Trappistes Rochefort 8 - Brasserie de Rochefort

Trentonator

Kansas

4.78/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown, with a nice white head. Smell is sweet, floral, with some chocolate and cherry. Creamy mouthfeel and wonderful taste. I get some caramel, a sweet aftertaste. Drinkability is low because of high ABV. Went nicely with a big grilled steak. A wonderful brew from the monks I continue to admire.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2005 00:00:28 | More by Trentonator

FLAbeergutinMASS

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I tried the Rochefort 10 the other day, and I must say that I prefer this beer more.

Now this is how a beer is supposed to look. Poured in to a Duvel glass (which seems to accent the colors) leaving a wonderfully balanced head above a deep red/brown melding. The beer must be right on; it looks as if t came form a tap.

I am picking up chocolate, cherries and peaches. Malt is prevalent, seemingly overpowering it's healthy dose of alcohol.

This beer is one tasty beverage. The alcohol, which was disguised before, is now very prevalent. Very sweet and warming, if there was ever a reason to look forward to winter this is it.

A+

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2005 22:15:08 | More by FLAbeergutinMASS

PorterLambic

Florida

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

Pours ahazy orange-brown with a huge, creamy head. Great retention and nice lace for the eyes.
Smell is sweet, roasted malt, fruit (apple and grape) and spice.
Taste is malt, fruit, spice, light hops, alcohol and a hint of smoke in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel is smooth and rich with a medium-full body. Alcohol becomes more noticeable as the brew warms.
Drinkability: Oh, yeah. A great session beer, a wonderful closer on a night's quaffing.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2005 05:12:21 | More by PorterLambic

stcules

Italy

4.35/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Comparative tasting with Westvleteren 8.

Dark, almost black. Not persistent and scarce foam.
The smell is more alcoholic than the W8, with notes of plum, and raisin. Hazelnut and green wood. Cherry in alcohol. Touches of liquorice. In any case, fresh and inviting.
The taste is perhaps less harmonic and "soft" than in the tasting sister. Good maltiness, with plum, and even a ripe fruity (peach, but pear over all). Tending to a dry and clean finish. More prickly.
Good body.
The aftertaste: a sharp liquorice, sweet, not present before, that makes all very inviting.
There are again the fruity notes (pear), and plum.
Overall: more complex than the W8.

But in any case, two great beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2005 21:21:06 | More by stcules

guinnessman

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pours with a 1/2 in. head and a dark brown hue. A bubble gum, some fruity notes, chocolate, and roasted coffee nose.
Kind of a lingering tingling burn, A very peculiar finish! Some chocolate, apples, and sweet candy flavors. A nice balance and mouthfeel overal

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2005 23:35:05 | More by guinnessman

gimmehead

Illinois

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

Appearance: walnut brown with a quickly receding cream colored head that thinly coats the beer

Smell: sugary sweetness, very malty, nutty, subtle fruity esters and some alcohol

Taste: initially spicy, tart fruityness, nutty, some candy sweetness, bready yeast, peppery , very spicy with a warming alcohol finish, a bit bland overall

Mouthfeel: very highly carbonated

This beer has been a big disappointment, given other reviews and word of mouth. I have one more waiting in the cellar, I hope it proves to be better.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2005 03:18:20 | More by gimmehead

Padron4KM

Arizona

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

330ml bottle, bb date 04 11 08.
Pours out hazy brown, with some fine sediment. 1" head is long lasting.
Aroma is fruity, caramel, a little dough, a little alcohol.
Flavor is plumy, caramel, raisins, with a good dose of spice. a little bitterness on the finish.
alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2005 04:33:46 | More by Padron4KM

gotbeer

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a hazy brown color with a moderate head if your pour it down the middle of the glass.

The taste hits you with a little hoppiness at first and then lots of fruit flavors and complexity. Apricots, plums, and figs come to mind. Great tasting beer. Not overwhelming at the first sip, but the more you sip it the more flavor comes out, and you appreciate what this beer is then.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2005 00:41:00 | More by gotbeer

Toddv29424

District of Columbia

4.68/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

WOW! Pours a dark hazy brown color with little to no head. Smell is surprisingly pungent and like sweet apricots and malt. The taste is exceptional. The plethora of flavors all seamlessly blended together makes for a wonderful symposium of goodness. The most prevalent of the tastes is that of candied fruit, sweet and natural spices. Its really hard to explain the large amount of flavors that are coming together to make this beer, as they are so goo together it's hard to distinguish them!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2005 12:17:18 | More by Toddv29424

ypsifly

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

33cl bottle with best before date stamped on the label. Poured into a chalice.

Deep reddish-brown with a tan head that bubbles up to almost two fingers, then falls to a 1cm sheet of uneven foam. Not much lacing.

The nose is awesome. Belgian yeast and spice with dark candied fruits and just a whiff of rum. Strong and mouthwatering.

The taste and mouthfeel are equally bold. Sweet malts paired with dry hops and a dry finish that slowley fades into warming alcohol. Very complex and satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2005 02:15:55 | More by ypsifly

Quaffer

Nevada

2.9/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

11.2 oz. bottle. Picked this up in KC, MO. Not available here in Wichita. Label is stamped "25 12 07" which I assume is the best-before date.

Appearance: This was a deep brown beer with washed out red highlights. The tan head maintained at around one finger during my slow pour. It was coarse and fizzy, disappearing rather quickly. There was no lace left behind on the glass.

Smell: Dry husky malt, light caramel, cherries, and warm, round alcohol made up the bulk of the aroma. There was an old, musky oak smell as well. Kind of washed out and bland overall.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and very smooth.

Taste: Almost as boring as the smell, but not quite. Dry chocolate or cocoa combined with candied fruits and hints of tart cherries. On the finish, a big vodka-like alcohol flavor rose up and dominated. That was it.

I realize that this is a short review, but there just wasn't anything else going on with this beer to describe. What was there was uninspiring.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2005 23:28:33 | More by Quaffer

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

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

Bottle label indicates "21 07 09" which must be a freshness stamp and 9.2% ABV. $7 a bottle from Whole Foods, in Boca Raton, FL.

Dark murky mahagony pour topped off with a beige frothy head that hangs in there with excellent head retention. Tiny bubbles beading up.

Candied fruit and sugary scents.

First swigs: Light cocoa and biscuit malts. Vanilla and some hints of cherry, sweet table sugar and milky smooth. toffee. Nutty hints of almond and pecan. Quite complex. Bunt cake and iceing with a clean aftertaste.

Foamy frothy feel with a medium body.

Last swigs: Sugary cocoa & vanilla. Totally hidden ABV until the warmed up finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2005 04:48:54 | More by blitheringidiot

amicar

Missouri

4.7/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Nice little treat for 'new beer sunday.' Poured from a little 33cL bottle, and before I could even think about what it looks like, the aroma practically fills the room. A sweet smell that contains leather, sherry, a touch of tobacco, a hint of bananna, fruitiness; stick my nose deep in the glass and the smells get even richer, maltier, slightly chocolatey, jammy, and either raisins or plums.
Whoa.

Anyway, it poured a browned color with burgundy undertones and an off- white head that means serious business. Beautiful lacing on the glass.
The taste is really something. A little sweeter than I expected, but balanced perfectly. Spicy and rich maltiness prevail. Less of that jammy stuff on the nose, but I can taste a little roasted stuff (like burnt marshmallows) and that leather again (a good thing).

Feels wonderful in the mouth. Tingles a little in the mouth and feels rich and smooth. If not for a slight throatburn, I would not be able to predict the alcohol content. Again, balanced nicely. So easy to drink this. Oh, my poor pocketbook.

Overall, really and extraordinary beer. I wish there was a ranking for "balance," because this one would be an easy 5. On the sweet end of the spectrum, but never crosses the line. I really can rave about this one. Like it a bit better than the 10. A must try for anyone interested in the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2005 04:13:02 | More by amicar

Hefe

Maryland

5/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Tasted from 33cl bottle poured into a Chimay chalice. Best by 19/08/08. Thank you Shelton Bros. for importing this slice of divinity.

I do beleive the heavenly host did burst out in song as I poured this beer into the glass. A think pillowy tan head rose up and never left, constantly coating the slightly hazy burgundian depths. Aromas that boggled my mind rose from the glass. Bready/Biscuity with notes of yeast over a subtler malt/date/plum foundation. Flavors are lightly sweet initially then dry throughout. Caramel/toffeeish malt, milk chocolate, clove, tobacco, brown sugar, rye bread. Incredibly creamy, with an ultrafine yet very persistant carbonation. Smoooth as all get out. If not for the sheer complexity of this beer, the 9.2% would seemingly be no barrier to drinking these all day.

Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2005 02:47:14 | More by Hefe

bashiba

Iowa

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Picked out this baby for my 100th review!

This was dated best before 2009.

Poured into my Goblet a dark creamy chocolate brown with a full creamy tan head that seemed to last forever.

Scent has a very nice Fruity aroma with hints of Mango and Dates along with a nice Fresh bread and Vanilla odor as well.

Taste is combination of slightly sweet maltiness with hints of caramel, vanilla, and other fruit flavors a slight bit of alcohol taste with a suprisingly nice earthy finish for a superbly balanced beer.

Mouthfeel is incredibly creamy and full with a nice warming, truly feels as good in my mouth as it tastes.

Drinkabillity is fantastic! What an absolutly great beer, can't hardly set the glass down, has everything you want, superbly complex yet seems simply good at the same time. Perfectly balanced!

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2005 04:18:30 | More by bashiba

HardTarget

Texas

4.97/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

33cl brown bottle, green cap, with 9.2% abv. Listed and a 29 04 08 date listed, serving temp suggestion on back label (54-58). Authentic Trappist symbol lets you know that it means business. I’m starting a bit cold, but plan to savor it for a good long while from my Chimay chalice.
Aroma: Same bubble gum, chocolate and melon aroma I got from the Rochefort 10, simply intoxicating. It’s just such a “fresh” and “new” smell with lots of honeydew melon. It makes me want to down the whole chalice in one quaff. As I work my way down, the head slowly fades to a thick cover, but only because it leaves heavy lace that sparkles like ice crystals.
Appearance: Black glass with only a hint of murky brown at the very bottom. A half finger of light brown tightly compacted froth waits patiently for me to imbibe.
Flavor: A wonderfully complex taste. The honeydew melon and bubble gum are blended with an earthy tobacco that just expresses Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, the blending of heavenly and earthbound so perfectly. Balance between hops and malt? Balance between mortal and divine! The fruitiness is so pronounced, it seems as if they have blended in honeydew melon nectar which I can see others comparing to pears. The 8 seems a bit more straightforward than the 10, a bit lighter, but cut from the same cloth. Not as much chocolate in the 8, but hints of it.
Mouthfeel: A perfect medium body with such a creamy consistency. The carbonation is present, but only as a mild tickle, a subtle reminder that this is indeed beer. Nice dry finish encourages the next sip.
Overall Impression: I have to admit, since the Rochefort 10 is my only straight 5 beer (so far) I built up to this tasting for a week. I’ve cut back to two meals a day (something I’ve needed to do after the holidays anyway) and consumed only Belgian (or Belgian style) beers. I have to acknowledge a deep gratitude to Stonecrusher who sent this (and the Rochefort 10) godsend to my doorstep. While this beer didn’t make me cry like the 10 did, it is truly a world class beer. Even my wife, who only likes Lindemans Framboise and Corona, could see the exceptional quality of this beer. Simply outstanding, I just can’t recommend Rochefort beers strongly enough. Seek, buy, enjoy. I know I will.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2005 05:37:26 | More by HardTarget

carln26

Missouri

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

From the bottle, this poured a hazy, deep brown color with a thick and dense cream colored head. The nose has an up front doughy character followed quickly by a spicy touch that blends quickly with citrus hops. The taste has the spicy character immediately accented by a caramel malt. The doughy character is not present in the flavor. The hops are there, more as an accent than a distinguishable flavor of it’s own. This has a very “layered” character. Smooth, slightly oily mouth feel and a mild alcohol warming lend to a high drinakbility,

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2005 21:43:53 | More by carln26

stjarnflikka

Sweden

4.63/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy, bloodred beer with quite some carbonation and a fingerthick foam. Looks nice with quite a bit of sediment left in the bottle.

Smell is immense! Fruits (oranges, pears and pineapple) comes on powerfully and is balanced with malt, bread and a sugarlike sweetness. Smells like a plate of fruit, very very nice.

First on the tongue comes malt. Then som spicyness together with alcohol and a bready thickness. Some sugar blends together with fruit which is mainly ripe pears and banana. Finishes somewhat bitter and sour with citric traces and a warming alcoholic feeling.

Great beer, very complex and long lasting. Tastes better a little warmer than out of the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2005 20:58:28 | More by stjarnflikka

santoslhalper

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from scribbled notes from last night.

Not as good as the 10 in anyway. The fizzyness just doesn't fit the flavor. The fruity and sweet notes are rich and potent, and smell wonderful, but it's just another Belgian Dark Strong Ale that doesn't have anything too unique about. I mean I really like the stuff, but compared to the 10 it falls short.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2005 16:59:46 | More by santoslhalper

avylover

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours out a nice hazy brown..pretty much opaque. Not a whole lot of head to speak of, but inviting nonetheless..

Aroma of toffee, grapes, and a rather inviting maltiness along with a just right alcohol whiff. Very nice

Taste mirrors the aroma - we've got all sorts of flavors here...caramel, vinous fruits, even a little peach detected. The alcohol melds in great with this brew

Mouthfeel is full & chewy, with ample carbonation heklping to unleash the flavors, leaving a nice aftertaste in the finish.

Drinkability...well, probably not a good idea, but I could drink this to no end..

EXCELLENT!!! I'm not a big belgian fan...but the darker belgians tend to hit the mark for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2005 13:45:03 | More by avylover

waughbrew

Massachusetts

2.48/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2

Big ol' head that just won't subside. Forms funny shapes and clumps on the sides of the glass. Dark blackredbrown body. Smells like Captain Morgan original, prunes, and a spicy red wine. A carbonated charcoal Jack Daniels. Finish is lacking as the beer floats away leaving a dry ashen alcohol. Very cool feel, striking the bridge of the nose between the eyes of fluffiness and full-boditity. Interesting, peculiar, and nothing I wanted to finish. Yech, is this distilled?

[Drink by 8/19/08]

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2005 00:11:00 | More by waughbrew

xgrigorix

Michigan

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

Brown 33 cl bottle. Best by date printed on label.

Deep tawny shade of clear brown. Topped by a dense creamy looking beige coloured head. Patchy lace.

Dark fruit in the nose - figs. Warm & inviting with subtle hints of spice.

Dark fruit mixes deftly with malty sweet goodness. Moderate bitterness leads to a dry finish. Raisins & figs linger on the tongue along with a hint of orange. Medium bodied, prickly robust carbonation. Masterful!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2005 18:05:34 | More by xgrigorix

lackenhauser

Maryland

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very nice, somewhat cloudy brown in appearance. Good sized head,most of which remains all the way down. Wonderful aroma-almost like fresh baked cookies. Brown sugar,caramel and a few spices-cinnamon and ginger come to mind. Big malty flavor upfront-slight yeast flavors. Very bread like. Clean finish. Good body-"bright" on the palate. Very,very drinkable-well worth finding you some. Thanks to axisjones for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2005 00:39:10 | More by lackenhauser

MABZ

Nebraska

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Just got back from John's Grocery in Iowa City with one hell of an expensive (but very well spent) 6 pack of belgian trappists including this beautiful gem which I have just poured into a wine glass to warm up from fridge temp to about 50 degrees. The smell is absolutely intoxicating. I don't think I have seen a more elegant pour with such a perfect 1 inch head of perfectly shaped little bubbles of tan aromatic bliss. The pour started thickly down the glass with a white wine color and gradually started to build to a thick brown dubbel color with kind of an opaque maroon haze. My mouth is watering like crazy and my brain is racing to come up with different adjectives describing the splendor of this beer and I haven't even tasted it yet.

I couldn't resist a small sip. This is definately the best trappist ale I've come home with so far, though I still have 5 other belgian goodies in stock. The taste is malty and kind of fizzy, also has a small hint of red wine in the finish. The mouthfeel is thick (but not Imperial Stout thick) but silky smooth. The exhale also produces a wonderful taste similar to the one I am currently swirling from the glass. I'd say the temp is about right, time to fully enjoy this tasty beverage.

I followed suggestions from a forum post about this beverage about leaving the sediment until the glass was nearly empty. This was quite an excellent suggestion, my friend. The last few sips were absolute bliss and had an even thicker yet smoother mouthfeel and a more fruity character. I crave more, but after just one 12 oz I have the most perfect buzz; and besides, I could follow this tasty brew up with nothing less than one of the other 5 aforementioned belgian beverages, but my palate is quite overrun by the malty sweetness and citrusy flavors and I wouldn't want to spoil the experience or my forthcoming review.

Nothing much more needs to be said, though the alcohol level is quite high to warrant a perfect drinkability score regardless of how much I'd like to give this beer a perfect 5. I do want another though, for sure. I am looking forward to the Rochefort 10 I also purchased in the same pack. I am also looking forward to buying more and starting my first cellared stash.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2005 01:52:07 | More by MABZ

ddarden

Alabama

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured this 11.2 oz. bottle of Rochefort 8 into a Westmalle chalice. I decent light brown head formed initially and then quickly dissipated. The color is a deep chestnut and cloudy with a few small bubbles rising. Almost no lacing as the head turned into the thin covering.

The first smell is like chocolate malt with a hint of alcohol. The initial taste hits me immediately with an alcohol then quickly fads into a very nice roasted malt flavor. It finishes with a fruity, almost cherry aftertaste. The aftertaste is a little thin and that would be my only disappointment. The lingering flavor is a yeasty, fruit flavor. Very nice beer with a medium mouth feel and carbonation. I would say this is one of the great beers in world, not the best, but up there.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2004 03:39:49 | More by ddarden