Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

From a 33 cl. slender brown bottle with a best before date on the front label, 28.04.09, sampled at cellar temperature in a Rochefort chalice. Poured a cloudy lightly orange hued brown with a foamy head that settled into a thin sudsy, fizzy lacing. Aromas of rum cake spices, fruity, pears and ripe figs and nice fruity esters, the alcohol whiffs are quite pleasant. Good fizzy carbonation and a crisp, dry, carbonated smooth light bodied mouthfeel. Delicious tasting, rum cake malty, a good rum spiciness, caramelized sugary, sweet baked apples and figs fruitiness, the alcohol is spicy and provides a nice warmth in the palate and a dry, sweet spicy, fig and bread malty finish, excellent Belgian drinkability, very quaffable for a strong ale. Rochefort brews some of the best ales available to the USA, a must try for anyone exploring the world of beer.

At first touch to the taste buds,this beer has a sweet fruity flavor. Evened out by the slightly sour/ bitter finish. I also enjoyed the chocholate / caramel permeation thru the sinus during the vibation of this wonderful beer.

popped this open when i saw i needed a 200th beer to rate. let warm from fridge and noticed that when the head settled, settlement observed reminded me of nutmeg on eggnog. aroma is of deep fruit and spice, seems similar to the ’10’. taste was smooth, complex, warming alcohol finish. can someone in the states please replicate what these monks have been creating!

Hazy brown with a huge tan head that hung around seemingly forever, thickly lacing the glass. Aroma seems to be tart fruit with a hint of sourness. The flavor is a sweet malt with just a hint of alcohol taste coming through, considering it is 9.2%. There is a little chocolate caramel hint in the aftertaste. Excellent!

Appearance: Pours a lively, clear, reddish-brown body topped by a large, off-white head. Smell: Lightly spiced aroma with notes of caramel, breadcrusts, six flowers, dried fruits, a bit of booze, and freshly brewed white tea. Taste: Flavors of toasted bread and sweet carmael with brown sugar-coated bananas and a hint of dried cherries. Savory yeast character. Slight bitterness, but it’s generally on the sweet side throughout. Toasty finish with a hint of that warming booze. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. After some fizzing, after some fussing, it settles to a medium carbonation. Drinkability: This is a very good beer, I won’t lie to you.

11.2 oz bottle. Poured a dark murky brown with a rather thick head and nice lacing. The head looked similar to whipped cream. The aroma was of caramel and choclate with some dark fruity aromas. It seems like the body is a little thin but it still feels great in the mouth. The flavor is extremely smooth and the alcohol seems to be very well hidden. The next step is trying the 10.

Dark brown with an everlasting tan head. Aroma is of chocolate and red berries. Flavors are very complex; chocolate, strawberries, toffee, and plum stand out the most. Light to medium bodied with a soft alcohol presence. Wonderful.

Dark and filling with white head. Nuts caramel liquirice. A bit warm from the alcohol which is pleasant. Chocolate, tobacco & dark dried fruits. A bit of sweetness and a great long finish! Great! Almost as good as the 10!