Achel 8 Blond

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

Cloudy yellow body with a moderate head. Wonderful lacing on the glass as usual. Aroma is spices, sugars, peppers, their yeast, and various fruits. Smooth drinking with light alcohol in the throat. Reminded me quite a bit of a Tripel but this is definitely a Belgian strong ale.

This is an amazing beer. It is a pleasure to look at and exceptionally complex. This beer is orange and cloudy. The huge, thick, firm, and long lasting white head takes up far more space than the beer in my Kapittel trappist glass, and leaves a thick and sticky lacing. Aroma starts off fruity and spicy suggesting a tripel; alcohol and malt follows. This is a very sweet beer, with coriander and other spices, sweet fruit and light malt as well as a hint of bitter hops. Aftertaste is a little sweet but has salt as well, with a hint of alcohol lingering. Flawless and outstanding.

Bu a The Abbey (Pub Italia). Orange pale brumeux avec un beau collet moyen. Arome de caramel assé présant, mais plaisant. Un goût d’épice et de caramel. Très bon.

Poured hazy golden with a white head or identical to the picture. On the initial pour there were huge chunks in the bottom (HUGE). I strained this stuff and it broke the chunks into more recognizable floaties. They didn’t move in the beverage, they were just suspend. Definately creeped out by these chunks. Aroma is sour and yeast. Flavor is sweet, spicey, floral, lemon, yeast, and some sour notes. Body is malty at first and then seems to fade to water as it goes down. Dry finish. Belgian strong I think not.

Pours hazy golden with a large off-white head at least 4 fingers. Aroma of belgian spices, sweet malts, citrusy fruit and yeast. Flavor is sweet, spicey, floral presence, yeasty, slight sourness and bitter hoppiness. Good body, good brew.

straw color with a enormous foamy rocky white head and lots of yeast solids floating about. yeasty, spicy, and citrus aroma but mostly a lemony citrus from this one. yeast, sugar, and spices in flavor. light to medium bodied. malty, bready finish.

Best by 01/08/07. Murky gold. Full of chunks even with a cm of beer left in the bottle. Ginormous, rocky, white head. Aroma of spicy, peppery yeast, grainy malt, a bit of sharply sweet sugar, crisp hops. Same flavor with the yeast developing some doughy notes and a nice grainy malt/alcohol finish. Medium/full body. Balanced carbonation. Chewy aftertaste. Great stuff. Another brew that begs the question - why is there no belgian blonde category?

(03.09.06) 11.2 fl oz brown bottle purchased from DiCarlo’s, Mundelein, IL. 8% ABV. Label states that best consumed before 08/03. Pours golden yellow with small white head. Soft carbonation. Fruity esters in the nose. Medium bodied ale that starts with moderate malt sweetness with spicy and tangy fruity flavors. Finishes dry with light malt fade. Good flavor. Good drinkable Belgium ale.