Rochefort Trappistes 8

Murky brown pour, medium-sized and lingering light beige head. Malty chocolate and fruit notes in the aroma. Plenty of maltiness and alcohol in the body (but still very drinkable and not unpleasantly alcoholic at all), with a fairly complex overall palate.

Toasty nose with subtle dried fruits, white grapes and furniture polish. Very sophisticated and complex on the palate. Even with 18 months or so of age, the secondaries are really coming through. Delicate but well-shaped finish. The whole thing is very subtle in every way, but also very enjoyable. An easy drinker at almost 10% ABV. Well done.

33cl Bottle. Poured a dark murky brown color with a thin beige head. Great aroma and taste - both are complex but balanced. The carbonation was moderate. This is a great beer.

Bottled. Hazy murky brown with thin tan head. Aroma is fruity with apple and various fresh fruit, also yeasty/bready with malt, molasses/syrupy and alcohol nose. Flavor is caramel malt and booe with heavier bready feel. Also lighter fruits. Texture is medium thin and clean on the tongue. Leaves lasting malt flavor on tongue.

Bottle at 9th ave vitner with Thor the viking. Poured into a large duvel Trappist glass. Deep brown, think off white head with plenty of floaters. Large aroma of wet figs, molasses, green apple and alcohol. Taste is malty, dark fruits and molasses with ripe carbonation. Very nice sipper, delicate and robust.

Bottle - figured it was time to rate one of my ’gateways’. Deep bright brown with a nice-sized head that falls pretty quickly. Nose is bread and caramel with dark fruits and bitter cocoa - not dusty, but like chocolate ganache. Taste is very yeasty to start with sweet plums and toffee mid, then the subtly bitter, woody chocolate. Just a hint of dark rum heat on the tongue. Super-well-made beer. Brings memories of buying 3 of these @ a convenience store in a small belgian town and drinking them out of plastic hotel room cups.

Bottle. Dark murky brown pour with a thick, lasting white head. Rich ripe grape and plum aromas thick with some roasted barley aromas and nuts. Some alcohol and yeast in traces. Sweet sticky toffee taste with rhum and grapes. Beautifully full and mellow mouthfeel.

Very fine, sweet, floral aroma. This is a malty and complex ale, with flavors of baking chocolate, cola, and hops. It is dry and well-bittered, but with a sweet, gingerbread softness in it also. Fairly light-bodied, and it is hard to believe this has a 9.2% alcohol content. RT8 grabs the palate’s attention with a lingering tingle. This is probably my favorite of the Trappistes Rochefort releases - an excellent brew.