Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

Pours a dark murky brown with some floaties this time. Slight boozy flavor but not overpowering. I wish I didnt have a cold because it is really effecting my senses. Dark fruits, raisin plum, caramel and malt. Relatively mild for 9.2 ABV.

Bottle. Dark brown bit hazy body with a medium off-white head. Lots of overripe fruit, spices and malt in aroma. Flavour is prunes, raisins, oak, caramel and lots of malt. Bit alcoholic feeling in the finish.

I’d had this a few times and it had never lived up to my expectations. Seemed like they didnt travel well. Clearly i was wrong! This one was in perfect condition! BB:29/04/13 Pours murky, red/brown with 2 fingers of off-white head that persists for the duration. Aromas of caramel, honey and dark fruits as well as a slight hint of chocolate. Palate has great depth, sweet bread, nuts, caramel, figs and raisins. Despite richness never gets sweet. Has a very creamy mouthfeel. Finishes with low hop bitterness. Great length due to abv spice and earthy yeast charcters. Subtle, balanced and super complex.

Smells heavily of bread, apple, peach when I open the bottle, sticking my nose in the glass is much subtler fruit some dried fig, vanilla, cotton candy. It really teases the nose with a just-out-of-reach sweetness. Pour is brown opaque with a quick settling creamy head, slight lacing with beautifully dense bubbles. Very fine carbonation like a good champagne. Tangy on tongue with lots of lemon-lime citrus flavor and slight toasted malt. Again there is a teasing sweetness, cotton candy and tropical fruit but not quite. Each sip is refreshing a light but with a proper finish. I can see why this is rated so highly really a delightful beer.

Takes me back to a time where this, Westy, and La Trappe were the main beers to buy at the Sharp Edge... Anyway, pours a muddy brown color, complete with suspended yeast particles, small tan head. Big aroma, cherries, dark fruit, bready yeast. Perfect mouthfeel, not too thick, nicely carobnated. Tasty, spiced, nutty, lots of malt, touch of cola. Biting, mildly funky finish. A standout beer.

Smooth aroma of figs, vanilla, bubble gum, yeast. Dark brown pour with plenty of sediment left in the bottle. Huge creamy head. Hugely complex taste of brown sugar, chocolate, dark fruit, again the bubble gum, vanilla. Perfect palate, as smooth and full as you could ever want. The alcohol is present and warming. Just a tad bitter in the followthrough. I am totally impressed.

Bottle served in a trappist glass. Effervescent dark amber liquid topped by a dense off-white head. Smells of raisins, warm vanilla, brown sugar. Taste of spices, some fruit, alcohol. Tastes nothing like it smells which is a bit disappointing. Warmth and dryness is created by the alcohol. The carbonation is very prickly, it almost stings a little. Interesting and different, but I think I would have liked it more if it tasted the way it smelled.

Dark plum color, light tan head. Big mouth, full taste of malt with raisins and berries. Bittersweet finish. A classic.