Rochefort Trappistes 8

Brewed by Brasserie Rochefort
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Rochefort, Belgium

Bottle. Pours a deep brown with a minimal off-white head. Smells like grapes or cherries, very appealing. Incredibly smooth taste, chocolate covered cherries comes to mind. If I had to guess I would put this at 1/2 the alcohol content that it actually is. This is a tasty beer. I can’t wait for the 10 that’s sitting in my fridge!

I enjoyed the 10 more than the 8, but this beer is probably more approachable. The tan head was not as thick as I had anticipated. Very smooth and thick like one would expect of a Belgian ale. The high alcohol content was apparent only from the label as the strong flavors hid it well.

(Bottle 330ml) poured into a goblet, hazy deep amber near brown, with a tan had that sticks around, nicely effervescent. Aroma is earthy, grainy, sweet dark brown caramelized sugar and molasses, sour berries and cherries some rum and brandy like character. Flavor is deep, faint vanillas and chocolates with sour cherry, peppery floral alcohol. Hints of coffee and cream. Mouthfeel is perfection for a belgian, medium full, yet dry with a combined effervescence from bottle conditioning and alcohol. A top notch belgian and overall excellent beer.

(Bottle 330ml) Poured cloudy reddish brown. Beige creamy head nearly vanished. Great sour cherry/black forest nose. Body and nose malty. Brandylike, fruity flavor, almost kirschwasser finish. Very complex mouthful of ale. Excellent beer.

Bottled (0,33) 2008. Colour is cloudy brown, quite a lot carbon, short lived head was creamy and brown. Aroma is sweetish, dark. Taste has toffee, and faint layers of fruits, berries and alcohol in it, all nicely balanced. Aftertaste is long, but pretty mild.

Smell of ripe dark fruits, figs, raisins. A bit of phenols. Pours a very dark amber, with an off-white head that clings to the glass in patches. Taste is complex, ripe dark fruits, rock candy, malty, hiding the 9.2% ABV very well. Love this beer!

Very good, but still far inferior to the Rochefort 10. Not nearly as complex or intense flavors. Dark brown color with a beige head. Aroma of candi sugar, dark fruits, sweet malt, and yeast. Similar to the others in the series flavor-wise: dark fruits, brown sugar, creamy malt, and of course alcohol. Really smooth and fairly full on the palate.

Dark brown with light tan foam. For me this beer has everything I like, a powerful taste, some fruits and caramel feel, and a good ballance of sweet and bitter and sour, but not too much. this is one of my favorite beer