Rochefort Trappistes 10

(Bottle). Aroma is enticingly fruity, with some caramel and malt. Color is absolutely gorgeous dark burgundy brown, with off-white head. Flavor is just as described by everyone else.....hits you first with complex fruitiness, then lingers to a dry satisfying finish. I don’t think the alcohol intrudes in any objectionable way (and I generally don’t go for the big ABV beers). This is a glorious Belgian brew.

caramel, resin, alcohol, black, sparkling, full body, thick feel, average carbonation, long finish,

I bought 3 of these in Japan on the internet for the princely sum of 800 yen per bottle (about £4). I’ve been hoarding them like a demented alcoholic squirrel waiting for the right moment to crack one open. I fell in love with Rochefort after being served it in a pub in the Grand Place in Brussels (it happened to be the first of the trip). I asked the waiter which beer he liked and he said the 10 was too strong for him (poof). In the space of about 30/40 minutes I’d worked my way through the whole range and got a funky afternoon buzz on. Everything about it screams quality; from the name and label, to the glass it’s served in, to the aroma and taste. Visually it reminded me of the murky, filthy, mud puddles we loved jumping around in as kids, and this beer produced the exact same feeling of euphoria. A deeply inviting aroma; caramelised sugar, cocoa, malt and hints orange zest. The zest transfers to the palate and is pleasantly fizzy for this style of beer. The alcohol is conspicuous in the aroma but much less so in the taste; if weren’t for the delightful buzz i’m getting i’d swear blind it wasn’t 11.3%. Melted galaxy chocolate, freshly baked mixed fruitcake with a persistent aftertaste. For the first time i can feel comfortable saying there is a party in my mouth. This is the Bob Dylan of the beer world. Perfect imperfection.

Drank at room temp. Poured with 1/2 inch white head. The aroma is lacking, but the flavor definitely doesn’t. Complex and very enjoyable to drink. Very smooth and abv is almost undetectable.

Bottle. Poured a reddish dark brown with plenty of beige head dissipating quite quickly. Complex rich aroma with fruits and spice and early on something rather funky. Full bodied with good carbonation giving a creamy, fluffy mouthfeel. Strong complex taste that evolves. Initial fruit and spice evolves into a rich dark toffee, raisins chocalate phase which develops a long rich and slightly bitter finish. A very well balanced and complex beer.