Maredsous 8

Pours deep brown with a moderate, fine head. Aroma is sweet with some caramel qualities. Mouthfeel is moderate. Rather malty with some qualities of caramel, chocolate, and dark fruit. A warm alcohol warmth appears afterward.

THOUGHTS: The cork just about jumped off of this bottle. I spent more time waiting for the head to go down than I did drinking it. Goes down easy. Flavor and aroma got way better as it warmed. Nice, but both the aroma and flavor seemed a little muted. Good, but could be incredible it it didn’t seem muted, but I would have this again. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark redish brown with a huge, foamy, off-white head that just about fully lasted and left excellent lacing. You could see the head building from the bottom as it shrank from the top. The aroma, which was nice, but weak, was moderate carmel malt, light yeast, brown sugar, a little alcohol, some bourbon and almost a liqour smell. The initial vlavor was moderately sweet, while the finish was heavily sweet and a little sour with a short duration. The dominant flavor was caramel and a slight bit of bourbon. It was also a little metallic. It was kind of like watery beer poured into whiskey. The mdium body was a little dry, but somewhat watery with extremely fizzy carbonation.

Belgisk rødbrun klar ale, som har en god balance med den belgiske gær. Duften er dog som en classic med noter af karamel. Alcohollen er dog (for) meget tydelig. Og øllen virker meget tung af en "Brune" Ellers kan jeg ikke huske meget af den..

Date: January 26, 2005
Mode: Bottle Conditioned
Source: Tasting
Appearance: dark brown amber, nice tan head
Aroma: spicy dark malt aroma
Flavor: rich malt flavor, lots of good sweet dark fruity esters, fig, plum, date, light bitterness in the finish that detracts from the overall character, touch of peppary spices

Date: March 28, 2005
Mode: tap
Source: summits ss
Score: iii to iiii
Appearance: clear dark amber, nice tan head, solid lace
Aroma: sweet fruity raison aroma with a hint of alcohol
Flavor: big rich flavor with lots of ripe fruit, clean finish, amazing rich flavor, draft is the answer and I didn’t know there was a question

Date: February 11, 2006
Mode: draft
Source: brick store
Appearance: clear dark red, solid lace
Aroma: sweet fruity aroma
Body: creamy body with a slight carbonation bite
Flavor: wonderful rich ripe fruit flavor, raisons, dates, figs, all the good stuff, no alcohol, a light hint of bitterness

Date: October 31, 2006
Mode: draft
Source: brick store
picking up a hint of alcohol, otherwise the big bodied rich fruit I love

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 10/10; Flavor: 9/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***4

(Bottle) Pours dark reddish brown. Fruity, grapey and yeasty aroma with notes of dark fruits like raisins but also notes of fresh fruits like pears and apricot. The yeast brings dusty attic and spices. Undertones of cloves, caramel, sugar, earth, marzipan, nuts and flowers. Hints of cardamom and maybe some nutmeg. A bit vinous in the nose. Sweet and malty flavour with notes of spices and fruits. Medium to heavy sweet but not totally out of balance. Soft, earthy and creamy mouthfeel. Hints of spices like cloves in the flavour as well. Maybe some chocolate and some grapes. Medium bodied.

From the bottle. Pours dark brown; leaves a slight lacing on glass. Nice caramel aroma and clean finish.

Awesome on tap at The Abbey in Seal Beach, CA. This is a perfect example of the style, rich brown color somewhere in between dark caramel and burnt toast, with the balance of a 14 year old Russian ballerina and the spiciness that belies its belgian nature. Didn’t know this was a moortgat brew, but I must give kudos for a job well done once again.

11.2oz bottle served ~50°F in a Duvel tulip, which seems about right. Foamy two fingered head and a dark coppery crimson color. No sediment evident. Aroma is fleeting roasty grain, smoke, molasses, dark fruits (to a much smaller extent than is typical of the style), vanilla, and yeast. Nicely complex aroma. Flavor, at first it seems sweet, with molasses, dark caramel, and a mix of light and dark fruits (mostly light) followed by an earthy (old forest floor) flavor, dark sugar, alcohol and to a smaller extent, spicy yeast notes. The finish is lingering fermented molasses.