Achel 8 Blond

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

cloudy, orange color. not too much in the way of head. malty, sour flavor. not overly bitter.

Pours a merky golden color with the biggest white head, I think I have ever saw. Aroma of citrus, lemon, hint of yeast. Taste is creamy, spicy and banana. A good Trappist!

Bottle purchased at Crown Liquors #15, in Fishers, IN. Best by date of 7/06...oops. Pours a hazy orange-amber with a frothy whipping cream-like head that leaves delicate lace upon the glass. Quite pretty. On the pour, I’m hit with a beautiful aroma of bananas, which was totally unexpected. Yeasty, floral and fruity, the nose is light, delicate and quite clean. Light to medium-bodied with fine, creamy-soft carbonation and a fairly dry, yeasty finish. There is just a hint of alcohol on the exhale. The flavor on this beer is all about the yeast: fruity esters of pear, peach, and light banana with a mildly spicy note at the lightly dry, lingering finish. The aftertaste is just a tad phenolic, and I’m inclined to believe that this may be due it’s age. It is, however, quite nice up to that point. This a beer that I will definitely try again if I can find a fresher bottle. It’s pretty good a year and a half past its prime. So, I can only imagine that it’s even better fresh.

A delicious trappist beer. I thought I had rated this before but I guess I missed it. Aroma was nice. Strong apple/pear notes with a heavy yeast presence. Pour was typical trappist. Gold with a ridiculously huge head full of tiny bubbles and thick enough to stand on. Taste was delicious. Spice and pepper mix with the extreme biting carbonation to assault the mouth with what feels like little pin pricks. Heavy fruit, must and citrus as it warms and a strong yeasty aftertaste. Nice and dry. Hides the alcohol well. Love this one!

33cl bottle served in a Chimay chalice. Served at basement temps, which appears to be 57°. Monster 3 fingered head grows in the glass, due to the vigorous carbonation. Golden color, excellent clarity. Spicy phenols on the nose as well as soft alcohol, an earthy/musty character, yeast/vanilla, floral notes and fruity esters. Nice aroma. Light pils malt, honey, yeast, and lemony citrus at first followed by a rush of flavors-black pepper, mustiness, fruitcake, clean but prominent alcohol, and and earthiness. Alcohol heat and black pepper lingers into the finish. I recently judged Belgian Blond Ales at a homebrew competition and it made me appreciate this great style even more and this is a fine example.

Beer poured gold with a white head that stayed on the top as a film and laced nicely down the side of the glass. Aroma is spicey with earthyhops in the backround. flavor is dry, featuring pilsner malt, earthy hops, and a spicy yeast character. Some light esters. nice soft mouth feel. solid brew.

Bottled sample via presario. Light gold in colour with strong carbonation. Focused aromas of pilsner malt, flowers, a bit of stone fruit, and black pepper. More stone fruit in the mouth, along with some mandarin orange, spice, minerals, and a bit of earthy hop. The slight malt sweetness that is there is balanced by some mild bitterness. Very nice indeed.

330 mL bottle. Poured cloudy gold with fizzy bone white head. Floral aroma. Citrusy, spicy, and dry with notes of orange, coriander, lemon. These Achel monks make a damn fine beer.