Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

Bottle. Mahogony color with a big beige head. Sweet date/fig/malt aroma with some berry tones. Malt and fig flavors with a yeasty, spicey finish. Nice richness and complexity. Slight alcohol presence. Did a side-by-side tasting with the Westvleteren 8 and the Rochefort was by far the better beer.

Thick and bubbly head. Brown color with sediment. Aroma of caramel, malt, spices and maybe vanilla. Complex flavors of yeast, caramel and maybe vanilla. Slightly bitter with a sweet finish. Very good.

When pouring this beer in my glass the aroma is strong and heavy, fruits, sweet and chocolate, a beautifull head develops which remains till the beer has vanished into my body. I noticed that while drinking, the beautifull head actually cleans the glass. Remarkable...The taste is definately good, but certainly not as complex as its big brother, the number 10. Though it’s well balanced just like the 10. Sweet taste, alchol well masked, just in the finished it’s better noticed. palate could be better. Overall great!

Thanks to Darkover for the trade. This wasn't quite as good as the "10" but still a very good beer. Pours a pretty dark reddish-brown with a very thick and foamy beige head. Aroma of chocolate, cherry, malt and cloves. Smooth-drinking, with flavors of banana, malt, sherry and chocolate all vying for attention. Great finish, if a little carbonated toward the end for my tastes. All in all another fine effort from Rochefort.

33cl bottle. Brown and opaque body, large white head, excellent lacing. A lot of light brown sediments at the bottom of my glass. Molasses, spices and alcohol aroma. Taste is cacao, burn caramel, brown sugar, woody. Alcohol is present and pleasant. Finish is dry and chalky with a light astringency. A very earthy and complex beer. Lives up to its reputation and it’s now part of my diet. A balanced diet is a Rochefort 8 in one hand and a Rochefort 10 in the other.

Had a few of these in the cellar for a couple of years, and I thought I’d make this number 400! Chocolate, caramel, brown sugar aroma. Hazy pomegranate in colour, big, noisy, creamy, toffee head, some floaties. Plums, almonds, dark brown bread, black cherries, and towards the middle, chocolate. Complex, an incredible range of flavours, bitter after taste, wonderful mouthfeel. Lace is very long lasting. Great tongue tingle and dry at the finish. A marvelous beer,an incredible privelege!

330ml bottle. Frothy off-white and long lived head over a cloudy, copper brown body. Aroma of malt, dark fruit and yeast. Assorted flavours of coffee, figs, cheese and sweet malts. There is also some yeasty notes towards the end. Smooth and crispated mouthfeel. Medium to full bodied. Roasty finish with warming alcohol.

Pours dark brown with a strong cream color head. Rich aroma of fruits, cake, caramel, roasted nuts, figs, chocolate, and light spices. Malt flavor is amazingly complex, bursting with flavors, one minute fruit, the next sweet cake flavors, next roasty chocolate. The alcohol never shows, leaving with a sweet, but not cloying, after dinner beer.