Rochefort Trappistes 10

Brewed by Brasserie Rochefort
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Rochefort, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

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I’ve never seen anything like this. Such unflitered earthy brown. The head was a beatuiful tan as well. First Sip: Refreshing, sweet plum. Nice. It really is plum and I wasn’t even looking at the description when I thought of it. The alcohol aroma goodness climbs through my nostrils and starts a party in my brain. 11.3%?! You gotta be kidding me. Where do they hide it? As the coolness dissipates there is a pleasant bitterness that settles on the tongue. This by the way was my 21st bday present from davhgbrew :) Half way through. Now I’m beginning to taste the alcohol, but I stress it is pleasant.

Pretty violent beer, I would not drink it on a warm and hot summerday. However the flavor is very complex and the beer reminds a little about Westvleteren. However it is not the same elegance as the Westvleteren, but if you’re looking for a substitude for the Westvleteren (because of it’s rarity) Rochefort 10 is an excellent choice.

This is the second best beer I’ve had. It’s strong yet it doesn’t feel unpleasent but the taste of alcohol is there if you look for it and it sets this beer back somewhat. Overall it’s deffinately a good beer and I would recommend trying it. I’ve like to note that I’ve tasted this beer a couple times and it’s never tasted quite the same way so it makes rating the beer a litle bit difficult.

A dark and complex beer. Strong flavors of plums and raisins. There is an amazing array of flavors happening in this beer, everything from bananas to grapes. The alcohol is well hidden here. This is a must have.

Mmmm. What a nose, one of the best I’ve ever smelled. Wondrous. Rich, sweet, and sugary, this one’s redolent with butterscotch, caramel, cola, and loads of malts. Reminds me quite a bit of Old Horizontal or, to be safe, Horzy probably reminds me of this one (gotta give credit where credit is due). Pretty brew, nice dark reddish-purple color. Had a more prevalent head than expected. Flavor is very rich and strong, though certainly doesn’t seem to be an 11.3% brew--the complexity masks the % quite nicely. Tasty yeasts, giving a pleasing residual sweetness. Very fruity, lots of ripe plums, vanilla, and port. Very vinous, reminding me of a number of barleywines (or, again, the other way around). Very smooth and a bit creamy. Incredibly complex brew, and a worthy #400 drunk to celebrate the little boy’s three-month birthday.

Second favourite trappist ale. Great fruit, different flavours almost with each mouthful. Got that broad nuttiness you might find in a really, really expensive red wine.

The color is a somewhat disturbing dark, hazy, muddy brown. Who knows what lurks in this? Only the monks know for sure. I get first whiffs of maple syrup, sweaty socks, cinnamon and alcohol. The head pours thick and quickly clears. This is difficult to describe. I keep getting familiar tastes, but the mix is so complex that I can’t pin things down quick enough. Spicy, lightly hopped overtones mix with a complicated, yet subtle, chocolate flavor. Nothing steps on anything else. Lurking behind it all is a big alcohol undercurrent that is masked well. Take your time, enjoy the wonders.

Rerate: They got this at my local bottle shop! so i couldn’t resist a rerate. mmmmm...... i wasn’t dissapointed. It can’t be described how i feel about this beer (the only reason it’s not perfect is because i don’t really want to rate a beer that highly yet). NOTE: a bit hoppier this time (although same expiry date). Still excellent as ever. <P>Original Rating: (8/21/02)(My 100th Rating!) First of all let me say the I didn’t want to get too excited before drinking this brew. After all I had read other peoples rating about how it wasn’t that refined and the alcohol was too dominant etc etc. Now let me say: this might very well be my new favouite beer. Black/Brown/Maroon in clour with lovely white head. Aroma is one of the best I’ve encountered. And the flavour! much more toffee-y and malty than what I had been anticipating (I was expecting more plums and raisins). Every tastebud on your tougue is tickled in delight as the liquid slides down your mouth. Alcohol is quite noticeable but I didn’t find this to be an overly bad thing. Although I don’t like to give high ratings on a whim (this will be my highest I believe) I can’t help myself with this baby. A fitting 100th!

UPDATED: OCT 27, 2012 One of the best Belgian strong ales around. I recently sampled a 3.5 year old bottle, but to my surprise the ageing effect is not as obvious as for let?s say Chimay. Still a fantastic and complex brew. Re-rate: BB 2008, sampled 2009 (about 6 years old). Obvious aged notes, especially in aroma. However, in flavor this one seemed to be beyond its peak. Relatively thin mouthfeel. Very good beer, but i?m not convinced about its aging potential.

A Trappist with a best before date, well at least it’s telling me I have until 2007 but I’ll finish mine by the time I’ve finished typing. <p> Dark brown color, lots of foam. Vinuous aroma, grapey/appley with notes of chocolate and bubble gum. Smooth palate, lots of fruit but not intense, lightly roasted and nutty with some alcohol astringeny and bite in the finish. Very pleasnat but packed with flavor and character. Great match for chocolate.