brown color with little hints of amber. There is a VERY nice beige head that has excellent retention and lacing. The nose is raisin and almost fruity, it has a very complex aroma that I can’t really only describe as deep. Flavor is all over the place. Very complex. The "commercial" description of "Strong plum, raisin, and black currant" pretty much nails it. There is a sweetness to it but it is nice and mellow, not sweet like you would think. There is also a very subtle bitterness to it that is not even close to over powering. Very nicely balanced. This truly is an extremely unique beer that is a treat to drink. The funny part about this beer is that while you are drinking it you forget this bad boy packs a punch, weighing in at 11.3% alc by vol. wow! You would never know...until the end of the glass.
MuttyD (13), Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Jul 6, 2008 Perfection in a bottle. Cloudy brown, big foamy head. Aroma really opens up when drank in the proper glass. Smooth on the palate with huge amounts of raisins, brown sugar, sweet fruit. Excellent syrupy/sticky finish. Truly a world class beer.
aplusbreaks (20), , Colorado, USA
Jul 6, 2008 Bottle thanks to me! Poured into a trappist glass o so beautifully, Dark brown almost raisin like. A small but firm and lasting tan head. And dont forget the chunks of yeast that ended up in the glass. Aromas of raisins, dark fruit, some spice and alcohol. The taste was nothing short of delicious. extremely complex and each sip varies. A nice sweet brew with raisins and dark fruits, and a fairly hot finish. Sweet but not to sweet. I will be going back for more and cellaring as much as possible, if I can keep my hands off it for that long!
DutchCrow (13), Alkmaar, Netherlands
Jul 1, 2008 Two bottles at Beermuseum De Boom in Alkmaar. Really good. Normally I’m not a big fan of beers with more than 10% of alcohol, but this one is great. You don’t have that strong alcoholic scent (although you’ll feel it afterwards, haha!) The taste is very special. It’s not as sweet as other beers, but also not too bitter. Just a perfect balance. Enjoy!
foodtraveller (21), Belgium
Jul 1, 2008 Dark with a very nice foam. Aroma is with raisin, malt and banana. Taste follows the nose adding a very long aftertaste, some sweetness and carbonation, maybe some moka flavor. Different from other trappist as in sweeter and less bitter, but stunningly good. Warning ... the alcohol bites afterwards.
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