Rochefort Trappistes 8

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

Bottle. Cloudy brown with big beige head. Abundant carbonation. Slight apple juice and brown sugar aroma. Very sweet (fruity with some brown sugar) and effervescent. Alcohol lingering in the background but well hidden.

Dark brown pour into thick creamy tan head that slowly dissipates into melting foam lacing as carbonated bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass into a swirl of creamy foam. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, yeasty biscuits, and hints of ripened fruit. Complex flavor of creamy sweetness, sweetened ripe fruit, and sweet caramel malt with slight hint of hoppy bitterness in the finish.

Brown colour, small head rippling with tiny bubbles. Aroma is oaky, taste is licorice, so complex, not bitter. Aftertaste develops and remains in the mouth, warming alcohol. A great drink for a cold Winter evening. Delightful.

33cl bottle, as pictured. Pours a cloudy dark brown with a medium beige head. Ok retention, decent lacing. Aroma of fig, banana and liquor - with a citric edge. Fairly active carbonation in a heavy-bodied strong ale. Full, but fizzy mouth feel. Taste strongly reminiscent of Jamaican rum(!), but it’s not too sweet. Fig and banana are as evident here as they are in the aroma, and the malty bitterness nicely balances the fruit and alcohol. Lots of interesting herbal spices in the mix, the whole thing reminds me somehow of a Christmas desert. Herbaceous finish and mildly alcoholic after taste. This is a most agreeable, superbly balanced Belgian strong ale that shows that basic sweetness can be a plus as long there are enough bitterness and spice to compensate. Very likeable.

One exceptional brew. Full in complexity of taste. Extremely full bodied in nature. Poured warm into my old stlye Rochefort glass with yellow writing on. Smells of figs; caramel and the normal yeast and malt. Texture is pure black tar. Red is settled at the bottem. Tastes of carmael; figs, raisens and vanilla. Very complex brew. Lovely to sit there and contemplate theory of life with. Not as good as the 10 but very close. One amazing beer and one I always seek out. Recommend.

11/22/2009: Trappistes Rochefort 8... Aroma: A bit sweeter than the Rochefort 6; dark caramelized fruits and malt sugars; other characteristics like that of deep red wine; maybe a hint of something herbal or even like peppermint. Appearance: Dull brown color; murky/cloudy and opaque; frothy beige-colored crown. Flavor: "Darker" tasting and more rich than the Rochefort 6; caramel; dark brown sugar; roasted chesnuts; hints of chocolate; notes of creamy sherry or other liqueur; something that I can only desribe as watermelon; a splash of vanilla; more alcohol, but all of the flavors are also heightened as well; oxidation is starting to set in and is detracting a little bit from the overall flavor... Palate: Medium to medium-full carbonation; good level of carbonation; slightly sticky on the lips. Overall: Definitely obvious that this is the bigger brother to Rochefort 6 since the characteristics are similar, but everything is bigger; this a very good beer priced at $4.99+tax/bottle!

e33 cl bottle ( ALC. 9,2% VOL. / Consume before: 30 06 09 ) from Rivers Bend Wine and Spirits in Maineville, Ohio. Rating #1836 for this beer. Score: 8/3/8/3/16 = 3.8

Bottle thanks to Cavie. Muddy brown pour. I can’t smell anything in here. Tastes like rotten meat.

Pours a dark brown to black liquid with a thick beige head. Sweet rich aroma with hints of toffee, chocolate, coffee, grapes, berries. Very delicate taste, slightly bitter and moderately sweet. Alcohol is a bit present but not overwhelming. Full body, long bittersweet malty finish.