Brasserie Des Rocs Triple Impériale - Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs s.a.

glid02

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours a slightly hazy brown color with dark purple highlights and a 1.5-finger light tan head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving thick lacing.

Smells of a combination of dark and light fruits - pears, figs, and plums - with hints of brown sugar.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sweet malt flavors up front are soon overtaken by large amounts of sugarcoated pears, raisins, and figs. Near the end of the sip the fruit flavors fade just a bit to allow for a crisp ending that leaves a hint of sugar lingering on the palate.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is also very good. I finished my glass quickly and could have another with absolutely no problem.

Overall I was a bit perplexed when the "triple" I ordered came out looking like this but I was soon assuaged by a smooth beverage. This beer does all the little things right and is well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2009 04:20:00 | More by glid02

sirdrinkwell

Florida

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: nutty brownish/autumnal ruby in appearance with a healthy tan head that persists...

s: apricot, fig, yeast, and breadiness in general characterize the nose...

t: lively nut-fruit front with a sour fig-apricot secondary and a malty sweet finish...

m: smooth, and refreshing, substantial presence without being overbearing...

d: very enjoyable ale and an easy drink; this is a nice one that i will be happy to revisit again...

salud!

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2009 22:17:53 | More by sirdrinkwell

tronester

Oklahoma

3.23/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a super cloudy reddish brown with a medium tan head. Smells strongly of phenols and rusty metals. Taste is toffee sweet up front, a bubblegum and wierd soapy flavor with a surprisingly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is quite good though, nice and creamy with a nice low carbonation. Drinkability is Average, overall this is an OK beer, but for the money, there are much better options.

EDIT: The expiration date was over a year away, so it was not a beer that was too old.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2009 00:06:35 | More by tronester

danielharper

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Dark coloration, amber-brown, with a thick off-white head that dissipates slowly. Significant sediment in the glass.

Smell: Very yeasty, strong notes of rich nuttiness. Somewhat bready, with a strong Belgian funk. Rich, complex, inviting.

Taste: Dark maltiness, nutty, almost chocolatey in flavor. Perhaps a touch of caramel? On the back-end a nice yeast character, rich with the best of Belgium. A slight tarty fruitiness on the finish, notes of cherries. Slightly dry on the aftertaste. Delicious.

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, coating the palate well. No significant hoppiness or carbonation. Very chewy as one gets to the bottom of the bottle where the yeast resides.

Drinkability: A very drinkable, delicious Belgian Ale. Worth a try by anyone who loves a good Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2009 03:21:54 | More by danielharper

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy very dark ruby/amber color with a thick frothy 1.5 finger head and chunks of yeast floating about. This is odd considering I left a good portion of the bottom of the bottle. Decent retention, slowly fading into a lasting ring, leaving sporadic spots of lacing.

Spicy estery aroma with hints of apple and pear. Also a bit of dark malt, subtle hops, alcohol and a weird chemical soapiness.

Peppery spice up front with some dark malt, light and dark fruit notes, candy sugar and slight alcohol warmth. Pretty smooth with the high ABV well masked. Complex and well balanced Belgian Strong Ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2009 08:20:30 | More by corby112

natelocc787

California

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Good amount of sediment. Outstanding mouthfeel, sediment aside. Poured with a generous foamy head that left a decent amount of lace. Very dark fruit in this one. Raisins, plums, blackberries and Cabernet wine. Silky and dry at the same time. Pair with a good steak.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 02:51:41 | More by natelocc787

champ103

Texas

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a cloudy dark brown color. A two finger beige head forms with good retention. Rings of sticky spiderweb looking lace are left behind.
S: Dark fruits of plums and chocolate covered raisins. Dry wood. Sweet malt and yeast. There are lots of layers in the nose.
T: This is earthy, if that makes since? Sweet malt, dark fruits, and chocolate. Lots of dry wood.
M/D: A full body with medium carbonation. Did I say this was dry? The alcohol shows, but it is easy to sip on.

This is a good beer. More flavor comes out as this warms up. The earthy and and dryness are very distinct for this brewery. Something I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 00:23:41 | More by champ103

JBogan

Nevada

3.73/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A dark brown body with a fair amount of floaties is capped nicely by a thick tan creamy head. Some slippery lacing is left in it's wake.

The nose is of dark fruits, mainly raisin, along with some chocolate. Some sweet malt in there as well.

Taste is close to the nose, with the chocolate playing a leading role. The alcohol is well hidden.

Mouthfeel was excellent. Very silky smooth and with just enough carbonation tingle to keep things from getting flat.

This is a fine beer to slowly sip and savor. I'd like to try this aged, but even young it is apparent that this is a quality brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2009 00:04:48 | More by JBogan

WoogityBoogity

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Thick, slightly off-white creamy head with moderate retention. Very deep copper brown; very hazey with random floaties.

S - Strong presence of complex malts and strong, but not powerful, sweetness from the malt. Very light fruity esters present, with mild to light peppery phenol.

T - Very moderate sweetness from malt. Slightly dry finish. Very low bitterness, with alcohol applying some of the bitterness to malt. Slightly balanced toward malt, but finish notes of spice phenols make it wholesome. Esters, phenols, malt, and light hop presence all blend seamlessly.

M - Lots of carbonation, but no carbonated bite. Medium to full body, but not creamy. More authentic to a traditional Triple. Mild warming from ABV.

D - Dark rich, very complex Belgian.

----

Wow, this is completely not what I was expecting! All the smooth flavors of the complex palate make this one intriguing beer. Definitely on my top.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2009 01:09:03 | More by WoogityBoogity

qchic

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This one gushed like no other. After clean up, it poured a murky rusty brown. For such an explosive start, the head calmed to a ring around the glass. Aroma is full of dried fruits (figs and prunes), pineapple, grape, caramel, toffee, spice, alcohol, and apple. In the flavor, I got much from aroma with the addition of dried apricots, nuts, brown sugar, and a hint of coconut. While the aroma was more estery, the flavor brings more earthy grains. Both aspects of this ale are complex, do doubt enhanced from several years of aging. Full-bodied and at 10%, I wouldn't guzzle this one. One to share and sip.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 22:17:55 | More by qchic

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 750ml bottle shared with psycohops and brothercannon out on the tasting patio. Poured into a trio of shaker glasses. The ale appears a hazed crimson amber color with about an inch of ecru colored foam. The aromas and flavors consist of fruits such as dark cherries, prunes, raisins, candi, brown sugar, notes of dark chocolate, yeast. Approaching full bodied for the style with ample carbonation. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 05:52:54 | More by ClockworkOrange

cvfish

Louisiana

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

A - This beer poured a reddish orange color that produced a beautiful, nicely sized, fluffy light golden tan head that had great retention and laced the side of the glass nicely

S - The aromas produced by this beer had all the things to love about Dark Belgians, dark fruits, spices, caramel, and brown sugar

T - The taste of this beer is right in line with the aroma, the dark fruitiness of cherry and plum, the spiceness of cinnamon and clove, the sweetness of caramel, and the brown sugar all mix in this beer to produce one of the tastest beers in the world

M - The mouthfeel of this beer had a smooth, creamy medium body that had a good amount of natural carbonation

D - This beer is remarkable, it is complex, and it relatively inexpensive

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2009 22:17:03 | More by cvfish

philipquarles

Louisiana

3.83/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

33cl bottle with a BBD of July '11. Pours a hazy dark caramel color with a small light tan head that disappears quickly. Loads of sediment, despite the careful pour. Smells heavily sweet and fruity, with notes of orange and cherry. A bit of brown sugar and some chocolate, as well as alcohol. Tastes of dark fruits and dark caramel malts. Very yeasty, giving it a nice tang. Much dryer than one would think going in. Warming alcohol finish. Light-medium body with heavy carbonation. Pretty pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2009 22:53:45 | More by philipquarles

BenSelf

Alabama

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

This beer pours up a deep, reddish brown and has a big fluffy, lingering head. The aroma is brown sugar, roasted malt, and prunes. The taste really delivers what you'd expect for a Belgian special dark... it's very big. Lots of raisin and sweet malt, light breadiness, plums, and some other estery fruit flavors including apple. Drinking this beer is like eating the best fruit cake you can imagine; and I mean that in the best possible way. Mouthfeel is thick, almost syrupy and conveys the flavor very well. Definitely a beer for the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 19:01:31 | More by BenSelf

popery

California

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

Refined, complex and sweet BSDA. The beer pours a rich dark brown, like deep, damp soil. The head leaves pleasant lacing. The aroma is downright elegant. There are notes of brown sugar, clove, raisins, plums, caramel, earthy yeast and dark bread. The flavor is sweet and fruity. It's a bit sweet for my taste, but there's still a lot of fruit and spice complexity. There's also an odd tootsie roll flavor that's sort of enjoyable. The flavor is akin to honeyed plums, which is not something I've ever actually tasted, so take that for what you will. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. It's a tad sweet for me to call it highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2009 06:08:30 | More by popery

bamadog

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at The Comet. Poured into a tulip.

Appearance: A deep plum color is what comes to me in the pour and it arrives with a 1/2 finger head that disappears entirely; body is very hazy and appears to be clouded with sediment; no lacing is present.

Smell: A sweet chocolatey malty smell; definitely nutty, but the nose is weak overall and I'm not getting much out of some very deep inhales.

Taste: Primary flavor is a deep roasty nuttiness; sweet candied dark candied frutis and a maltiness that is very much like burnt sugar and brown sugar; as the drink warms, there is much more of a caramel presence as well from the malts.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly lively from carbonation that seemingly comes out of nowhere -- I was unaware of any just from looking at it; very warm in the mouth, chest and throat; leaves a fair stickiness all over the mouth; body is pleasently thick but not overly so that it feels like I need to scrape my teeth afterwards.

Drinkability: Moderately high. I had to warm up to this one as it didn't catch my palate right away. Fortunately, it took me a while to get through it and more of the flavors really started to come out from the warming.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2009 02:16:59 | More by bamadog

pwoods

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the comet. 12oz. Snifter.

A: deep brown woody color. Short head but some lacing.

S: Deep malts and candi sugar sweetness. Some crushed peanuts? A bit of light black liquorice.

T/M: Good depth of sweetness with the candi, caramel, and black licquorice. Some deeper fruits from the yeast and light hoppiness. Body is medium with good carbo.

D: ABV is very well hidden and drinks easy.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2009 23:58:14 | More by pwoods

PatrickJR

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from an 11.2 oz bottle into red wine glass.

A - Reddish amber. While clear, there are large and numerous chunks of sediment floating around. A finger of off white head rises with moderate retention before falling to a thin cap. Minimal lacing.

S - Dark, sweet, rich bread. Faint notes of caramel and chocolate, along with a good deal of berries and other dark fruit. Briney, almost vegetal aroma mingles with noticable alcohol and phenols. The combined result of the salty aromas approaches something like rubber and cheese. Really interesting.

T - Strangely and disappointingly flavorless. Not sure what happened here. Modest sweetness starts off with some flat and subdued notes of bread crust and caramel. A little bit of alcohol pops up with faint phenols and some of the briney flavor from the nose. Finishes with a mild bitterness.

M - Decent medium body with a moderate to soft carbonation. Seems a little watery on the back end at times.

D - Fairly drinkable. Not really bad from a flavor perspective, just extremely lacking. A pass overall with all the other great examples out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2009 04:26:18 | More by PatrickJR

washburnkid

New York

3.38/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown and mahogany brew with a small head and a ton of floating particles. Smells of bready malts. Tastes are bready malt, candied sugar, raspberries and a bit of citrus hop. Very rich sweetness. Medium body with low carbonation. A good sipper, but I don't think I'd buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2009 01:00:26 | More by washburnkid

sweetbrew82

California

3.8/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750 ML

P: This beer pours a burgundy-shaded plum with some huge chunks of yeast floating around in it, similar to their Grand Cru I recently had but at least this one didn't gush! I wasn't able to put too much head on it due to the careful, controlled pour in an attempt to "strain" the beer free from the coagulated protein. But, what was there was a light tan, fluffy head that did show decent retention for a 10% brew.

A: Dark fruits are definitely the leader of the pack when it comes to the aroma. Smells like raisins, figs, plums, and prunes all mixed up in a ripened fruit jambalaya. Also, some brown sugar, caramel, sweet malts, and some spice rounds out what turns out to be, by far, the most impressive aspect of this beer.

T: I say the nose is the most impressive because the taste is just waaay too damn sweet. In fact, it kind of strikes me like a Quad in that regard. Once again, dark fruits rule the roost with beautiful flavors of rum-soaked raisins, figs, prunes, and black cherries. The deeply toasted/very lightly roasted sweet malts combine with the brown sugar, candied sugar, caramel, and toffee to overwhelm my taste buds with a colossal-sized wave of sweetness. The only thing to balance it out seems to be a peppery-like spicy yeast and just a hint of hop bitterness that doesn't even come close to taking the edge off.

M: The mouthfeel of this one is medium-full with a slick, oily, mouth-coating quality that becomes a little cloying after awhile. Plus, the fact that you can actually feel the blubbery chunks of yeast isn't the most appealing aspect of this beer, which definitely hurts the score.

Notes: Well, from what I can tell, Brasserie Des Rocs seems to have some Quality Control issues. The Grand Cru was quite chunky and gushed like Old Faithful, while this one had huge chunks in it as well. I took the first couple of sips when it was a little colder, and came close to making it a drainpour due to the overwhelming sweetness of this chunky beverage. But, once it warmed up a bit it improved tremendously...like all Belgians seem to do! Ended up bumping the flavor score up as a result. In the end, I was a bit disappointed by this one, though.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2009 20:43:39 | More by sweetbrew82

wesbrownyeah

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this at Broudy's Brasserie des Rocs Triple Imperiale. 10% Alcohol content.

A- Very thick dark brown fluid with sediments noticable and a thick off white head leaving nice off white lacing on glass.

S- Very complex brown sugar, alcohol esters, plums, dried raisins and malts dominate.

T- Complex flavors of raisins and dark malts bite you in the front. Strong yeast and sweet flavors kick you in the end.

M-D- Mouthfeel is fairly dry in the long run and thick on the palate. Drinkablity is minimal due to the alcohol presence.

Note on 10/09/2009: Beer is now over 3 years aged in celler condition and is much more balanced on the alcohol feel level. Malts and toasted barley are more dominate... great aged beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2009 21:32:22 | More by wesbrownyeah

rye726

Colorado

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an amberish brown color with a thin tan head. Fantastic nose of spicy alcohol, bready malts, sweet fruits and peppery Belgian yeast. The taste does not quite match the aroma. It still has a nice blend of sweet malts and herbal yeast, but they are not nearly as impressive. However, I did find the same intriguing funky tartness that made their Brune so delicious. Medium body seems a bit over carbonated and needs time to settle down, but drinks well.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2009 04:49:32 | More by rye726

atpben

Texas

3.78/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured the bottle into a duvel glass. Appears a dark amber color with a head that dissipates slowly with very little left after a few minutes. Aroma of brown sugar, rasin, figs, and chocolate. More of the same in the taste. I love how the taste of brown sugar dominates, with the others creeping in: caramel, raisins, and figs. High in the carbonation with a sweet finish. Pretty goof beer. Will try again.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2009 23:49:48 | More by atpben

ThatWineGuy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Biegaman offered to share this with me, two years past its BB date. Did not gush on opening as expected but was chock full of suspended tofu-like particles that muddied the amber/brown liquid despite the slow controlled pour. Fleeting tan head, thick solid ring remained, some lacing in sheets easily regenerated with a swirl that featured small-bubble clusters at the centre. Small bubble carbonation hidden in the murky haze but continued to drift upwards. Smell of caramel, sweet molasses, brown sugar, yeast. Taste is caramel, sweet dark fruit, raisins, figs, bitter, touch of sour, long drawn out finish with alcohol weighing in with a warming affect, although not offensive considering the ABV. Overall, a good representation of the style I think but the floaters are a bit of a turn off.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2009 01:52:40 | More by ThatWineGuy

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Of the numerous times I've enjoyed this beer (and the same is true of other Abbaye De Rocs beers as well) I've experienced one of two irritating phenomena. The first is over-carbonation, or as it's colloquially known as, "gushing". Drinker beware, that cap you're about to pry off is quite likely to trigger a shooting fountain of foam. Be near a sink or have a towel ready just in case...

The second - and the two aren't always mutually exclusive - is coagulated protein. No, those chunky floaters aren't harmful but they're most unsightly and they've victimized this sample! Contrary to the super responsive carbonation of the previous bottle, one that tattooed a creamy vortex pattern of the @ symbol, this is topped with scarcely more than an outline. Its sparkling ruby tone would truly be dazzling if not for all the clumps.

The aroma is peculiar and frankly, somewhat marveling. It hints at exotic spices although no such things are used. It likens the beer to a variety of other drinks, including vintage red-wine or fortified wines such as port. There is a presence of caramel, ginger bread, and most noted of all, ripened fruit. Together, it resembles the traditional plum pudding which includes figs, raisins, brandy, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Those same elements are vividly tasted as well. More so the spicy ones - cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg - stand out on the tongue and indeed more so with some warming. The texture becomes increasingly sugary and the taste, as result, increasingly sweet. The beer can also be lightly tart at times. The interaction between caramelized malts and spicy yeast never grows tiresome, much less cloying.

Those notes of candied fruit, cherry especially, can become almost medicinal at times. The mouthfeel is nothing but spicy and sweet. Although pleasant in the short run, I'd be weary of finishing an entire 750ml bottle to myself. Then again, I've had occasions where I felt this beer was nearly perfect. I was content to sit, stare and sniff all day, trying to discover what made the beer so astounding...

Unfortunately, that hasn't been the experience every time. Abbaye De Rocs are clearly good brewers but more obvious is their one flaw: quality control. About 6 years ago I had my first ADR experience and vividly remember two things: really liking the beer; and the server explaining to me not to worry, those chunks in my glass were natural. If they ever find a way to get it right consistently, ADR is more than welcome to stock up my cellar.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2009 01:50:16 | More by biegaman