Abbaye des Rocs La Montagnarde (Ambree)

Heavy teakwood orangey brown with a ton of sediment suspended within. A tall thick cloak of dark ivory foam sits atop like a fresh coating of wet snow. Slims ever so slowly down to a thin skim and broad fluffy collar. Lacing slowly drips back in while leaving long leggy strings. Aroma is dry and yeasty with a light woody eathyness. Partial alcoholic soaked apricots and peaches add a bit to the underside as does a light peppery spice. Taste is lengthy and well balanced with a big fruity front thats a bit mushy-like in maltyness and candy sweetness bringing some apricot jam, apple jelly, and a touch of pear and pineapple. Candyish, doughy, tender, and richly set with a bit of darkness to its overall tropical tone. Finish is easy and light with a set back spice and alcoholic warmth. A nice taster that lasts and lasts. Feel is quite full and smooth, lively in its own thickly set way. Creamy and rich, lavishly tropical in its setting and mood. A real gem of a beer. The 9% is hardly evident but just noticeable enough within the warm bath of tropical candy fruityness that it gives you just enough notice to get out of the tub before you completely wrinkle into a little hairless human. Drinkability is high yet risky with its ABV. But worth every sip...oh so good and gone in no time. Another fine Belgian treat from Abbaye des Rocs!

Large pillowy foam with honey coloring. Pungent yeasty bready nose. Flavor is sharp with malty notes. I got this at Knightly Spirits in Orlando, FL.

750 ml bottle, from Bello Vino in Ann Arbor MI (Aug 2005), BBD 2007. The head is immense and fluffy, lasting and creating thick sheets of lace, as I would expect, and the body a lightly hazy luminous gold-amber....the aroma escapes in huge wafts immediately on opening, an expansive mixture of sourdough, caramel, honey, brandy and subtle floral qualities.... in the body, lots of sweetness and warming alcohol, somewhat liqueur-like and vaguely reminiscent of a barley wine, less yeastiness than usual, with bitter orange hints floating through the alcohol towards the finish...fairly low carbonation, lightly syrupy-sticky mouthfeel...not on a par with the Brune or Grand Cru, but quite interesting and much better than the Blonde...drinkability (or lack thereof) is the major problem, but I think if you’ll give this proper time to mull over it will reward.

Bottled. Copper coloured, foamy beige huge head. Fruity aroma with hints of hops. Flavour is sweet alcohol, plum and spices. Finish is spicy and alcoholic. Extremely sweet beer. Aftertaste is hayish hoppy and at the same time it contains caramellish sweetness.

Bottle @ Delirium Cafe. Cloudy orange brown appearance. Medium head. The smell is amazing. Molasses, grain mill like richness and organic references. Just overwhelming. The taste is also excellent, but not quite as good as the nose belies. No alcohol found whatsoever, more bitter than sweet, quaffable, but not quite a bush 7.

Bottle. Hazy orange, white head. Apples and malt...everywhere. Cinammon hints, a bit spicey. Sour/tart int he finish, bitter. Yeasty - thick mouthfeel. A nice ’toward the end of dinner" treat. All the good things about being 9% with none of the bad.

Pours dark gold with a large, rocky head. Very yeasty aroma, with caramel, fruits both dark and light, and alcohol. The flavor is pleasant, but it lacks the intensity that hides the alcohol so well in other Abbaye des Rocs beers.

Big, gassy head and cloudy old-gold colour. The aroma was yeasty and citric, possibly lemon curd, but there were other notes too: once I caught something vegetal. Tomatoes or marrow, perhaps. The flavour was orange marmalade: sweet with a mid-bitter finish. Slightly too much fizz for me. A very good beer from l’Abbaye des Rocs, though I preferred their Altitude.