Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

Dark red amber, with a creamy tan head. Lots of dark fruit and bready malt aromas. This is very smooth and soft, with lots of chocolate accompanying the fruit flavors. The alcohol is much less pronounced than the 10, which makes this just a bit more appealing to me. Finish is warming alcohol balanced with some hops and chocolate, leaving a malty, sweet aftertaste. A strong, complex superior ale that is amazingly good. My favorite of all the Trappist ales.

(330 ml bottle). This superb Trappist ale pours with an enormous thick head, colour is cloudy dark brown. It has a lovely aroma of oak, leather, dried fruits and a hint of cigar tobacco. Flavour is malty and spicy with a warming mouthfeel, otherwise alcohol is well hidden. Dangerously drinkable! Moderate bitterness, rounded aftertaste. This ale truly belongs in the Premier League of Beers!

rich spicy/fruity nose, dark hue with a magnificent large frothy head, peppery, spices, fruity, hints of cherries and strawberries, very rich texture, well laced, excellent!

Pours with a beautiful full-inch-up tan foam that fades into a crater filled surface of bumby weird whipped cream with eiry leftover laces coating the sides. The glowing amber red lake sits murky, yet crystal clear around the edges. The aroma hits with a grainy goodness like fresh cooked homemade bread straight out of the oven with a fresh steaming cup of coffee on the side, but in way that makes you want to stick your face straight into it. The dance that executes across the tounge is amazing. This is no mere beer; this is a masterpiece. A finely crafted delicate dance of malt, yeast, and hops that emphasizes none before the other, but combines them in a refined balance of spice and caramel mellowness. Aye, Mother's milk, nectar of the Gods, may ye find this nearby and often.

Aroma is alcohol, wine-like notes, wood, clove, pepper, plum, toffee and malt. Very nice! Red-amber in color, persistent head lacing my new Chimay goblet. Flavor matches the aroma, slightly less complex. Even balance - neither sweet nor bitter. Body is medium, with moderate carbonation. I like this better than the 10, I think the alcohol is overwhelming in that one. This has really nice balance and is extremely drinkable. I would never guess this has over 9% ABV. Outstanding beer!

This beer was something of a surprise. The aroma was splendid with the hops coming through very pleasingly. The appearance was marred not by the beautiful head but the white floaties found in the dark beer after pouring. Beware when you enjoy yours, leave some behind and pour completely. If you don't let the white floaties bother your palate... I don't, then you'll find the flavor to be one of the most pleasing, complexities you've ever experienced. The malty, coffee hints of this strong ale do such a great job of giving exceptional character to this relatively high ABV beer. The sweetness can get in the way at times if you don't care for lingering sweets. Some inexperienced American brewers get the high alcohol but it ends up tasting that way. Not with this fine Belgian example of a great strong ale. If you like this GO FOR THE WESTVLETEREN! It only gets better.

Dark brown. Cherry and prune aroma, with some chocolate. Malty, with some roasted bitterness. Chocolate, dark fruits, toffee. Small amount of alcohol, but not a lot considering it is 9.2%. Superbly complex, an amazing beer.

33cl bottle BBD 25.12.07 I could smell this before the glass was half full. Deep brown/burgundy color with chocolate/tan head. Smells of cocoa, raisins, lether, alcohol, slight cappochino, plums & cherries a bit. All that goes into the full, velvety lingering palate. Alcohol is a highlight in this massive rich carmelly sweet brew that finishes with sharp bitterness, leaving me dreaming of fig newtons dipped in rich chocolate milk. alcohol warming, maybe a bit of port...Taking on a mothball aroma as it breathes, or is that malted milk balls? Nutmeg? Just doesn’t get much more complex and yummy than this. I’ve been disapointed by a few bottles of the 8 in the past, but this one knocked me out.