Maredsous 8

Pours a rich, opaque, light chocolaty brown with a fine, fluffy, pale tan head. Appetizing aroma is fruity and slightly smoky with some yeasty hints. Sharp flavor is strongly fruity, and has undertones of malt and yeast; and it goes down with a smooth, lively texture.

An old-time favorite to me, in a 33 cl bottle with an ivory-colored tag, poured in a Maredsous glass (bought at least 6 in a package with Maredsous 8 and 10 in 75 cl bottles and a glass, for 19,99$, last summer, (what a dea!l). A well balanced brew, pretty carbonated, rather sweet and spicy aroma, lasting foam, but with a sweetness in the taste that is more subtle then many beers of this kind, with a lot of complexities in the flavors, ranging between brown sugar, fruityness, sourness and and bitter pleasant finish. A beer I often felt tasted differently... Great intriguing beer.

Never seen this before - the pic on this page is out of date. The 8 (brune/bruin) is also not on their web site anymore.

Served in a beautiful Maredsous logo stemware at a launch party at the Bavarian Lodge in Lisle, IL. Poured a dark brown with ruby tones followed by a thick, foamy, off white/light tan head, and thick, clingy lacing. The aroma was of smooth malt, dark fruit, tartness and vinous notes. These and a little caramel, gave the flavor a consistent semi-sweetness. Medium to full bodied, with good carbonation and mellow dryness into the finish.

Had this on draught at the Flying Saucer in Nashville. 12 oz pour. Poured a dark brown color with ruby red highlights and a two finger tan head that lingered around for the duration of the beer. The aroma was very fruity. Plums, dates and raisins dominated the nose, with notes of sugar and a bit of alcohol. The flavor was great. All of the above fruit flavors were major players, with a definate dry, red wine type finish. The alcohol was only mildly present, and gave a faint warming effect. Great beer. I can only hope the bottle version is as good.

Bottle @ Saraveza... Poured a cloudy ruby with a thick, lasting, beige head. Rich creamy palate. Sweet clove and plum notes up front with a rich malt backbone. A little bit of a rust/metallic character probably from the hops used. Sweet, candy-like toffee or butterscotch in the finish.

Brewed in Belgium...... Pours ruby brown in color with a small foamy white head and some nice lacing. Aroma of caramel, raisins, malts and spices. Taste is of malts, spices, hops and yeast. The mouthfeel is is kind of mild with a slight warming alcohol feel. Overall, I would say this is a very drinkable strong ale.

On tap at the Flying Saucer in KC. Pours a deep ruby-brown colored body with a big, fluffy foam, beige to light pink colored head that dissipates very slowly and leaves a lot of lacing. Really good looking beer. Aroma is almost like a malty wine. Abundant sugar-plum aroma. Vinous and grapey with a sugary booze sweetness. Lots of plum and raisin. Light woody, earthy belgian yeast strain with lots of fruity caramels. Just a hint of smokiness in there as well as some light spice. Very complex. Flavor is similar. Lots of sweet, boozy, juicy plums and raisins. The booze isn’t overpowering at all, but rather compliments the fruits very well. A real subdued sweetness without a resiny cloy. Belgian yeast and some tangerines with more of that light spicing that increases during the finish. Some brown sugar, molasses, faint smoke and chocolate. Mild malty caramels and a wine-like grape taste dominate the lingering flavor. Light alcoholic warmth on the way down. Palate is light, but very complex and full of flavor. Easy drinking and clean. Overall, I really enjoyed this beer a lot, especially as it warmed up and became maltier. Very complex all-around. Played games with my senses.