Trappistes Rochefort 8 - Brasserie de Rochefort

Philousa

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark mahogany with a quarter finger light, fluffy, amber colored head. This would be clear if it was in a thin glass. Aroma is great. Rich chocolate, fresh tobacco, date, plum, raisin, and some red cherry. These strong aromas are mixed with sweet candi sugar. I normally don't like this aroma or flavor, but the fruit is so strong that they balance each other out. A very mild chocolate and fruity flavor. The plum and fig really come out on the first sip. This is very mellow, not in your face at all. The stronger flavors, such as chocolate, tobacco, candi sugar, and some raisin mix with the alcohol in the middle. The hops are noticeable in flavor for a bit, very grassy and you can tell it's there just for bittering. The bitterness lasts a while as does the tobacco and dark chocolate. Feel is very light, bordering on watery. Very drinkable. Dry finish takes a while to materialize.

This is complex. There's so much to get out of this beer that I think I'd be pointing out different flavors and aromas after dozens of tastings. The mouthfeel is such that this doesn't feel as much of a sipper as other beers with this kind of complexity. I usually think I couldn't have a Rochefort 10 or St. Bernardus Abt 12 more than once every three months or so. But this is very drinkable and approachable, despite the many facets it presents. What more is to say about this oft reviewed beer? It's good, and I'd try it again when I have the time to savor it.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 04:39:04 | More by Philousa

mrchrisray

New York

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%

06-18-2013 17:30:35 | More by mrchrisray

AugustusRex

Ontario (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%

06-18-2013 13:21:27 | More by AugustusRex

lucasj82

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%

06-18-2013 01:30:27 | More by lucasj82

joaopmgoncalves

Portugal

4.73/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Notes: Got it in the first week of April. It was in the cellar since then.

A: Light brown colored body. High carbonation resulted in big beige head but the lace was weak.
S: Fig is the thing. But there's also some hidden citrus.
T: Noticed the caramel notes, the coffee bitterness and lots of stuff I can't recognize. It's complex in tasting matters.
M: Its high carbonation gives it a smooth and creamy feeling all around your mouth. For a 9.2 ABV beer, the alcohol is almost unnoted. What an incredible beer.
O: In my personal opinion, it's awesome. By far the best beer I've ever had until this date. But I'm sure that the Trappistes Rochefort 10 that I have on the cellar will get me into heaven anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 21:58:44 | More by joaopmgoncalves

yancot

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%

06-17-2013 04:41:46 | More by yancot

ChrisL24481

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%

06-16-2013 20:23:34 | More by ChrisL24481

gloryhole

Ontario (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%

06-16-2013 17:34:31 | More by gloryhole

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%

06-16-2013 17:05:32 | More by TheBeeraholic

adityashekhar

India

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%

06-16-2013 10:13:38 | More by adityashekhar

cdl

California

4/5  rDev -7.8%

06-16-2013 03:44:35 | More by cdl

KrisDLSmith

Ontario (Canada)

5/5  rDev +15.2%

06-16-2013 03:35:06 | More by KrisDLSmith

anson42

California

4/5  rDev -7.8%

06-16-2013 01:28:43 | More by anson42

Noelito76

New York

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%

06-15-2013 13:00:09 | More by Noelito76

tuka

New York

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%

06-15-2013 03:58:46 | More by tuka

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

5/5  rDev +15.2%

06-15-2013 00:09:22 | More by IchLiebeBier

Canada_Dan

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%

06-14-2013 01:48:07 | More by Canada_Dan

TheDoctor

Quebec (Canada)

4.74/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A:
Pours a murky, orangish brown. Cloudy with hunks of yeast and uniformly pretty. Has a beautiful creamy tan head that maintains perfect thickness and has sexy uniform lacing.

S:
Funky blue cheese, some doughy yeast notes. Nice underlying boozy sweetness. Overall smells good and is quite complex.

T:
Dry and nutty. Really creamy and delicious. Has a tinge of strong cheese just like the nose but is otherwise a lot earthier with some really stong, warm, smooth nut flavors along with chocolate and coffee.

M:
Soft and warm (from the high ABV, I assume) with pleasant carbonation and a creamy medium body. Extraordinarily long, pleasing finish.

O:
Tastes like the water out of an enchanted swamp. Gross and scummy and muddy and stanky and fabulous. Really nice looking. Smells delicious and teases you. Tastes delicious but not quite what you'd expected. Looks like a picture. Tastes like a dream.

Give 'er a quick flick of the wrist and watch the head pop right up to give you a perfect drink every time. No doubt I'd have it again but first I have to find the 10 and 12.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 22:45:06 | More by TheDoctor

Madubz

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7.8%

06-13-2013 09:42:03 | More by Madubz

Kyrojack

Indiana

2/5  rDev -53.9%

06-12-2013 22:37:05 | More by Kyrojack

dwren89

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: deep brown/mahogany, off white fizzy head, hazy

Aroma: dark fruit, molasses, fig, malty sweetness,

Taste: dark fruit, molasses character, but not in a cloying way, malt sweetness but balanced by more hop bitterness than Straffe Hendrik, not as deep in flavor and character as the 10, but quite drinkable

Mouthfeel: lighter on the palate, medium body, medium carbonation

Overall Impression: a more drinkable version of the 10 with only slightly less flavor. Same flavors as the 10 though. Dark fruit, molasses, and fig notes pervade with solid hop bitterness rounding out the flavor to counteract the malt bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 21:27:48 | More by dwren89

Dreizhen

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a chalice.

Appearance: Dark brown, caramel. Thick head that lingers.. Good carbonation.

Smell: Dark fruits, malt, chocolate, slight bitterness. Made me think baked cherries.

Taste: Warm chocolate initially with a dark fruit finish. Middle is slightly lacking in flavor, but the chocolate lingers and the fruit starts to kick in. A pleasant tinge of bitterness towards the end.

Mouthfeel: Heavy, smooth, a little foamy. Silk. Good carbonation.

Overall: A very good beer. I've based my rankings on three different bottles and I think my overall impression has gone down since I tried a bottle of the 10. Still fantastic and worth trying, especially if you're in Belgium where it can be found dirt cheap.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 18:01:40 | More by Dreizhen

vcoggins

Texas

3.64/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

11.2 oz bottle
Served in a tulip glass

A - Pours cloudy brown with an off-white 1 finger head that dissipates quickly and leave no lacing.

S - Smells of sweetness and raisins, but there is also an underlying tartness there. Like a wine or very light vinegar. Alcohol is noticeable but not overpowering

T - Sweet dark fruit with very little hops if any. But there is that tart, sour, vinegar undertone again. As with the nose the alcohol is not hidden but not too strong.

M - Highly carbonated almost like Champagne. Thin body with a dry finish.

O - This beer is good but not what i expected. The tart nose and taste kind of threw me. For the price this is not a beer I will seek out in the future.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 02:09:59 | More by vcoggins

spoony

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a 330 ml bottle into a chalice (two bottles were reviewed, one had a code stamp reading: 250516)

A-The brew is an dark, walnut brown with hints of ruby. The head is nearly two-fingers tall and comprised of dense, tan foam. There is good retention thanks to the few streams of visible carbonation.

S-The smell is pretty aggressive with a fair amount of alcohol spice and dark rum flavors. Fruits are dark and dried, like prune, fig, dates, and raisins. Complex and nicely suited for the style.

T-The taste also gives a pretty good wallop of warming, medicinal alcohol, but the alcohol plays well with the dark, malty fruits. I taste molasses, dark rum, prune, raisin, and baking spices.

M-The long-lasting carbonation is more aggressive than some Belgians of this style, but the beer retains a medium to heavy body. The carbonation and heft are a nice match for the style and flavors.

O-I admit that it took me a while to come around to the aggressive alcohol in this brew, but now that I'm hooked in, I really enjoy it. The dark fruit and burnt sugar flavors are spot on for a BSDA and complexity is fantastic. This is a great sipping beer that seems tailor-made to pair with some cheese and dried fruits.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 01:57:02 | More by spoony

dpodratsky3

Georgia

4.59/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

11.2 oz bottle poured into tulip glass

A: Hazy chestnut brown and orange hues mix together, topped by very finely bubbled .5 finger off white head, carbonation is apparent with each swirl of the glass

S: Doesn't hit you over the head, light belgian yeasty aroma, biscuit malt, hints of rum-like alcohol, some fruit, fig and light banana

T: LIght yet amazing depth of flavor, starts pretty straight forward with the characteristic belgian spicy yeast, but its as the flavors linger in your mouth that this beer really shines, it just seems to coat your mouth with sweet bready goodness combined with brown sugar, rum, and a slight spice like clove, the flavors are so smooth and silky

M: Highly carbonated but doesn't burn too badly, body remains light, not dry but definitely not cloying

O: An amazingly crafted beer all around. The depth of flavor and aroma is mind-boggling when you really sip it and try to take notice. A casual beer drinker could miss the subtleties and just taste a strong rum-like Belgian beer, but this is truly a world class beer if ever there was one. One of the best Belgian beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 01:16:15 | More by dpodratsky3