Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

From a 33 cl bottle, best before 2008 so it was very fresh. Gorgeous dark mahogany-coloured beer with a moderate light tan-coloured head. Plum, raisin, clove and black pepper obvious in the nose at first pass. Taste is fairly alcoholic (maybe because of age), but it's not unbalanced as a result like some others. I get some light candi sugar, caramel, and warm spices. Slightly bready with a long warm finish. Not nearly as complex as the 10 I had earlier this year, but then I shouldn't have expected it to be. Still a fantastic beer.

Dark brown, tan head which dies quickly. Bananas and limes in the nose. Flavor of sweet sugary bananas, a little abrasive from the alcohol. Cloves, wood and nuts are picked up. Heavier on the alcohol, more "salty".

This pours a solid lighter brown color with a respectable tan head. The aroma is like one of those rarities, a good holiday fruit cake, dark fruits and candied fruits with a hint of malt to hold it together. This is very soft in the mouth. It’s got a solid malt backbone with all kinds of fruit flavors and spices running through it. The alcohol presence really only comes through in the finish, and it’s not overbearing. Good drink.

opaque brown color. Moderate head which turns in to a velvety solt bed of creamy bubbles - like the last bit of cream on top of a rootbeer float. Quite assertive at first but after sitting everything comes out. Dates, cherries, toffee, slight licorice, wintergreen, dark candi, sour apples...I’m sure there are more but this sample is gone. Finishes very light with a hint of malt and spice. Very smooth after it warms up. Do not service this one to cold.

Bottled. Beautiful spicy and fruity aroma with red berries and plum. Brown color, light brown creamy head, good lace. Sweet, spices, pepper, light bitter, very fruity, very warming that lingers forever, medium body.

Deep dark tawny with ruby and crimson colors. Tan head that creams up first, then retreats to just keep the top of the glass covered. Aroma is bready with fruits, plums, raisin, lilac. Delicious sweetness hints through the nose, this is an awesome beer and I haven't even tasted it yet. The flavor is very balanced, almost no alcohol bites through, but a light warmth is definately felt. Also a lightly salty finish. Mouthfeel is creamy and wet, finishes quick but lingers where it counts. This is a great Belgian Strong, definately deserving of its reputation.

Bottled at Bierodrome, Holborn. Amazed it turns out I hadn’t rated this before. Mid brown/chocolate colour. Rather muddy appearance. Plummy/pruney fruit (also raisins), rich malt, milky chocolate, light spiciness. Smooth, rich mouthfeel. Some light acidity on the finiah with apple/pear notes. There’s also a residual sweetness in that Belgian candy sugar style. Truth be told, I’m not a great fan of sweet beers and I’d prefer a bigger hop whack to cut through. Sure its a fine beer, with lots of complex fruity elements but, for my palate, the sweetness knocks it back a touch. Dries out a bit in the aftertaste.

Bottle. I tried 10, 8 and 6 in order to determine if there was a major difference. The aroma, flavor and texture was very much alike to me with only a change in the alcohol bite at finish. Very good brew.