Maredsous 8

Bottle at Sicosis: Pours a hazy dark mahogany color. Head is big, beige and lasts for minutes. It leaves a thick film and a great lacing. Aroma is yeasty/malty. It shows some herbal notes at the beginning. Then, it develops hints of nuts, plums, raisins and some difuse strong porto wine. Diacetyl is clearly noticeable also. Flavor is sweet with a bittersweet finish. I found touches of cherry, red grapes and overripe dark fruits. Very fruity, but there are hints of Porto as in the aroma and some licorice. Very nice. Body is medium to big. Medium carbonation. Sticky and alcoholic finish of cherry liquor. Oily texture. A little unbalanced but a very good Belgian Strong Ale overall.

(Draught at Oliver Twist, Stockholm) Colour is dark brown with orange or ruby notes, beige foamy head. Nose is malty and fruity with tropical fruit, raisins, blackberries and sweet syrupy notes. Taste is fruity, rather malty, with dried fruit (raisins, prunes), marzipan, tropical fruit, notes of brown sugar and syrup. Well balaced sweetness, evident but never too much, alcohol well hidden. Slightly drier finish with notes of spicy hops. Elegant and very nice.

Bottle. Black beer with a reddish brown tinge and a strong bubbly head. The aroma is lightly spiced and fermented and the flavour is fermented winter berries with a touch of cream in the body. Overall a nice but plain Belgian beer.

This beer pours a mahogany reddish color with a medium sized pearlish white head and good lacing. The aroma is strongly sweet with caramel and bread and a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Strongly sweet and dark tasting beer with coffee and vanilla extract abundant. Absolutely a beautiful beer to begin with but astoundingly sweet as it warms, almost difficult to temper. Carbonation is fairly mild with heavy burnt coffee aftertaste. Mildly dry, stout like almost. Very little alcohol presence.

Dark brown beer with big brown head, it smell sweetly of malt. It’s a lot like the maredsous 10, only sweeter and less astringent. Lightly fizzy and malty in taste, this is not a heavy or hard to drink beer, and not especially flavorful, either. $3/12 oz

Pours deep brown with a huge fluffy head. Sweet malt aroma with a caramel / malt taste. This one will warm you up. I can’t wait to try the 10.

Bottle. Syrupy and yeasty aroma. Very nice head. Good lacing. Caramel, raisins and lasting sweet aftertaste. Yeasty flavor throughout with bitter finish and alcohol warming. Carbonated, malty mouthfeel. Very good beer. Would be perfect to add to gameday chili.

Dark with a burbon aroma. Tastes like a sweet burbon, with the alcohol quite evident. I was surprised to see so many high ratings. Had on tap at Flying Saucer in Houston.