Trappist Achel 8° Bruin - Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse

ksimons

New York

4.48/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-a slightly cloudy chestnut brown with a large amount of cream white head

S-malts, a great deal of yeast, raisins, brown sugar, and spices. A lot of stuff going on in this nose but it all works.

T-taste matches the smell very well. Solid malt backbone with yeast, raisins, some dark fruits, caramel, and a mild spiciness.

M-medium body, nice fizzy carbonation

Overall this is a really great Dubbel. Expensive for the bottle but totally worth it to try.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 22:43:27 | More by ksimons

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Best by date: 3/10/13

This may be my first review of a Trappist beer. Of course, "Trappist" mean little stylistically.

Achel Bruin is a gorgeous beer. Poured into my Brewer's Art chalice, this beer shows off a rich, off-white, meringue-like head on top of a stunning red colored brew. A very long lasting head that leaves webs of lacing on the sides of the glass.

The aroma seems to be a bit subdued at first, giving off gentle wafts of dark fruits and only the slightest suggestion of banana-like phenolics. As the beer warms, the aroma opens up and reveals a toffee, caramel-like quality amid brandy notes.

The first sip is unpleasant. Creamy texture from the head is nice, with robust carbonation behind that, followed by some alcoholic heat and an unpleasant metallic finish. The second and third sips improve, with the metallic finish disappearing. Notes of dried fruits start to shine through. Like the aroma, as the beer warms the flavors become more multi-dimensional and notes of sweet black cherries linger into the aftertaste.

Intense carbonation really lightens the body and creates a fluffy mouthfeel. Somewhat typical of Belgian beers in my opinion.

This beer really became much better with the slight rise in temperature. IS this a world-class beer? I think it is worth getting a bottle and testing for ones self. I probably won't pay another $8 for a bottle, but on draft??? Definitely.

Try pairing this with mussels in a red sauce.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 16:37:44 | More by MusicaleMike

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I aged this bottle for about a year. I thought tonight felt like a good night for a dubbel.

I poured this into a snifter and got a lot of fluffy head on a brown body. Looks good, unfortunately there wasn't much lacing. That was surprising for such a sweet beer.

This beer smells really, really good. You get a bunch of malt. I also get a dose of dark fruit and a little sour. It comes off the top really well.

The flavor is a really good malt presence. I like the way this flavor just sits residually on my tongue.

This is a very good beer. I thoroughly recommend finding a bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:40:40 | More by ummswimmin

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle brought back from Vintage Estate, poured into my La Trappe chalice.

A: Pours a murky burgundy/brown with a nice thick frothy off-white on top. Fills up my chalice perfectly. Head sticks around nicely, all the way to the bottom of the glass. Perfect.

S: Muted notes of raisins, figs, and other dried fruits.

T: Raisins and cinnamon spice shine through from the start. A touch of dried dates underneath. A sharp candied sugar arrives midway through, and contrasts nicely against the dry spiciness in the bready yeast here.

M: Rich, creamy, and voluminous, trappist ale always seems to have such great mouthfeel.

D/O: Definitely repeatable. In fact, I would enjoy having another one consecutively, but it likely would not be my first choice.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:31:57 | More by psuKinger

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy dark brown in color with some garnet red highlights when held up to the light and some very light amounts of visible carbonation near the surface of the beer. The beer has a three finger tall dense creamy beige head that reduces to a medium sized thick patch, a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer, and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of caramel malts, dark malts, and dark fruit (raisin and plum) - all contributing to the sweetness of the smell for this beer. Additionally there are some hints of spices.

T: The beer has some definite sweetness but it is pretty well balanced. As the beer warms, the sweetness becomes more pronounced. There are caramel and dark malts and dark fruit flavors (raisin and plum) along with some spices... Also, there is just a hint of hop flavor in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with high amounts of carbonation. Very smooth.

O: Very easy to drink and enjoyable. The alcohol is very well hidden and the flavors and aroma really continue to improve as the beer warms (and it was pretty darn good just after the pour).

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 23:28:54 | More by dbrauneis

kojevergas

California

3.5/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

33cl brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Trappist Westvleteren stem-goblet (the smaller model) in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are sky high given its reputation, the style, and its status as a trappist brew. I believe this is me first beer from this abbey brewery. Imported by the Shelton Bastards.

Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated. Served a bit warmer than refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption.

I couldn't find a bottled on or best before date.

Poured just fine from the bottle with no difficulties.

A: Pours a 3.5 finger head of nice cream, glistening beige colour, good foam, good thickness, and great retention considering the ABV. Colour is a semitransparent chestnut amber-copper. No yeast particles are visible - though this is the top of the bottle's contents. Colour is vibrant if understated. No bubble show - though none is expected for the style.

Sm: Biscuity yeast, plum, fig, cream, clean malts, biscuit malt, a hint of candi sugar, fresh red and green apple, very light floral hops, and some other indistinct fruit esters I can't quite identify. A very subtle mild strength aroma. I'm intrigued.

T: Dried fig and plum are the most notable notes. They rest atop clean unobtrusive malts with no caramelization or toasting to distract from the subtle fruit character. Cream is buried in the layered malts. Hopping is light, with vague floral notes and even a light bitterness hinted at on the climax. Hints of crisp apple emerge in the third act and finish. Biscuity yeast rounds out the flavour. Nicely balanced and built if somewhat muted. Westvleteren 8 is far more evocative, but the fruit notes here are nice, especially when accented by the yeast. I get some mild spice (likely from the yeast). Well built and nicely subtle. Complex enough. I like it.

Mf: Dry throughout, which does reduce its drinkability but helps bring out the flavours. Gets wetter in the third act. I'd prefer this structure reversed. Somewhat coarse. Slight subtle cream. I find it too dry, but it is nice. Nicely carbonated. Very delicate.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable, but too dry. I'd have it again, and I look forward to having more beers from this brewery. Hides its ABV extremely well. I'd quite like to try it aged.

Would pair well with crisp apples.

High B-

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 00:32:56 | More by kojevergas

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz Bottle from Whole Foods Las Vegas NV for 3.99$

Appearance - Slightly hazy brown colour with a large size frothy beige coloured head. I can't make out the amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for 5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, dark fruits, wood, vinegar/citric

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste dates/raisins, malts, clove, and some faint chocolate. There is also some vinegar/citric flavour and a light smokiness. It ends with a dark fruit slightly bittersweet aftertaste.

Overall - A wonderfully complex and very drinkable beer. Each sip is interesting and the alcohol is well hidden. The scent is really the highlight for me. Another beer that falls into the must try category.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 00:15:47 | More by spinrsx

beerpirates

Belgium

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33cl bottle poured into my struise glass !

A-pours a reddish plum like color with a light tan colored head that is very bubbly and sticks to the side of the glass.

S-notes of toasted bread and caramel, hints of brown sugar up front. hints of yeast lie underneath, somewhat dusty, with some dark fruits and notes of alcohol in the back.

T-the taste is similar, hints of bread, a fair bit of caramel and brown sugar, the yeast again seems to be underneath but present throughout and is again dusty, the back is sweet bringing candied dark fruits and hints of alcohol.

M-medium to light body and lively and carbonated on the tongue, it has a crisp semi dry finish.

D-this is a pretty tasty beer, its a little sugary with all the dark candied fruits and lacks complexity, but still a tasty brew and nice lively feel.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 19:05:00 | More by beerpirates

draheim

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330mL bottle (bottled 4/23/2011) into a tulip. Pours a murky mahogany w/ a towering off-white head that fills the glass, settles slowly, leaves clumps of sticky lace clinging to the glass.

Aroma is sweet dark fruit - mostly plums and raisins - and dark candi sugar. Sweet and bready. Some nice warming booze in there too.

Taste has the same dark fruity profile w/ a pretty dry finish. Sweet but not sugary. Still, not a whole lot of complexity here - mainly dark caramel malt, candi sugar, and Belgian yeast.

Mouthfeel has a slightly prickly character - smooth and dry but there's a bite too.

Overall, good. A pretty traditional version of a Belgian dubbel, but maybe not a standout.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 00:07:55 | More by draheim

vgarneth

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have yet to try a Belgium beer that I do not like. This Dubbel from Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse has nice color with a fragrant nose of green apples and figs. The alcohol is masked well by the brew's exquisite taste and body. Two thumbs up for Trappist Achel 8° Bruin!

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 05:05:31 | More by vgarneth

pants678

California

3.8/5  rDev -8%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Really the perfect frothy, off-white head is on a deep, wood brown body. Foam stands throughout.

Apple and vanilla on the nose, pleasant but not more than that.

Little bit of fig and spice, subtle notes of brown sugar or maple completely cover the alcohol. Perhaps not as outstanding as other trappist dubbels (Westmalle, Rochefort). Sweet if you let it sit on your tongue.

It's all very light but still staining, carbonation is little aggressive but not offensive

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 05:20:57 | More by pants678

SLeffler27

New York

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The creamy beige head is big and just sits there in all its glory over a dark chestnut beer with innumerable columns of fine carbonation. The head just gets creamier and thicker with time. There is no room in the La Trappe chalice for any real lacing.

The aroma is dominated by malt, however, there is a simple background of musty spice.

This may be the benchmark for balance. Flavors include applesauce, figs, and brown spices. While less complex than others of this style, it is still great.

Fine carbonation bursts up front in this full bodied, smooth beer with a creamy middle and finish.

Better paired with food than other dubbels.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 13:20:52 | More by SLeffler27

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark amber with huge billowing off-white head that lingers forever. Lacing draped all over the side of the glass.

Smell is of clove and ripe banana. Some bread and plun mixed in.

Taste is sweet with lots of ripe plum and bread. Almost no bitterness except very late.

Tons of carbonation. Very smooth with medium to full body.

Overall this is a very nice dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 01:27:41 | More by TrappistJohnMD

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper brown colour, orangey hues toward the bottom, nearly two fingers of eggshell coloured head, good lacing. Smell is spicy with dark fruits, yeasty, some faint banana, some lightly burnt dark sugars, light pockets of alcohol, raisin, plum, lots of fruit present, quite the complex nose. Taste is of overripe dark fruits, nice spiciness, mild alcohol, bruised figs, raisin, plum and apple, mild sweetness and dark sugars, caramel like flavours toward the end. Full weight, medium carbonation, medium body. This was really good, very complex and drinks incredibly quick, certainly something I would come back for.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 18:00:42 | More by peensteen

Cinderbike

Nevada

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - dark brown with a thick cream head, Belgian lace
S - prunes, coffee, nutmeg, plums, and some banana
T - caramel, stone fruit, raisin. Some light roasted notes as it warms
M - medium body; tons of carbonation, quite fizzy actually.
O - another great Trappist beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 04:42:21 | More by Cinderbike

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Best by 03/13/13 poured into a tulip glass slowly to avoid disturbing the sediment.

Appearance: Translucent coppery brown with some red highlights when held up to the light. Thick persistent very light tan foam with lots and lots of persistent lacing all over the glass. A great looking beer.

Smell:: Mildly yeasty, malty, maybe a little bit musty with the barest hint of hops at the end. Not that fragrant.

Taste: Malty, fruits (sweet, but not overly so). A toned-down yeasty fruit Danish pastry would be a reasonable way to describe this. Quite tasty.

Mouthfeel: Lively carbonation, nice thickness but airy and creamy at the same time. Really amazing.

Drinkability / Overall: A very good beer. Went great with Quiche Lorraine but I could easily have another all by itself. Great looking beer with great mouthfeel. I don’t think I’ve had a beer with this good of carbonation and mouthfeel in quite awhile. Only weak in the aroma department but with the other great aspects I think it’s still fair to say that this is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 00:22:30 | More by damndirtyape

nickthetick

Maryland

4.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: pours a mahogany brown with ruby tints in a Brewers Art goblet with a solid two fingers of khaki head that hangs around for the whole beer and leaves lacing like something I hope my fiancée would wear on our honeymoon. Just a pretty damn beer.

S: dark sweet fruits, plums, nectarines, apples, candi sugar, toffee, caramel, a hint of citrus.

T: a lot of the fruits are present and mingle well with the citrus flavors. It all blends with the biscuit and yeast notes. There are honey notes and a pinch of nutmeg.

MF: solid body, a tad chewy, completely blends together and the effervescence melds well.

O: one of me favorite dubbles, not the easiest to find but worth the search.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 00:00:30 | More by nickthetick

BMoldy

New York

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark brown in color with a very large 1 1/2" head that takes its sweet time settling down. Settles quicker around the edges of the glass, leaving a little rounded plateau in the middle. Lots of super sticky lacing.

S: Caramel-like malt sweetness combines with some grassy hops. Classic dubbel smell, really.

T/M: Very full-bodied and packed with fruit– more so than the average dubbel I'd say. A bit of a too vigorously frothy carbonation spoils the feel a little bit (kind of like the Rochefort 10) but is otherwise spot-on. Although the syrupy sweetness is pronounced, it isn't as aggressive as other examples of the style; yet the hops are incredibly subdued and the bitterness remains minimal. As for the alcohol? What alcohol? Finishes a bit on the sweet side, but remains relatively tame otherwise.

O: Overall a very solid Trappist dubbel: full-bodied, sweet, and with just enough other elements –in this case fruit– to make it interesting. Very well done, as is to be expected.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 17:34:29 | More by BMoldy

Agent1

Alberta (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The youngest of the Trappist family, respectively. Unlike many other long-running Trappist monasteries such as Chimay, St. Bernardus or Trappiste Rochefort, this brewery was seized by the Germans in WWI. It has only been until recently that they began brewing Belgian recipes again. Now, that being said, there is still a long history to this brewery well before 1914; one to be admired and enjoyed!

Appearance - Thick, dark brown with ruby coloring when held up to the light. Excellent head retention. This has been sitting for almost 25 minutes now (letting it warm quite a bit) and it has turned to a thick, bubbly cream. Beige head. Very impressive!

Smell - Very sweet. Lots of brown sugar and dark fruits on the nose. Plum, raisin and fig come to mind immediately. A little yeast is also present. Not mind-blowing, necessarily, but makes my mouth water nonetheless.

Taste - Toffee, anise, butter, caramel, yeast/ bread, cocoa, earthy herbs and spices (not too many, not too overwhelming) and finally, a touch of bitter orange peel. This is quite complex considering it has only been fermented twice -- wow!

Mouthfeel - Nicely carbonated. Smooth and creamy on the tongue. Not the most impressive mouthfeel, but nice. I feel this buzz mostly on the roof of the mouth. Fairly balanced, but not nearly complex as I would like.

Overall - Given that this is a Dubbel, I am very impressed with how many taste notes are present in this brew. Bordering on a quad at times, this is somewhat stunning. Considering I believe their blonde to be rather dull, this is a 180 for me, personally. Nice, dark, sweet and chewy flavors really bring this beer to life. An excellent Dubbel!

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 03:38:51 | More by Agent1

haazer

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured???? into a tulip.

A- Holy head, carbonation overload. First pour into the glass is nothing but white foam. Kind of alarming. The beer that finally does show itself is a nice looking strawberry red. Pretty dark red. Lacing left on the glass from the rediculous amounts of head. Yes it looks nice but I would like to drink it at some point.

S- Smells real fruity. Raisins, prunes, dates, and a bit of funk. Perhaps some brett in here. I detect a nice strong oak presence.

T- Flavor has the fruits but fairly subtle. A bit of cherry pit, raisins, and some chocolate blended together Some noticeable esthers and booze is tasted. There seems to be some wood on the backend.

M- My favorite part of this beer. Medium bodied, super smooth and syrup consistency. The carbonation is high but its fairly well masked by the brews consistency. If Drinkability were still around this would get a high score.

O- Definitely an interesting take on a dubbel. Didn't have the maryjane candy flavor that most others have on my palatte. Seems like a blend of an Oud Bruin and Dubbel, and it works. Once the super carbed head dies down this is fairly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 03:47:39 | More by haazer

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours your classic dubbel brown. Tan foamy head is a billowing cloud of puffy foam.
Well carbonated.
Nicely aromatic with loads of rich candied malts, candied sugar and yeast.
Taste has a sweet and sour aspect to me. At first sip it's a nice malty ale rich with candied sugar and fruitcake. It ends on a sour and tart note akin to a Flemish red.
Thinner to medium mouthfeel smooth with a semi-dry finish. At the finish is a mild soft alcohol warming.
I like the way it starts sweeter and ends on a sour note.
Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic It all I can say.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 17:59:02 | More by micromaniac129

AMiz602

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This Trappist was not quite as dark as its Belgian Trappist counterparts. However, don't judge by that. It is a sweet, extremely smooth, and delicate beer. It gets better as is warms, and is a beer best drank after a meal, when you can just relax with it. The head was not anything to particularly write home about (I do own a goblet glass for these specialties). However, the caramel-coffee smell was very savory, and hard to put down after a drink. It is a strong beer, but the sweetness of it masks the alcohol content nicely. Personally, I think it is the best out of the Trappist Breweries, and is not overly expensive.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 01:48:49 | More by AMiz602

supermeniscus

Netherlands

4.8/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This was my first beer from the Achel trappist brewery and i have to say it was extremely positive. I can't wait to try the others
A. Poured into a tulip glass which produced a massive head, which although died down a lot remained lacy. Colour was dark ruby in the light
S. One of the nicest smelling brews...ever. Lots of dark fruits and yeast
T. Astonishing. Very interesting fruits
M. Quite thick, very bubbly with a medium-dry finish

O. Simply put, this is perhaps the best dubbel i have ever tasted

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 01:27:38 | More by supermeniscus

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

11.2 oz bottle on Christmas morning.

A: WOW! Monstrous amounts of foam/head. Literally the thickest head I've ever seen on a beer. Looks like sand castles. Wallpapered the glass with lacing. Dark Ruby in color.

S: I have a bit of a cold, but sweet Belgian yeast, sweet malts(not roasted), cherry.

T: Very sweet but not overtly so. Dark fruit, light hints of spice/pepper, some sweet Belgian yeast, brown sugar. Awesome, even the non-beer drinkers all like this.

M: Nice syrupy creaminess, again extremely carbonated. Extraordinarily sessionable/drinkable.

O: One of the best belgian's I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 22:05:09 | More by BigCheese

ludachris

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This one was a gusher as soon as I popped the crown. That's probably why it had no trouble producing 3 fingers of thick, frothy, and billowing cream coloured head. Dense patches of lace cling to the glass as the head slowly recedes. The body is a rich and brilliant hue of amber red. Piercing ruby red highlights reveal themselves at certain angles. Aesthetically, this is near perfect.

Bright and lively tart apple skins mingle with fresh wild cherries. A soft but rich breadiness encases the nose. Spicy yeast characteristics become more pronounced as the beer warms and help further its tingly/lively impression. It's straight forward, clean, and very, very inviting.

The fruitiness subsides in the taste, giving way to a dense earthy spiciness. Tart, semi-sweet apple prick through on the middle of the tongue. There's a flash of cherries midway through that quickly fades to a shadow of itself at the back of the palate. A touch chalky in the finish, giving a drying and soft bittering quality. I notice that the more I sip this, the more the semi-tart, semi-sweet apple and cherry characters come through. The same goes for the chalkiness, becoming almost dusty at times. Just short of a 4.5 from me.

Creamy, dense, and medium bodied. Despite its higher ABV, it possesses a refreshing quality with the lively fruit, dry finish, and stern carbonation.

This is the best Dubbel I've had in a long time. For this to have been perfect, I would loved to have seen its tart, fruity qualities amplified and the chalky finish toned down a notch. But it is what it is and it's still a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 00:08:57 | More by ludachris