Achel 8 Blond

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Hazy golden color. Citrus aroma. Descent hop bite with good spicyness. Crisp and carbonated. Lemon hoppy aftertaste. A good beer. Nothing crazy good, but still quite tasty.

Bottle - pours cloudy yellow with a massive (thought I poured it wrong) foamy head and much lacing. Has a floral yeasty aroma and an earthy bread taste.

Hazy deep golden brew, no head. Aromas of wet wood and tangerine. Very little carbonation with some cherry and citrus

Brown 33cl bottle, best before Feb 2008, drank March 2007. Poured into my huge Judas (tulip) glass. I am no mug at pouring Begian beers, the glass took the bottle and head no problem, no sediment left the bottle. This is one cloudy beer, old gold, dirty straw blonde, with a lovelly white head of about 3 inches (the Judas glass is big). Yeast aroma hits you like you have wafted a handful of foam from the top of a fermenting tank at a brewery. Sweetness in the smell also, maybe toffee and some caramel flavours. Where did the sweetness go? Sour and citrus fruits, with extra bubbles, wasn’t expecting that, the yeast is in the mix of tastes, but you would never guess the taste from the smell. Mouthfeel is OK, the sourness is overshadowed by the yeast flavours as your mouth drys after each sip (or gulp). I am lucky enough to have tried beers from all the Trappist monk breweries in Europe that I know of, this is a long way from the best, but still a fine drink and I would certainly have another, but not tonight.

I poured an 11.2oz bottle into a Trappist chalice.

Appearance: Nearly opaque orange/yellow with spastic micro carbonation visible. Forms a huge fluffy white soapy head which retains and laces tremendously well for a beer of the style.

Smell: Typical Trappist yeast esters - flowery perfume and orange and white fruit peels. A fresh, clean scent.

Taste: Trappist beers are known for being complex, but Achel 8° Blond is actually a repetitive palate. That’s not to say it’s bad, far from it, because the flavors that are on repeat here are quite tasty. It’s the rind and peel of the orange and white citrus fruits: orange, grapefruit and even some lemon but without the tartness or acidity. Throw in some white grape and green pear and you’ve got the palate of this beer.

There’s not much in the way of spice or sweetness, though, except for a hint of coriander and subtle banana flavors in the aftertaste due to the yeast. There’s a bitterness that seems to engulf the mouth due to the foaminess of the head and effervescence of the body. It creates for a slight doughy, powdery sensation and flavor, but it’s not sharp or dry or tangy (even with the addition of the bottle-conditioning yeast). It’s tasty and satisfying, but nothing mind-blowing.

Drinkability: I’ve yet to find a Trappist beer that is as smooth as a nitro stout, but for a Belgian tripel, Trappist Achel 8° Blond is one of the easiest beers of its class to throw back. The palate has energy for sure, but isn’t anything obnoxious. Some carbonation does get stuck in the throat, but gradually. You don’t burp until the end, instead of between each swig like, say, a Chimay White. The carbonation creates for a self-cleaning palate, leaving little aftertaste. For an 8% ABV Belgian brew there’s no alcohol warmth or distraction whatsoever. If it weren’t so expensive this would be an ideal beer to keep in the fridge on a somewhat frequent basis to pair with dinner or enjoy on a warm evening.

Yeasty, creamy aroma. Cloudy golden body with a huge head. Taste is heavily influenced by the high carbonation but is yeasty with a touch of citrus. Thick, but not chewy. Slightest hint of funk on the tail end of the carbonation. Very good for a golden. Not smooth but has good character.

330ml bottle from Bierzwerg. Orange colour with huge head. Aroma is yeast. Flavour is yeast, citrus spices, bitter.

Clear amber lots of bubbles, big fluffy white foam head. Nose is barley grain cereal, fruity esters of the yeast. Some darker fruit: prune, with more expectable banana. Taste is fruity yeasty. Apple, grape, banana. Some acidic, grain and crisp lighter beer profile tones. Has a yeasty acidic finish. Not a great Trappist to be honest.

Massive head and great retention, slightly bitter with hints of citrus. Does not develop and the after taste is sharp. Not as smooth as some of the more commercial Belgians.

33 cl bottle @ home, BBE 19.07.2012. Rated on 19.03.2011
Aroma has belgian yeast, some fruits and floral notes. Flavour is somewhat spicy with floral notes and hints of fruits. Bitter finish. Palate is too high on CO2. I like the nice spices here and the great balance, but then again this is somewhat dull.

Pours golden yellow with a big white head. Great retention, leaving mountains of white foam. Smell is spice and wheat. Taste has a smooth solid wheat body, white pepper, spices, pineapple and hint of alcohol. Med Body. Med carbonation. Smooth texture. After taste is drawn out with spice, hops, and malts and slightly alcoholic.