Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

Dark brown color. Large head. Aroma is malty, cherry with a touch of chocolate and brandy. A full bodied trappist ale. Big malt flavors. Chocolate, cherries and toffee. Touches of banana, vanilla and raisins. Well balanced. Extremely well balanced. Hides the 9.3% alcohol very well. I think I like this one better than the 10. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is lightly bitter.

This brew poured a very large envigorated head of creamy fine light brown bubbles and a yeasty opaque light brown body. Its aroma was of a medium strength roasted malt. It had a very smooth complex palate with flavors of caramel malt and a very smooth but slightly tingly mouthfeel. I liked it better overall that the3 Rochefort 10. It had an excellent lacing.

Bottle. Have had the 6 and 10, so not it was time to battle with the 8. As with the others the 8’Th has some of the Rochefort trademark aroma and taste. It pours unclear and dark chestnut like in colour with and extraordinary coffee-cream like head. What a display of aroma and taste. Roasted caramel and candies, date, raisins, figs and some yeast. Slight liquorish, chocolate and nuts as well. Amazingly full bodied with an incredible well balanced bittersweet finish. I will never get tiered of Rochefort!

Bottle. Pours a mahogany brune body with a tan head. Chewy sweet chocolate malts, dark fruit plum and raisin notes. Hints of ash char and and mineral notes. Hints of spicy cinnamon caramel and vinous notes. Infinitely complex and enjoyable. My favorites range 5 to 8 years old. What a phenomenal beer. I raise this glass to the top 100. The rating is for a 2002 vintage bottle consumed in 2008. Amazing brew!

Bottle at home. Brown - white head. Aroma: sweet banana (brown banana), redberries, juice af redberries, plums. Taste: Fermented plums, plumwine, and some of it reminds me of wheatbeer. Strange -- not my kind of beer. (4/4/5/2/12) Re-rate: I found it a lot better this time. Not that powerful in the banana - "wheatbeer" - very fruity, berris, yeas, hoppy, nice and complex !!! Bottle

Very dark brown-amber color with a creamy, long-lasting, light brown head. Sweetish and spicy, toffee and roasted malt aroma with maple syrup. Very malty, spicy and bitter, sweetish and salty flavor with toffee. Very pleasant, sweet and syrupy aftertaste. Mouthfeel is very warming, full, sweetish and foamy-carbonated with a slight alcohol burn. Needs to be drank warmer than fridge temperature, or the metallic side will steal the show. Very warming, strong and pleasant trappist overall.

Dark and filling with white head. Nuts caramel liquirice. A bit warm from the alcohol which is pleasant. Chocolate, tobacco & dark dried fruits. A bit of sweetness and a great long finish! Great! Almost as good as the 10!

Bottle bb 8.7.08 Grapes, plums a metallic vineous note in the aroma. Bread base - on top of that cherries, plums in madeira, nuts, marzipan - christmassy. Phenolic citric note in the aftertaste. Medium body, mellow mouthfeel.