Trappistes Rochefort 8 - Brasserie de Rochefort

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

4.29/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Super pumped to give this one a go. I've waited around much too long to try it out.

A- Lots of effervescence. Even a soft pour leads to a beautiful 3 finger head. Pours a mahogany with red accents. Fluffy off white head. Fantastic lacing and maybe the best retention I have ever seen.

S- Foam doesn't hold back the aroma as it fights through like a champ. Lots of ripe, dark fruits. Phenols also present. Touch of nuts and spice.

T- So smooth. Follows nose well. Lots of dark fruits again (raisins, grapes, figs, dark cherries or black berries?) Not a whole lot of Belgium yeast noticeable. Tart for sure. Sweetness also comes through. Touch of alcohol. Impressive to say the least.

M- Crisp from the champagne like carbonation. Very drinkable. Full body. Dry finish with a similar character to a fine red wine

O- What can I say that hasn't already been said. Like a fine merlot. Complex as can be. I always love to have a change of pace from the numerous great American beers that have a robust hop profile and go with a classic like this. No disappointment here.

Belgium ale glass
$4.99 for 11.2 oz bottle

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 05:11:21 | More by Bosoxfan20

thebigredone

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Finally picked one of these up on my latest beer run.

Pours an orangeish-brown collor with three fingers of creamy tan head that very, very slowly dissipates.

The aroma is quite sweet with a hint of spice and a strong presence of belgian yeast.

Taste is excellent. Dark fruit, some spice, belgian yeast, and a pleasant sweetness all play together in great harmony.

Mouthfell is also great, rich and viscous.

Overall, this is a wonderful beer. Trying this shortly after drinking New Glarus' Anniversary Ale really helps show just how far NG's beer has to go to be considered a world class belgian. Loved this, will drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 00:59:25 | More by thebigredone

RaphaelSC

Brazil

4.39/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a deep brown with a caramel 2 fingers head with good retention.

S:Caramel and banana and some toasted malts.

T: Woody and dry with some caramel notes and low carbonation, ends just a little bitter, the alcohol can be felt just because the warm sensation in the end.

M: A dry bittersweet feel that resemble wine but not so sweet and more refreshing, some coffee appear in the aftertaste as some bitterness.

O: Its like Rochefort 10, but a little less complex, still a excelent beer, a must have to me.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 02:42:43 | More by RaphaelSC

Burkbom23

Connecticut

4.16/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Opague deep brown color. Almost like a really dark iced tea. Light comes through on th edges but towards the middle of the glass, nothing. Very large active off whtie head with pretty good retention at first. Waves of cloudiness floating throughout the beer. By the time i finished the glass of beer the head had pretty much disapeared all together. Really no sticky lacing at all. The aroma is heavy on dark fruits. Prunes, figs, and maybe some red raisens. Alcohol is present. Really sweet smelling beer. Full on ruthless maltiness up front in the taste. Dark fruits for sure. Some dark breads. Spice hits about half way through the palatte. Crisp finish. Maybe some dark cherries there towarrds the end? Good carbination. Full bodied sticky ale, but feels pretty lively in the mouth. Definate warming feeling. Got more boozy as it warmed. Really nice complex taste, a lot going on for sure. One of the better trappist ales i have had so far. More of a drinkable beer to me than its older brother Rochefort 10.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 00:47:30 | More by Burkbom23

ChrisKayler

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Glass: Port City Belgian style snifter.

Appearance: Dark ruby-brown in color. A moderate pour produced a finger of bright white head that dissipated relatively quickly. Hazy, with much sediment that eventually settled on the bottom of the glass.

Smell: Bread, caramel, bananas, raisins, spices, and a bit of alcohol.

Taste: Much like the smell, this one tastes super sweet. Caramel is extremely prominent, as is the typical Belgian candi sugar. Dark fruits can be found throughout, with spices playing a side role. The banana which was difficult to find in the smell remains difficult to find in the taste. A strong exhale does produce some tastes of banana, however. Bready aftertaste. Alcohol is well hidden.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low-medium carbonation. A little sticky, due to the sugars, I suppose.

Overall: A great beer. I enjoy the Belgian candi sugar, but it does come across very sweet. Like a tasty desert, this is one that I will enjoy only from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:21:08 | More by ChrisKayler

stewart124

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

11.2 oz bottle. Poured into a snifter.

Hazy mahogany in color and light tan head. Plenty of visible carbonation. Little lacing to speak of.

Dark candied fruits in the nose. Some toffee and dark caramel as well.

Whoa. Plenty of depth. Layers of caramel with tobacco notes. Some vanilla and oaky characters come through. Little traces of alcohol but nothing that takes away from overall beauty of this Belgian strong ale. Dark candi sugar comes through in a slight sweetness.

Finish is exactly what you would expect, bone dry. Lingers on the tongue but it is a stone fruit/tobacco note.

This is really a spectacular example of the style. Comes across beautifully.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 00:34:14 | More by stewart124

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.3/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a deep dark brown, almost black, with red hues as the beer thins. There is a massive dark khaki colored head that takes forever to settle. The foam lingers indefinitely as the beer drinks, and there is some nice lacing.

S: The nose is raisin bread, a bit of dirt, light banana, and light spice. It doesn't smell bad, but the dirt note is inescapable.

T: It starts out sweet with raisin bread, plums, light brown sugar, and earth. I get sweet and spice in the middle, as the clove notes begin to take shape. Mild banana throughout. The back end gets spicy with more clove and high carbonation.

M: Full bodied beer. It's sweet to start, and has a great balance of sweet and spice in the middle. The beer covers the palate and moves off with lingering spice. It's a bit cloying in the finish.

O: Nice beer, but I don't think I could drink this all the time. It's good for it's style. It has a great flavor profile and finishes nice and spicy, as I like it.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 21:07:46 | More by trxxpaxxs

capnamerica

Arkansas

4.46/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Rochefort 8 Trappist

Rochefort 8 (green cap, brown beer, 9.2% ABV). Yellowish-brown colour, with more fruits and a slight amount of Demi-Sec. This variety constitutes the largest proportion of production.

These monks know their beer. This is a very complex beer. Reminiscent of a fine champagne or wine.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 02:13:37 | More by capnamerica

BlackAura

Alberta (Canada)

3.36/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Rather than write my own review I'd just like to agree with the user Falloutsnow with their review.

I recently found a gift-box version of this ale that had been tucked aside at my local shop a few years prior. It was the only one remaining and I was happy to get a box of 4 already-aged bottles with a glass.

It poured beautifully and I was very excited by the initial aroma, however my first sip was not quite what I expected. As per Falloutsnow's review, there is a very strong ethanol flavour that I just can't get away from.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/207/1696/?ba=falloutsnow

I'm hoping to go back and pick up a fresh bottle to give it a try, as the bouquet when I initially opened it was amazing.

For reference my bottle is "best before" March 2015, so would have been bottled March 2010. Opened April 2013.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 06:51:28 | More by BlackAura

dsuedbeck

Minnesota

4.39/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Reddish brown, a little cloudy. A big white head that hung around for a little bit, nice lacing.

S: I get a little more of the malt/bready notes with this one. Some dark fruit character comes through.

T: Sweet bready malt hits you up front. Nice balanced flavor the whole way through, similar to 6 but a little better. Finishes the a yeasty, ester quality that you get from your standard Belgium.

M: Nice body, perfect for the style, finishes crisp due a high carbonation.

O: Very good beer, I like everything about it. If I'm not drinking DIPAs this is my kind of beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 02:03:49 | More by dsuedbeck

Roman5150

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased from Total Beverage in Murfreesboro, TN. Poured into Duvel Tulip glass.

Large off white head due to aggressive pour, some lacing, dark brown mocha color.

Smells of dark fruits, rasins, sweet prunes, figs, bread, apple, a lot similar to the smell of a Rochefort 10.

Taste: Very sweet. I wanna say this is sweeter than the 10. Very sweet apple, dark fruit initial taste, followed by notes of plum and raisin, the finish is somewhat sour. As with other trappist beers, the complex flavors really come through when it warms up a little bit. Very drinkable beer.

Mouthfeel: Decent amount of carbonation, so sweet to the taste buds it tingles.

Overall: I prefer the Rochefort 10, perhaps due to similar tastes but it has a higher ABV. This one is very similar, and a very good beer, but I don't think I would buy this if a 10 is available. THis one is jsut too sweet, and the alcohol seems like it's brought out a bit more because of it, even though the ABV is lower. With that said, this is an amazing beer. It's hard to rate this fairly when you just want to compare it to a World Class Rochefort 10, and this one is almost there, but just not AS good. Still better than about 99.5% of every beer out there. Decide for yourself, I have a Rochefort 6 waiting in my basement as well!

General rule of thumb: You will never be disappointed with a beer that's made by monks.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 01:57:58 | More by Roman5150

ajramirez1

Washington

4.11/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Im a belgian fan an this beer is a decent strong beer. As a unique taste, initially cold it was a bit sour aftertaste but quickly dissolved once it warmed.

Had this beer after thr Rochefort 10, so this beer wasnt even in same ballpark. But this beer is quite good

A-

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 22:10:25 | More by ajramirez1

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

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

I had this in occasion of the choice of the new Pope. A dark-brown beer, with a well-retained brown neck, forms a beautiful Belgian lace in the chalice. The aroma shows pears, apples, as well as many floral tones, together with a caramelized malt and, perhaps, plums. The taste brings a medium-body, extremely carbonated feel, with a caramelized malt backbone, and hops well present. There's a great harmony between the carbonation and the malty body, and the silkiness of the beer is impressive. Besides, the strong 9.2% ABV is not that perceptible. The aftertaste leaves both the delicious malt, a theme during the whole tasting, as well as hops. Despite being too strong for my personal taste, it was a great choice for the day!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:55:04 | More by HabiMendes

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.66/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.75

330ml bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a fairly dark amber/brown with two fingers of thick off white head. Amazing head retention.

S: Spicy yeast esters, orange zest, and peppercorn. I get a touch of dark fruit, but the beer seems dry for the style.

T: Quite dry, I get strong peppercorn, orange zest, and a bit of dark fruit. Boozy.

M: A bit thin with very strong, prickly carbonation.

O: The flavors go pretty well together, but I'd like some more sweetness with a thicker mouthfeel. Decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 01:06:02 | More by coreyfmcdonald

rlee1390

Indiana

4.24/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A-Deep ruby almost brown, two finger off white head.

S-Dark fruits cherries, banana and caramel

T-Very similar to the nose, good balance of darker fruits and cherries.

M-Medium bodied, creamy and nicely carbonated.

O-The middle of the Rochefort beers, a solid well rounded Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 21:18:48 | More by rlee1390

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

4.61/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Served from a 330ml bottle to a tulip

A: Very hazy brownish red color. Almost opaque due to the yeast and general cloudiness. Two finger head comprised of large bubbles. Bubbles were constantly streaming up the side of the glass.

S: Delicious. Sweet caramel like malts a tad of nuttiness and some dark fruits. Some alcohol is noticeable.

T: Primarily a malt orientated beer. Caramel and sweet tasting malts being dominant. There was also some nuttiness as well. The Belgian yeast character is also very evident in this beer and draws out figs, prunes, and dates. Its almost reminiscent of a red wine in its fruity complexity. Bitterness is low. Alcohol is semi present and could be perceived as lower

M: Very carbonated and bubbly providing a crisp and neat mouth feel. Pretty dry as well but that is probably due to the high alcohol.

O: All around this was just a damn good beer. I'm going through a little Belgian phase right now and this just helped me stay in it. Would definitely buy again but would look more towards pairing it with a good meal instead of on its own.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 20:23:41 | More by Haydn-Juby

Premo88

Texas

3.56/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz. bottle poured into goblet

L: murduk dark caramel ... i.e., brown; think skin of very tan foamy head; not much lacing, but the collar of foam is constant and kind of cool

S: RAISINS -- very dark and fruity; breat; slight muted sour smell (figs?); 1/4 into it starts to smell like wine, fruity esters

T: tastes like carbonated wine; slight licorice?; mostly the slightly soured taste of wine grapes; if there are hops in this brew, one cannont taste them

F: unbelievable. the Belgian strong dark ale is not my style, simply don't enjoy the taste, BUT there is no questioning the construction of this weighty brew. it's super heavy without drinking like sludge; stays smooth in spite of the heaviness.

O: in a perfect world, all beer reviews would review to style ... this one does not, for my own personal record-keeping, it reviews to my personal taste, and I don't like raisins, figs, licorice or burnt dark chocolate -- so I'm not a huge fan. but i definitely can appreciate the craftmanship of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 04:25:05 | More by Premo88

TheCondor

Missouri

4.24/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Side poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance - Pours a deep mahogany with intense carbonation present in the pour. Bubbles racing to the head of the brew, which is a two-finger soapy head. Only stays around for a minute, minimal lacing. But while the head is present, this is an impressive presentation. Sediment in the bottle and glass.

Smell - Sweet caramel malts, dark fruits - figs, raisins, prunes, etc. just what you would expect from this style. Big and robust.

Taste - Much like the nose, although there is an underpinning of toasty breads as well. The sweet malts sweep the palate for the first half, replaced by the dark fruits.

Mouthfeel - Disappointing. Heavily carbonated and kind of light, in my opinion, for the style. Dry and crisp, but kind of light bodied considering.

Overall - This is an excellent brew. However, there are three or four of this style which are readily available that I would spend my money before this one. That being said, it is certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 01:53:53 | More by TheCondor

Kunstman

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My first review, and my first Trappist Ale, celebrating my first anniversary as a beer geek, and 700 unique beers, with Rochefort 8.

A: Dirty brown color with a reddish/copper hue when held to the light. Solid beige head with great retention. Minimal lacing. Yeast sediment is visible.

S: Dark fruit, sweet estery wine like aroma, with a hint of alcohol.

T: Deep dark fruit taste, with some molasses. Very slight nutty, bready characteristics. Alcohol more present as it warms. Slightly dry on the finish.

M: Medium/heavy. More carbonation than I would expect.

O: A good Belgian beer. Carbonation seemed off a little though. Certainly not my favorite Belgian, but I would buy this again. Looking forward to trying more from the Trappists.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 03:08:16 | More by Kunstman

tylerzander

Arizona

2.09/5  rDev -51.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A - despite a slightly sloppy, yeast rousing pour, the beer appears in the glass a dark toffee color that shows deep ruby highlights when held up to a light; pours a thick one finger tan, tight bubbled head, at least once the madly foaming first pour leveled off

S - some dark fruit notes seem faded and overpowered by a stale oxidized aroma and a little ethanol with a hint of acetone

T - tastes pretty oxidized, mildly and unpleasantly lingering sourness/cardboard taste with a bitter turn at the end; not sure if this was a problem with storage (probably, purchased at a liquor store with little craft beer turnover, though it was refrigerated) or a bad bottle from the brewery

M - thin and lacking, not the beer it's supposed to be

D - I finished it, only as a means of trying to figure out what happened to this beer, even though it was more rather than less undrinkable as it warmed, becoming more solventy

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:38:32 | More by tylerzander

PeterM

California

4.45/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy amber with a thin head that quickly fades to a slight rim around the glass.
Fruity maple malt aroma bodes well.
Very effervescent , cherry highlighted taste, with a wonderful thick mouth feel that lingers - lip smacking!
Very well balanced aftertaste, with the strong alcohol subtly hidden.
Excellent sipping beer that deserves to be savored. So glad I came back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 02:15:41 | More by PeterM

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.19/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

An eruption of fizz bursts into the glass with near deafening effervescence. The bubbles erupted to the top of a cloudy, unfiltered, mahogany hue.

The scent is varied with a tangy scent of cranberry and dried fruits. Hints of plum, date and raisin mix with a touch of pear and breadiness. Even bits of maple can be found buried in the diversity.

The taste is tangy and sour with apple, pear and plum. Hints of cherry skirt across the palate as an alcohol warmth spreads through the chest. The feel is a touch sharp on the tongue without an alcohol taste but certainly a feel. The ale slides down the throat with ease and is light on the stomach.

Rochefort 8 is short of 10 in taste alone but still measures up to be an excellent brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 00:34:10 | More by KYGunner

Ilafan

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not as hoppy or strong (in terms of alcohol content) as its first cousin, Trappistes Rochefort 10. But this is still a very good product. It is very flavorful, and it serves as a great companion to a light lunch. It is a nice session beer, too. It's a perfect Saturday afternoon beer for those with good taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 23:36:00 | More by Ilafan

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

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

Trappistes Rochefort 8 @ 9.2% , served from a 330 ml bottle purchased for $6

A-pour is a golden amber with a medium size off white head leaving a minimal lace ring along the goblet

S-classic Belgian yeast alongside dark fruits (figs , prunes , raisins)

T-sweet strong alcohol taste

MF-good carbonation , full bodied , smooth on the palate and very warming beer as more is sipped

Ov-good beer , slow sipping beer , extremely well crafted

sampled alongside Unibroue 'Grand Reserve17' , Gigantic's 'The End of Reason'
& Lighthouse's 'Belgian Black12' & '13'

prost LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 05:01:04 | More by LampertLand

djbreezy

Washington

4.45/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

appearance - dark, mild head, excellent lacing

smell - figs and dark, dried fruits

taste - a very complex beer with notes of malt, figs, dark fruits like plums, etc. very flavorful and robust

mouthfeel - medium to heavy body, medium carbonation, slightly slick, slightly dry

overall - just an excellent beer, very underrated, world class and reasonably priced, a great alternative to Westy...

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 17:28:23 | More by djbreezy