Abbaye Des Rocs [Brasserie Des Rocs Brune] - Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs s.a.

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very cloudy dark brown with nice orange highlights. Chock full of chunks, nice off white head forms, settles down then stays the whole glass, nice lacing.Smell is very perfumy and hoppy, jasmine and sweet fruit, some alcohol as it warms. Taste is very fruity, strawberries and raspberries, hoppy spicy middle, some alcohol at the end and a dry bitter finish. Mouthfeel is medium, very dry, smooth and medium carbonation, slight burn near the end, very warming.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2005 01:11:33 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm wondering if the shelf life of this beer was pretty long. I think it's pretty good, but not out of this world as the other reviewers believe it to be.

Very murky looking beer. Deep amber colored. Like a light shade of scarlet red. Pours like champagne with a big fizzy head that has good retention. Some faint banana esters on the nose. A little bit of yeastiness. And some sweet candy crusted maltiness. Pretty light in body. Glides over the tongue fairly effortlessly. There is a sweet and sour battle going on in the mouth. Tartness hits the tongue at first, sour cherry, vinegar. Then I pick up some sweet tones as well: some fruity esters, bubblegum esters to a lesser degree and maltiness. Overall, the interplay on the palate is pretty nice. Alcohol is present to a small degree. This is pretty drinkable for 9 % a/v.
good.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2002 19:51:49 | More by Bighuge

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a very dark reddish-brown color with a thin, tan foamy head. Nice malty aroma with hints of dark berries. Very smooth drinking beer with a sweetnes that is a nice compliment to the slightly roasted malt flavor. Hints of dark cherries, raisin, prune and fig.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 05:44:43 | More by corby112

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I wanted (yet) another St Bernadus Christmas on tap, but the strength was just too high so I settled for a bottle of this on that fateful afternoon I first visited The Red Rose in Brugge.

The 9% ABV being a whole 1% less than the St Bernadus I felt very righteous and the wife didn’t notice the alcohol content (double bonus).

Nine tenths of the beer was poured for me into the glass, the remaining sediment infested tenth I swallowed at the end. The beer was a deep, deep brown, red, purple colour, mostly red I suppose: on top an off-white head that fades fair too swiftly.

The smells are mostly sweet: molasses and sugar on toast, there is also a yeasty, dirty aroma hidden away that comes out when the beer begins to warm in the glass.

This isn’t a gulper; you’ve got to sip it: the flavours are complex and confusing. Sweet up front with a malt flavour, leaning towards burnt candy floss and treacle tarts as you get into it.

Rich, but not as thick as you might imagine, certainly different to what I expected.

Strange brew, would have preferred another St Bernadus to be honest!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 15:03:00 | More by BlackHaddock

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.3/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep red, poured into a wide-mouthed branded goblet at 't Brugs Beertje. Body is clear and fine, quite slight bodied, but the head is full and attractive. Some sticky lacing looks more like a continuation of a subsided head. Colour is awesome, overall, it looks very pleasant indeed.

Nose is quite astringent and strong with booze and a savoury sweet character, a little like ketchup. Sweet tomato, slight spice and savoury moreishness. Full and quite lovely; before it gets too intense, there's a touch of lemon freshness to cut through. Very special and a little unique.

Taste is soft and flavoursome, with more of that savoury character and a lingering vegetative sweetness. All of this is softened with caramel, port, cream and herbal tones. Vanilla sweetness comes though, with even a hint of cherry or kirsch. Very filling, and rather finely and strongly carbonated however.

Smooth and strong, and quite full on, but nonetheless dry and respectable. Harder to drink than some; the carbonation is very high. But it's an impressive beer, no doubt.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 07:27:47 | More by lacqueredmouse

glid02

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy chestnut brown color with loads of floaties and a half-finger light brown head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving light lacing.

Smells of brown sugar, caramel malts, and hints of raisins. As it warms the brown sugar aromas strengthen and slightly bready malt aromas make an appearance.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sweet brown sugar and caramel flavors up front with dark fruits lurking in the background. As it warms the flavors become a bit more fleshed out and the sweetness subsides. The ending is definitely on the sweet side.

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

Drinkability is good. I didn't have a problem finishing the bottle and could have another glass.

Overall I ended up buying a second bottle of this after being accosted by yeast in the first bottle however the second bottle was more of the same. I would think it would be better without all of the yeast but even as it is it's worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2009 01:52:04 | More by glid02

Gusler

Arizona

5/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

WOW!, If there is a better sniffing beer than this, please let me know. Pours a deep opaque brown, mountainous frothy beige head and tonnes of lace. Nose is a ripe banana, sweet cherries, with a touch of grainy malt. Start is sweet, top skimpy, the finish is benignly acidic, and a magnificent hop presence, dry and a somewhat bitter aftertaste "MAGNIFICENT BEER", one well worth the cost of sampling, and a must for us "Belgiephiles".

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2002 05:41:51 | More by Gusler

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

BB 2009, served cool in Hapkin's tulip-shaped bowl sniffer.

A: a dark ruby to russet hue comes with a slowly dissipating beige head, mild carbonation, and an incredibly dirty texture of chunky, soak-bread-like yeast sediments.
S: lusciously yeasty, lightly stale (but only just) and deliciously rich on the fruit esters (black cherries, oxidised apples, perfumy overripe dark plums, huge and fat black prunes and raisins, and a touch of alcoholic orange as well)... The malt components lag behind, but still ejecting hints of crystal malts, chocolates and licorice. Candy sugar is another main element on the nose, remaining rough and uncompromising on the whole, but still well-intertwined with the fruitiness.
T: the semi-thick yet marvellously soft swallow of yeast sediments and fruit-estery flavour - mainly black cherry preserve and smoked black prunes - is followed closely by fulsome, licorice+ginger like mixed-spiced bready and black-sugary malts; the whole palate slowly turns lightly bitter and semi-dry in the aromatic aftertaste, witnessing the good work of yeasts as much as hops used in the brew.
M&D: this ale is simply lovely, with all the floating, dirty, chunky yeast sediments providing a bit more body for the palate, while fruit esters and malts are beautifully intertwined to render a fruit-cake like performance - rightfully/rightly satisfying. From the first second of the tasting up to the last, the texture remains moderate, but quite "a mouthful" still, as it goes neither thin nor cloying. Adding to the high drinkability is the overall mouthfeel that is mellow, smooth, softly carbonated, while never is any trace of alc. shown on the palate. Deceptively enjoyable~~

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2009 13:56:19 | More by wl0307

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Murky toffee with reddish highlights. Tan head composed of very fine bubbles that produced thick lace and stuck around til the end. Plum aroma with an incredibly balanced combination of toasty malts, dark grain and a hint of alcohol. Plum/raisin flavour with a light sourness and citric character. Smooth, mild finish with some additional sweetness and a bit of spice. Fine carbonation, mild texture with just a hint of slickness. Dry finish. A superb beer, I'll definitely be having this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2005 03:22:26 | More by DrJay

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Amaretto and orange blossom - this is hardly brown for a beer labeled "brune". Its head is comprised just mostly of an accentuating contour. In typical Abbaye Des Rocs fashion the beer is entirely polluted with coagulated proteins. It is terribly unsightly and even with a careful pouring technique, seemingly unavoidable. Every ABR beer I've had in the last four years has been the exact same story...

I knew it would take a wonderful bouquet to calm me down and disregard the dreadful appearance; fortunately, this does posses such a thing. Citric and dried fruits are wrapped in fresh cut sugar cane and then baked into some sort of caramel centered confection. This has almost every delicious element one could ask for: citrus, spice, toasty malts, nuts, fruit, and enticing sweetness. I don't care what this looks like anymore...

And the taste is further reason not to. Those same characters that greeted me so kindly in the aroma are quick to pounce on the palate, too. It's an unlikely cast of oranges, mandarins as well as nectarines and peach. It's light colour seems to correspond to a cast of mostly light coloured fruits. The taste of honeyed oats, almond brittle and a delicious caramel coffee cake also pamper the taste buds. I wish I could tell you where all this flavour was coming from.

The beer is fairly sweet and also surprisingly citric. It is not overly rich despite a tremendous flavour profile. Neither bitterness nor alcohol ever factor in. This particular sample (already beyond the posted 'best before' date) attests to not only the beer's aging potential but also the silliness of having to post such a thing as legal requirement. I like to know when a beer is made but may I suggest instead a "best after" date?

This is amazing beer, it just isn't amazing looking. Its flavour is so distinctive that it makes the high price tag and off-putting appearance more than worthwhile. It reminds me exactly of a Grand Marnier creme brulee I once had. I can't say enough that this is delicious beer. If Abbaye Des Rocs could get this coagulated protein issue under control then I wouldn't hesitate to call them one of Belgium's best exports.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2009 20:04:22 | More by biegaman

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

"Best Before End 2006", whatever that means?

A: Coppery brown, fairly opaque. Not a lot of off-white head, but it's fairly well retained, and leaves some lace. Lots of yeast sediment in the bottle (even for a Belgian). Careful decanting, mine was a little mirky.

S: Raisins and prunes are VERY strong, with a little spicy fruit-bread and sweet caramel maltyness. Very strong nose, very Belgian aroma. Exceptional.

T: Raisins and prunes with a tannic, wine-like flavour. VERY Belgian. No hop flavour, a little bitterness comes in at the finish.. Some dark, slightly spicy, fruit bread-like flavour. It has a really nice sweet, slighty tart and slightly alcoholic (more-so with temperature) balance. Very well rounded, but with plenty of depth. Truly exceptional.

M: Moderate body is very well attenuated for an all-malt brew, but still has a bit of a syrupy feel. It's highly carbonated.

D: Very drinkable, expecially considering the strength.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2005 22:07:39 | More by Derek

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: I really wanted to like this beer more than I ended up doing, primarily because of all the floaties in it. It really detracted from the experience. Beyond that, it pours a dark hazy amber with a big but not overwhelming head.

S: Rich and winey with a dark caramel malt and yeasty smell. There are stone fruit smells on the finish as well.

T: Complex. Starts with apricot and yeast flavors with some spice and a long dry finish.

MF: Surprisingly dry. Good carbonation, good body. Once again, the sediment is particularly distracting.

D: would be higher but for the chunks of sediment.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2006 04:57:42 | More by Georgiabeer

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Acquired via trade (available locally though). Dark chestnut color with a thick beige head that lasts a long time, and sheets of lacing. Toasty aroma of malt and spice with some cherry. Rich body and very drinkable with sweet sugary malt flavors, as well as caramel, dried fruit and a bit of yeast. The finish is very sweet and lingering, yet has a nice hops element. The alcohol level complements the beer perfectly too. Thoroughly enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2005 18:23:26 | More by Dogbrick

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Chill hazen rubyish brown, tall, lusciously thick and frothy ivory top adorns the top portion of the glass with a solid girth. Resides softly down to a hefty, always present skim, lacing in delicate whispy sheets.

Aroma is of crispy pine notes, lemon rinds, tropical fruitiness, pale earthy wood and dirt, candyish melons and more fresh fruits. Quite an inticing nose, albiet, its soft, hardly overpowering in any sense, very subtle and pleasantly so.

Taste is a wonderful array of tropical fruits, well rounded, lush, and full of candy-like fruitiness thats quite ripe, not sour, nice juices interminging across the palate. Banana, mango, dark orange, pineapple, grapes, and perhaps more to this fruit salad. It works its fruity magic for a good bit before the finish sneaks up bringing light wood pulp, hoppy herbal spice, and a super fine easy dryness. As well as some residual sugars and fruits lay way in the back late in the finish.

Very fine mouthfeel, full, smooth, well rounded, with a fluffy carbonation thats biting and warm in just the right amount nearer the end, never uneven, and seems to almost thicken up as it goes, like a really nice chocolate.

The drinkability is exceptionally enjoyable. A fruit laden wonderment with a complexing palate to say the least. Delicate yet brazen. Beholdingly gratifying...um...great stuff!

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2004 01:28:45 | More by tavernjef

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by ygtbsm94. Thanks Brad!

2006 Vintage

A: Light brown to dark orange in color, with a half inch of white, fluffy head that leaves a healthy amount of lacing. Some sediment can be seen floating in the beer.

S: Distinctly Belgian aroma, with scents of Belgian yeast, malt, fruits.

T: I was shocked by this beer. It was delicious. I will definitely be hooking myself up with some of this. A tantalizing Belgian yeast flavor in tandem with subtle fruits and a wonderful malt profile make this beer utterly delectable.

M: Smooth, creamy, and slightly sweet. Silky smooth on the palate. Age must have come into play, as this beer is just effortless to drink.

D: Slightly sweet, but I could definitely enjoy a full goblet of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 04:37:07 | More by Huhzubendah

RoyalT

Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance – Deep, orangish-brown body with a few shades of red. There’s lots of carbonation going on in there along with monster sediment. I controlled the tight, foamy head at the pour, keeping it at about an inch or two, but it took quite some time to dissipate.

Smell – I could review the aroma from across the room (although I’m not). Alcoholic fruit leapt from the glass. I can pick up some orange and banana along with cherry/cranberry juice. There’s a little bit of spiciness as well. The base of the nose comes after, a complex mix of malts and some light yeast.

Taste – The malt flavors come out a little bit more on the tongue, but at first it’s the fruits that run away with the show. The sediment and orange, along with the alcohol notes, give the feeling of drinking a high class screwdriver (pulp orange juice, dry champagne, and a shot of Grand Mariner). Add to that some smooth banana liquor, sweetened cranberry juice, and a cherry garnish. Plop a dribble of the juice from the cherry jar and there you have it.

Then comes the malt. Nice, ever-so-lightly toasted, sweetened with loads of caramel then balanced with a drop or two of anise. Overall, a very complex mix of flavors working exceptionally well together.

As this warms, the sugars come out in force. Rich, dark drippings of melted toffee, brown and powdered sugar, and overly ripe pears and apricots. It finishes with a strong punch of freshly pressed cinnimmon-laced apple cider.

Mouthfeel – Healthy carbonation and a full body keeps the drinking moving at the right pace with this 9.0 ABV juggernaut. This is chewy and sugaring and sticks in between your teeth. Your dentist will hate it.

Drinkability – Nothing says, “special occasion,” like an Abbay des Rocs bottle. This was a real treat.

Comments – This was a very sweet BSDA, sweeter than most of the other ones that I have tried. This was really in the same ballpark as their Grand Cru. I thought it could have used a little more malt backbone, but the beauty of beer tasting is in recognizing the habits and characteristics of individual brewers. This is an absolute classic.

Update – The 2004 vintage has a few bad bottles going around. I actually think that it’s an off batch. The ale wasn’t flat like it hadn’t been bottled properly; it just had an off flavor that I thought made it an overall sub-4.0 offering.

I got a hold of a good ’04 bottle and included it as part of a tasting. It really is head and shoulders above all other Belgians that I’ve had. This one wasn’t quite as heavy on the sweets like the ’03 that I reviewed and it was more heavily carbonated, which led me to believe it may have been a bit fresher. Either way you cut it, this is a tremendous brewery and the Brune is one of their better offerings.

Update – I popped a vintage ’02 for the same taste test that we did the ’04. The two years really blended the flavors together more and gave it a huge sweetness that was incredibly smooth. The Grand Cru was in the test also and it was difficult to tell the difference between the ’02 Brune and the ’04 Grand Cru.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2003 01:02:19 | More by RoyalT

largadeer

California

2.68/5  rDev -36.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Dark mucky brown in appearance with a ton of suspended sediment, as seems to be the norm for this brewery. The nose and taste are both equally cloying, bringing to mind overripe figs, candied fruit, raisins, toffee and rum. Mouthfeel is syrupy despite the ample carbonation. Too sweet and candy-like, with no bitterness to be found anywhere. I guess this brewery is simply not my bag, as I've disliked everything I've tried by them.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2008 20:08:51 | More by largadeer

gford217

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle poured into a snifter, after getting this gusher under control.

Pours a slightly murky reddish brown that shows amber when held up to the light. There are plenty of floaties in there and the head is large and lingers for quite a while, leaving a little bit of lacing.

The aroma is big with tons of sweet dark malts and lots of dark fruits, especially raisins and figs. There seems to be a molasses sweetness as well. There is a bit of an alcohol burn in the nose as well.

The taste was great, much like the aroma. Tastes like raisins soaked in a highly sugary alcohol. The malt base is still dominant throughout and though I mention the sweetness, it's definitely not overpowering as in some versions of the style.

The mouthfeel is velvety smooth with plenty of carbonation.

This is a nice example of a Belgian brown, one of the better I've had recently. I definitely feel lucky to be able to walk into my local shop and pick this up whenever I want. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 02:00:57 | More by gford217

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml corked and bottled capped bottle that said Belgian Burgundy Ale under the breweries logo.

Appearance- Pours a swampy bron with a few fints of garnet and red grape skin. Only a little head makes an appearance in this beer. Some slight lacing visible when held to the light.

Smell- A mix of leather, slightly musky flowers and some fruit cake.

Taste- Starts out with a good does of browned sugared malts mixed well with some old fashioned oatmeal. A little toasty hint of white bread to mix with a few dark fruit notes.

Mouthfeel- Although the carbonation was a little tricky to see, it made it's presence known on the center of the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2006 06:27:13 | More by scruffwhor

ZAP

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark copper with a nice fizzy off-white head....nose is musty...enticingly yeasty too....full bodied...charged up...very sweet flavor....with some nice spicy sub-notes...also some musty notes....this is a great sipping beer....I love the sweet maltness and the way the spicy notes compliment it...

A top notch Belgian...thanks to Big Huge Person for sharing this...

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2004 02:12:04 | More by ZAP

cokes

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A Look to the Sky:
A stormy, ethereal, swampwater, golden-amber, with a cumulonimbus pale tan head. Warns of the approaching frontal system.

The Sky Darkens:
The sirens go off, as the howling West wind blows forth grapes, tart apples, muskmelon, mangos, honey, freshly fertilized pasture, and caramel.

Rain Begins to Fall:
The mouth is saturated with caramel coated apples, tart grapes, balsamic vinegar, and farmhouse mustiness. Thin and sparse at first.

Lightning Strikes:
As the beer temperature rises, the torrent increases. The senses are inundated with the tropical fruit monsoon. Hail pellets of peaches, pineapples and oranges are littered across the countryside. Trees, dripping with toffee and candy sugar, bow under the onslaught. The neighboring farm fields are stripped clean in the flood. Horse and barnyard flavors are streamed turbulently into the esophagus.

The Funnel Descends:
The brew increases in viscosity. Chocolate-coated grapes are sucked into the vacuum, along with sourdough bread. A debris cloud forms of puckering green apple tartness, with oak splinters.
Floral, yet grassy hops swirl about the palate, with understated, yet ferocious force. An unseen shaft of alcohol downs power lines inside the stomach, igniting a warming fire within.

Surveying the Destruction:
It was an incredible rotating vortex of sweet and sour.
Everything started benignly. Once it began to warm, nothing could be done. Simply leveling.

There may not be a better beer on the planet.
Find a white labeled bottle and prepare to wet yourself.

I am still spinning.

Bighuge....what can I say? Thank You!

Additional notes:
Old, white label. Not sure of the year, but guessing it carries some age. Just had one today (07/16/10), probably at least 10 yrs old, and I still maintain it's likely the best thing I've ever had.
Newer stuff is still excellent, but would get knocked down a peg or two due to the snow globe yeast clots, with their impact on appearance and especially mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2003 02:07:08 | More by cokes

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle, $3.99 at Whole Foods in Columbus. The beer is murky reddish brown, no floaters but still a little hazy with a thin wisp of a head. The smell is easy to peg as a product of this brewery, with the classic mix of sweet maltiness, yeasty esters, and a little bit of cough syrup. Actually I don't really appreciate the cough syrup, but it's there in the Abbaye des Rocs beers I've tried, and several other breweries too (Gouden Carolus, even very aged St Sixtus ABT 12). The taste is as good or a little better than the aroma, less cough syrup and more dark fruity esters. Very nice aftertaste that lingers. Solidly above average, more than worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2008 18:41:17 | More by TurdFurgison

francisweizen

Australia

4.65/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled at the Kulminator in Antwerp, BE. This was a 1999 (?) vintage. The aromas are that of spices, alcohol, red wine (port?), yeast, candy sugar, and more. The taste is very boozy, malty, sweet, spicy, and wine-like in nature. The mouthfeel is thick and great. The drinkability is excellent and intriguingly good!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2003 20:08:59 | More by francisweizen

nickfl

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Mountainous, four finger, light brown head that settles slowly and leaves lots of lace behind. Nice, amber colored body with good clarity but lots of chunks floating in it.

S - Aromas of raisins, plums and dark chocolate. Some fruity esters and a bit of alcohol with cinnamon and yeast spice.

T - Big caramel flavors up front along with some fruitiness from the yeast. Dark grain character comes in next with notes of chocolate, plums, and some surprising, perfumey jasmine flavors. Some spicy hop flavors arise next with a reasonable shot of hop bitterness that slowly transitions into dark malt flavors that ride out the finish with fruit backed notes of chocolate and tobacco.

M - Medium body with moderately high carbonation and a dry finish.

D - Very complex and drinkable. Compares favorably to Rochefort 10. The dark flavors are deep and interesting with some surprisingly bright fruit characteristics. My only complaint is the very large amount of suspended solids in the beer. I was afraid at first that I had gotten a bad bottle, but it is well within date and the excellent flavor and aroma would seem to indicate that it has not been mistreated.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2008 05:08:22 | More by nickfl

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.9/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 5/16/08. Bottle. Pours a cloudy brown with a small white head (surprisingly without the floaties present in Grand Cru). Aroma of light fruits. Flavor of spices, Belgian yeast, anise star, and molasses. Sweet with a slightly heavy mouthfeel. An enjoyable Belgian strong ale.
7/4/8/4/15 (3.8/5)

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2008 02:53:07 | More by LilBeerDoctor