Achel 8 Blond

Brewed by Brouwerij der Trappistenabdij De Achelse Kluis
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Hamont-Achel, Belgium

Bottle.. Pours amber with foamy white head. Tastes of fruit / coriander / honey. Caramel / honey / nuts / cloves in the aroma.

Bottle. Pale, slightly opaque gold with a big, fluffy white head. Aroma of hay, sweet malt and floral hops. Flavour started sweet before a spicy edge and a warming alcohol finish. Very good.

33 cL bottle. Pours pretty gold with a huge off-white head and enormous chunks of yeast sediment in the last 2-3 oz. The aroma is floral and pleasant, with many light honey and bread tones. The flavor is honey, flowers, grass, oranges, sweet lemon. It dries out a little toward the finish, as some breadiness kicks in as well. Pretty good.

2004 bottle tasted Sept 2007.

Pours a soft gold with a small white head, relatively clear as I left the heavy sediment in the last 5mm of the bottle. The aroma is stone fruit - peaches and apricots - and honey, with gentle hints of cut-apple sourness. The flavor is a spendid and ever-so-smooth procession of flavors: gently sweet honeycomb, peaches with a hint of banana, coriander and spice, turning dry, woody, on the finish offered by the three-year-aged hops.

The mouthfeel is light and almost effervescent, not to the point of being thin but entirely to the point that this is neither heavy, oily, nor sticky beer. It’s really lovely in that respect.

All around, this one shines. I’ll be interested to try it fresh and see whether that compares.

33 cl bottle, pours a deep golden hazy colour, good head, it doesn’t last much but leaves a nice cloak and lace. Acid aroma, floral, citrus, coriander and clove. Taste is acid, champagne-liked, spici, sour apples, confitted fruits.almonds and even some chocolate Sweet finish.

0.33 l bottle. Pours murky yellow/orange body with big head. Aroma of banana, sweetish with some hints of coriander. Flavor is about perfect, full and well balanced between bitterness, sweetness and sourness. Moderate carbonation. Finish is very long pleasant a bit bitter which ends with sweet for a long time. Excellent beer, actually a nice surprise. Yeah!

Bottle. Lovely blond ale, smooth, and still with this edge of sourness, a hint of yeast, try this if you like Duvel§

Bottiglia da 33cl alla Birreria Belga Manneken Pis a Napoli; grande sorpresa, una birra eccellente. Colore biondo chiaro piuttosto torbida, con schiuma notevole e persistente, cremosa; aroma molto dolce con una punta di acido, quasi una Orval floreale. Sapore ben bilanciato e complesso. Piuttosto sottovalutata, a quanto pare.______________ENGLISH TEXT HERE______________33cl bottle at the Manneken Pis pub in Napoli; big surprise, an excellent brew. Color is clear blond, a little hazy, with good persistent creamy white head; very sweet aroma with a hint of acid, like a floreal twist on Orval. Balanced and complex flavor. Vastly underrated, as it seems.