Abbaye des Rocs La Montagnarde (Ambree)

Orangé vers le caramel en couleur, vêtu d’une belle mousse beige pâle, très crémeuse et pleinement persistante. Pendant que je la contemple, une armée de sédiments en profite pour s’agiter vigoureusement dans tout mon verre. L’acidité est la première composante qui attire l’attention au nez mais elle abrite une bonne dose de caramel brûlé ainsi qu’une multitudes d’esters très fruité variant de la fraise à l’abricot. Une franche aigreur en bouche laisse ensuite place à des flaveurs d’une gamme varié, épices, graines de moutarde, meringue, citrons, pain brun. Quelques gorgés et degrés plus tard, la levure devient plutôt omniprésente et apporte une touche de vernis plutôt envahissante. Quand même remarquable.

Aroma:spicy and rub alcohol... Appearance:Hazy amber,good head... Flavor:Rub alcohol,spicy.

Bottle. The liquid is somewhat cloudy, the colour is amber and the white foam forms large compact foam.

The smell is balanced and very “Belgian” with sour notes of wheat, bitter spices and yeast.

The carbonation is surprisingly weak, but it is quite refreshing anyhow.

The taste is very sweet with a bitter-sour chemical flavour of ammonia (!), some alcohol, and herbs. The aftertaste is clean and dry with spicy notes of Italian herbs.

A nice Belgian ale…

transition from the Leffe, as I used it for. Initially creamy and malty with good yeast, with a lot of ornage and corriander and yeast sediment. Was better at room temperature then it was initailly from the fridge. Lace and cloudy orange.

Pours hazy orange with a thick white rounded rocky head. Sweet, fruity nose. Sweet, fresh, acidic peach flavour. Extremely rounded with hints of yeast.

Bottled. As mentioned in my forum thread, this beer was full of floaties (protein - thanks Ernest) which would definitely put off the uninitiated. It is a very hazy ginger colour and has a huge long lasting white head. The aroma is spicy (maybe a little ginger) and has that strawberry fruitines I find in a lot of Belgian Strongs. The taste is more of the same - typical Abbaye des Rocs - and, it must be admitted tainted by those proteins which sliver down your throat like the skin on coffee. It’s nicely drinkable but I would really prefer (much) less floaties and a thicker body.

Ligth brown head on a dark golden body. Spicy, fruity taste, strong and hoppy, no alcohol taste outstanding, bitter aftertaste. A nice beer for a heavy meal.

Bottled (BBE 2006)
Hazy orange color, huge brownish head - very Orval-like. Floating yeast particles. Fruity (mango, pine-apple) and hoppy nose mixed with lemon. Peppery, chewy malty, medium to full-bodied. Dry, woody aftertaste - suprisingly lacking potential kick of alcohol, just slightly bitter aftertaste. Very good but less complex than expected.