Rochefort Trappistes 8

Brewed by Brasserie Rochefort
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Rochefort, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle. Really nice aroma, fruity berries and plums to start with more gentle chocolate, malt and dried fruits with a little bit of spicy yeastiness to round the whole thing off and bring it together. The alcohol is really well hidden. Fairly sweet but in the silky smooth way the luscious aromas would lead you to expect.

A dark brown beer with a good head. The aroma has fruity and chocolate notes. And the flavor is very complex with notes of fruit and chocolate. A fantastic beer that I enjoy drinking again and again.

33 cL bottle and magnum bottle at Kerstbierfestival 2007. Pours deep brown, slight murky with a light brown head. Aroma is distinct chocolate malty, quite fresh fruity towards citrus fruits and mild yeast. Flavour holds the same distinct fresh citrus fruity hops note (does become a bit cloying towards the end) to a smooth delicate yeasty and malty chocolate malt base. Quite complex yet clearly lighter and more accessible compared to the 10. Ends with a nice lingering fruity and malt driven complex finish.

UPDATED: JAN 8, 2006 (Bottle 33 cl) Very dark brown but far from black. Nice, creamy head. Chocolatey with loads of malt and dried fruits in the delicious and very complex aroma. Huge sediment. A yummy, yummy Trappist. 050893

Bottled. Hazy brownish orange colour, huge skimmy/foamy head, which lasts long. Lacing. Very complex aroma of fruit, licorace and weak notes of alcohol. Also spices and yeast can be found in the aroma. Beatiful flavour of fruit, bread, caramel, hops, some breadish notes as well as a bit smokishness. Longlasting sweetish bready aftertaste. Lovely palate.

Mahogany coloured. Big, wonderful aroma of red berries. Sweet and softly malty. Sparkling mouthfeel. A hint of toffee. Salty finish. A very complex ale, which I actually find even better then it’s stronger cousin.

Hazy red brown colour with beige head. Sweet aroma with lots of plums and alcohol. Sweet complex flavour with notes of plums, spices and liquorice.

#500. Dark brown colour with a two finger thick tan head. Malty flavor with nice hints of dark fruits. Malty fruity flavor with some spiciness and hints of licourice and dark fruits. Sweet fruity and spicy aftertaste with some bitterness.

UPDATED: FEB 12, 2008 Dark and filling with white head. Nuts caramel liquirice. A bit warm from the alcohol which is pleasant. Chocolate, tobacco & dark dried fruits. A bit of sweetness and a great long finish! Great! Almost as good as the 10!

UPDATED: FEB 19, 2013
2013-02-19,L 220715, 2½ years old, 8-4-8-3-16=39
Clear dark mahogany color with generous frothy head, well carbonated. Nice aroma of caramel with a earthy (soil) touch, light spices, very light yeast. Soft mouthfeel, the body starts to thin; very good malt and caramel flavor, with light nuttiness, low bitterness, and comforting alcohol feeling. In the final there is some rare sweetness, a fine spicy touch, and a shade of oxidization.
Mature, very good.

2013-02-12, L 060606, 11½ years old, 7-4-7-3-15=36
Chestnut color, with small sized head, not as compact. Mild aroma, caramel and light honey. Lean body, with some caramel flavor, very low residual sweetness, almost absent bitterness, some alcohol, very light fruity touch.
Apparently the last sugars have been fermented; it’s a simple version of the original beer, still pleasant and with just minimal signs of Madeirization.
Should be drank with the yeast deposit that increases the mouthfeel and provides very light final astringency (one point extra).

2011-08-30, L 100215 10:17, 1½ years old, 8-5-7-4-15=39
The aroma is almost cheesy, with brown sugar, caramel. The body is lean; there is caramel flavor, with moderate sweetness, and light liquorice impression; apparently it’s not mature enough. Low bitterness, and light alcohol perception too. Lacking of depth.

2011-05-03, L 220715 10:38, 1 year old, 7-4-7-3-14=35
It’s overly carbonated, it pours a gigantic head. Initially there is some yeast smell; later followed by the expected caramel. Having lost most of the carbonation, the mouthfeel is quite soft, but the body is thinner than expected; good flavor, some malt and caramel, maybe with too much accent on the oxidization; traces of liquorice. The bitterness is already quite low, and the final is rather weak. Good Belgian, but nothing special (yet).

2011-02-25, L 200912 10:30, 4 years old, 8-5-8-3-16=40
Very dark brown color; generous head, reducing to a thinner layer, compact and persistent. The aroma is unusually spicy, peppery, with some malt and caramel, and Chinotto (a special citrus fruit from Liguria). The mouthfeel is very smooth (because of the initial high carbonation), then round (a bit later); there is a good flavor of malt and caramel, with clear spicy side; correct bitterness. It seems to get thinner and a bit drier in the end. Good, but it could be better.

2011-01-08, L 060606, 10 years old, 7-4-6-3-12=32
Dark chestnut color; small sized head. The aroma of caramel is nice and quite perfumy. The mouthfeel is quite dry and with an evident alcohol presence; the body is thin; flavor of dry caramel and some liquorice; light oxidisation. Correct bitterness. Too old.

2003-05-08, 8-5-9-4-17=43
Dark amber color. Aroma of malt, bread, candi sugar, lightly fruity (strawberries). Malty, not really viscous, a delicate but evident liquorice taste at the mid-end, alcohol touch. Good but not astonishing palate. I don’t know exactly why, but I expected more…
Improves a lot when pouring the sediment.