November 19, 2011
Trappistes Rochefort 10
This beer has been sitting in my fridge for a while looking for a perfect time to drink it. That time has arrived. It was bought for me by my friends Joe and Rachel on a trip to Oklahoma. Thanks guys!
It has a hazy dark brown coloring to it. Light passes through only at the edges of the glass. There is a slight reddish/orange coloring to it. When poured a half inch tan head forms. It’s a thick head made up mostly of tiny bubbles and it fades slowly to a film on the top of the beer. There was some nice lacing in the glass.
The smell starts off with a noticeably appetizing strong fruit scent. It consists mostly of dark fruits, but I detected a hint of pear or apple. It’s followed with some spicy hop scent and touch of anise, especially as it warms to room temperature. Surprisingly the smells cover the scent of alcohol for the most part.
The flavor is an amazing combination of dark fruits and molasses that mixes with a caramel malt taste that is absolutely incredible. The finish brings out some of that anise taste along with figs and a touch of oak. The flavor combination completely masks any taste of alcohol. It finishes clean with a smooth mild sweetness.
This is a medium bodied beer with a creaminess to it that coats the mouth. It has the perfect amount of carbonation, some bite on the tongue, but not enough to be distracting. This is a very easy to drink beer. One needs to be careful because of the high 11.3 ABV it could be easy for someone to over indulge accidently.
This beer has risen to the top ten favorite beers I’ve ever drank. This is so delicious and easy to drink that I could see myself going out of my way to find bottles of it. I wouldn’t recommend more than one or two in a night. If you have a chance to get your hands on one, do yourself a favor and buy it. I can easily see myself sitting back on a chilly Fall, Winter or Spring night enjoying one by a fire with friends. I give this 9 out of 10.
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