Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

(Bottle at The Rover, Göteborg) Pours dark red/brown with a light brown head. Smells marzipan. Alcohol. Malt. Plums and liquorice. The taste is sweet. Soil and smokey tobaco. Salty. Marzipan. Almonds. Brown sugar and some milk- chocolate. 8/3/6/4/15 Second try: (Bottle, 2 to 3 years old) Pours dark mahogany brown. Creamy, pale nougat coloured head. The aroma holds earthy and fruity tones up front. Mild tones of figs, prunes, ripe dark cherries, green raisins, rum, brown sugar, mild burned cookies, tobacco, chocolate, liquorice and maybe a touch of blackberries and black currant. Bit Belgo-spicy as well. A tiny touch of herbs and citrus acid. The flavour is light to medium sweet, light bitter and tiny acidic with tones of dried/dark fruit, cherries, spices, earth, tobacco, dark sugar, chocolate, cookies and liquorice. The mouthfeel is round and velvety with that typical, playful Rochefort carbonation. Complex but subtle finish. Medium bodied.

Bottle. The pour is red and murky with a fluffy, long lasting white head. Good lacing here. The aroma is mouthwatering indeed. Loads of sweet, dried fruits, berries, licorice, raisins, cloves, pineapple, and hints of wool. It’s a fairly dense beer, but not hugely over the top. As bold as the flavor profile is, it still has many soft nuances. I picked up hints of licorice, earth, strawberry, whole barley. This is vary tasteful, refined, and complex. Good stuff.

$4.49/11.2oz from Holiday Wine Cellar. Pours with average head, but blossoms into a thick creamy wonder after a couple of minutes. Nice mild caramel aroma. Nice sweet taste with an alchohol nose. Why do I pause to say this is a great beer? Maybe because great isn’t good enough. This beer is great!

33cl bottle from Willow Bend Liquors (Tampa). Pours a dark brown to black with a creamy two-finger tan-white head that dissipates quickly leaving lacing on the glass. Aroma: malt, barley, hazelnut, and spice. Flavor: oakey, earthy, caramel, toffee, coffee on finish. Medium to full-bodied, with well-hidden alcohol of over 9%. Excellent trappist ale.

Bottle What a strong aroma escaping form the pour, very sweet - currants, candied fruit. Great head that dosen’t really lose itself. Taste is very balanced. First sip - good, sweet flavor/ well balanced. As it warms the character of the ale comes out strong, almost takes over you. Very drinkable with a palate that grabs you. Final sip - "may I have another". Double cheers.

A complex beer in the style of its stronger brother, but easier to drink. Good.

Bottle. Pours a murky brown with a bunch of floaters and a one finger beige head. The nose is light fruit and caramel. The taste is earth, light chocolate, fruit and caramel with some light booze. Medium prickly mouthfeel. It’s good, but I expected more since the 10 is one of my favorite beers.

Bottle from a southern season in chapel hill. These comments are going to be short and sweet. Didnt write anything down last night. This beer drinks well below 9.2% Fairy spritzy, with dark fruits and spices highlighted in the flavor. Trappistes are great.