Achel 8 Bruin

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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Bottle that I picked up in Belgium in 2009. Poured into Chimay glass. Nice fluffy and soft head, delicious aroma of raisin and caramel. It seems that some of the yeast the others are describing has subsided a bit with age. Strong flavors of dark fruit, like raisins and cherries. Really a nice drink and the alcohol is not very detectable. When the beer warms up it releases even more fruity and sweet aromas and flavors, so I suggest saving a sip and letting it warm up.

Bottle. Dark reddish brown with a light brown head. Yeasty aroma of fruits and caramel. Complex flavour with yeast, cherry and other fruits.

Pours a deep red with a huge light brown head. Aroma is dark fruits, yeast and spices. Taste is also dark fruits with some yeast and spices leading to lightly bittered finish with a nice warming alcohol mouth feel. Lovely.

Brown colour and has a slightly frothy head. Aromas of prunes, banana bread and is mixed in with brown sugar note. big flavourful beer, very carbonated and complex. has an almost sweetness about it but is very enjoyable delicious brew.

Pours turbid, dark brown and with a small but compact head. The nose sport a note of sweetish raisin and is slightly alcoholic. The flavour profile and mouthfeel is rich and inviting, sweetish and with a hint of cherry. This beer is very pleasant and finishes very very well.

Poured a dark, rich, reddish brown with a perfect, thick, creamy head. The head retreated quickly, receding as a creamy cap in the center and larger bubbles around the edge. Left significant, reasonably heavy lacing on the glass. Aroma is strong - lots of roasted malt and caramel. No detectable alcohol nose. Flavor was surprisingly light and carbonated. If I were blindfolded, on first sip I would have thought it was perhaps an amber. Only in the aftertaste does any bitterness or roasted malt flavor really present itself. Incredibly easy to drink for an 8% brown. So bubbly as to be almost champagne-like. Almost no alcohol taste at all. Allowing the beer to warm didn’t seem to expose any more depth to the flavor profile, at least to my palate.

33 cL, capped bottle (purchased Aug 2004, best before Nov 2006, sampled Dec 2011: pours a striking purple hued mahogany with a one finger off white, creamy foam. Strong malty raisin aroma, that has been completely squashed and muted. Light alcohol coats the tongue, while toffee and a light bitterness makes what all of my senses say should be an amazing beer only slightly interesting. Other flavours have also faded: prunes, licorice, roasted ginger, bananas and butterscotch. This sample is just too old. I will be on the lookout for a fresher sample to re-rate.

33 cl. bottle in to a trappist glass. Hazy, reddish-brown colour with a huge, frothy creamy light tanned head that laces a lot, and lasts forever. Aroma of caramel, nuts, sweet and sour fruits, yeasts with a leathery tone and brown sugar. The taste is sweet with malts and dark dried fruits, and a discrete hop bitterness at the end. Medium to full bodied with a fizzy carbonation. Prefer the blond version, this is still an excellent beer, even it lacks a bit in complexity compared with the other trappists.

Ik prefereer de 8 Blond net iets meer dan deze. Niettegenstaande, een lekker, zoetig, chocoladeachtig bruin biertje.

Amber colour with a big frothy head. Lively carbonation. Crisp malt, caramel aroma. Spice malt flavour. Hint of yeast. Spicy, very tasty ale.