Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

IT is a great beer, endeed, but the smoked taste is sometimes annoying for me, but the quality is there, it worthed it what I payed for it. Finally I got it.

11/22/2009: Trappistes Rochefort 8... Aroma: A bit sweeter than the Rochefort 6; dark caramelized fruits and malt sugars; other characteristics like that of deep red wine; maybe a hint of something herbal or even like peppermint. Appearance: Dull brown color; murky/cloudy and opaque; frothy beige-colored crown. Flavor: "Darker" tasting and more rich than the Rochefort 6; caramel; dark brown sugar; roasted chesnuts; hints of chocolate; notes of creamy sherry or other liqueur; something that I can only desribe as watermelon; a splash of vanilla; more alcohol, but all of the flavors are also heightened as well; oxidation is starting to set in and is detracting a little bit from the overall flavor... Palate: Medium to medium-full carbonation; good level of carbonation; slightly sticky on the lips. Overall: Definitely obvious that this is the bigger brother to Rochefort 6 since the characteristics are similar, but everything is bigger; this a very good beer priced at $4.99+tax/bottle!

e33 cl bottle ( ALC. 9,2% VOL. / Consume before: 30 06 09 ) from Rivers Bend Wine and Spirits in Maineville, Ohio. Rating #1836 for this beer. Score: 8/3/8/3/16 = 3.8

Very seasoned and fruty a very complex beer. I had this at the official shop "Hubert". 1,5€ for one. This was great. It cant reach the 10!

Rating #1 (8/10/02) Bottle with a finish date of 2/13/07 brought to me accross the pond by Nuffield (8 4 8 3 18). A dark cloudy brown color with a bubbly white head that quickly subsides. Much drier and more sparkling than the Rochefort 10. The aroma is a little musty with dry fruits, nuts, figs, and dates. Fairly high carbonation with some chalkiness. Remains dry and spicy. Rating #2 (7/14/03) - Bottle with a finish date of 10/2/07 (8 4 7 4 18). A dark ruby brown color with a big foamy tan head. Rich malty aroma with some dry dark fruits and chocolate. Chalky, dry, burnt caramel and malt flavors with some fruits (dates). Rating #3 (8/14/06) (8 4 7 3 17). Bottle with a 2/10/07 expiration date. A chestnut brown color with a silky light brown head. Plums, raisins, mollasas, and toffee flavors. Mildly thin at the finish but leaves a wonderful fruit and earthy flavor.

Bottled. Reddish brown color with very thick creamy head. Plums, figs, tart fruity esters, vanilla, peppery spiciness and chocolatey higher alcohols in the aroma. Woody licorice, caramel and munchener malt in the background. Sweet flavor balanced by warming alcohols. Chocolatey with some fruity tartness and caramel. Despite the high alcohol content, soft, mellow and very creamy palate with suprisingly light body. Warming, woody and caramelly finish. This beer is heavy in warming alcohols, but suprisingly, they deliver great complexity without any unpleasant tones.

Muddy, dark purple; big, fuzzy, funky head. Wondrous nose: cherries, berries, bananas, sugar and spice, some citrus. On the tonque, something of a challenge. Pounds and pounds of flavor! Is it supposed to be a Tripel? The strength and the rather firm, full texture are a drawback to drinkability. Other drawback is that the only place I’ve been able to buy this was in a wine shop that overprices and undersells it’s quality beer. It was in a clearance bin, marked down. Maybe a better cared for bottle would have tasted differently?

Lovely full taste of malt and rich dark fruit, warming alcohol noticeable especially in the nose. Appearance is very good, a dark cola body with tawny edges and a large light tan frothy head which decorates the glass with great layers of lacing. Initial taste is a little harsh but upon the second sip it smooths out lovely, caramel comes and goes throughout the experience along with a lot of other flavours, finish is long and lasting so overall a serious beer to be savoured.

Burnished amber, beautiful head that persists well, tiny bubbles. The aroma was malty, but not overly sweet. Perfect palate. The flavor was of gentle malt, milk chocolate, and distant dark fruits. Far less complex than its big brother. Enjoyable, but not special.