Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

Darn fascinating. Nice cloudy auburn, head was sticky but thin and didn’t hang around too long. Nose is musty and sour, but can also detect hints of sweetness and cola. Flavor is sort of three-pronged, starting with a brandy-burn alcohol kick, a bit metallic and overnoticeable. The kick increases as it warms. At the swallow, this one seemed plenty malty and rich, with nutty cream that had lots of plum, cherries, and peppermint candies. As it’s swallowed and the flavor lengthens, the finish becomes long and toasty with a lingering sweetness of apples and pears, with a final smack of smokiness and faint chocolate. Very complex, worthy of the Trappist label, but I do with the alcohol was a mite more muted--has a bit too much burn to it.

Cloudy with a slightly off red color. Head is tan, large, and it lingers. Carmel enchances the sweet flavor with a strong alchol prescence. Sweet maltiness in the aroma as well.

Suffers from middle child/beer syndrome. Errr... no sorry. Anyway.. Pours a thick brown body with a balanced head. Fruity aroma - mainly plums and some berry. Finishes malty and sweet. As this warms it becomes fantastic. My Ommegang glass isn’t worthy of this.

Very good. I love Rochefort. God, I love Rochefort. This one had a blast of alcohol on first sip but mellowed out quite nicely. First beer of the day, ya know?

Deep murky chocolate brown in color with a dense, 1/3" tan, foamy head. Fabulous lacing as we proceed. Enticing aroma characterized by dry chocolate, cloves, pepper, some detectable alcohol, dried banana chips and earthen, dusty leaves. Rich and invigorating flavor. Anticipated carbonation tingles like seltzer on a mustache. Dry chocolate quality evolves into specialty chocolate covered prunes. One of the more impressive spicing displays, with phenols stemming from pepper, poppy seeds, cloves and a small scattering of nutmeg. A little loose in body but nothing too distracting, while it favors dryness to creaminess, making the flavor seem depleted at times. Encompassing finish, as a filmy presence protrudes with a muted chocolate, banana and plum aftertaste.

Bottle... Pours very dark, cloudy brown with a big, pillowy cream-colored head. The aroma is clean and fruity: banana, berries, mild hops, and smooth malt. The flavor has much the same character as the aroma, but with a yeasty foundation. The hops are a bit more present than other Belgians, and it makes an interesting complement to the rich vinous flavors. Altogether it’s very tasty, and it makes me want some aromatic cheese to eat with it.

Bottle best by date is 3.23.2010. Hazy light brown with a frothy tan head. Estery aromas of grape juice, cherry. Light/medium body. Relatively weak flavors of rootbeer spice with earthy caramel and sweet rye bread. Nice flavor just not enough of it.

Aroma is fantastic full of grapes, dates, spices, and nuts. Flavor is very smooth with a hint of bitterness. A nice woody and dark fruit flavor. It hides the alcohol amazingly well. This is certainly the short cousin of Rocherfort 10. Overall this a nice belgian but a little light bodied and not in the league of Rochefort 10.