Mission Two: A Festival Of Belgian Ales

Okay, the completion of this Beer Mission is coming quite a bit later than I had planned, but I have finally sat down to complete it. I thought a bit about the best way to put my thoughts to "paper" and have decided to do sort of a head-to-head comparison.

Brewer	Trappistes Rochefort	Trappistes Rochefort	Trappistes Rochefort	St Bernardus
Brew	6	8	10	12
Style	Belgian Strong Dark Ale	Belgian Strong Dark Ale	Belgian Quad	Belgian Quad
Alcohol	7.5% (Not noticeable)	9.2% (Hidden pretty well)	11.3% (Warm alcohol feel with each sip)	10.5% (Hidden very well)
Source	11.2oz Bottle	11.2oz Bottle	11.2oz Bottle	25.4oz Bottle
Glass	Orval Goblet	Westmalle Goblet	Westmalle Goblet	Large Wine Glass
Temp	50 deg	50 deg	50 deg	50 deg
Appearance	Cloudy light brown with a frothy tan head	Cloudy dark brown with a frothy tan head	Cloudy dark ruby red with a frothy tan head	Cloudy plum color with a gushing foamy white head.
Aroma	Some caramel and a little bit of sour fruit	Strong estery yeast with big notes of plum	Sweetest aroma of the four with notes of cherry and grape	Clove, anise, estery yeast, dark fruit and light notes of apple
Taste	Dry, mildly sweet with some apple and a small spice finish	Rich and sweet with warm fruit tones and a smooth fruity finish	Strong sweet grape, w/some "breadiness" and a light bitter finish	Sweet, smooth with some hints of anise and a sweet finish
Mouthfeel	Watery with medium carbonation	Slightly thicker than water with light carbonation	Syrupy with almost no carbonation	Watery with medium carbonation
Drinkability	I could drink more than one bottle.	One whole bottle is about my limit.	I could drink half a bottle.	Very, very drinkable. I could (and did) drink an entire 750ml bottle.
Notes	Lacks the rich and hearty attributes that I associate with the style	In my opinion, this is the  quintessential Belgian Strong Dark	Rochefort 10 is very well thought of, but just doesn't suit my tastes and borders on too sweet for the style	I absolutely love the craftsmanship of this ale.
Score	6 of 10	10 of 10	6 of 10	10 of 10

If you're new to these styles, let me make a note about drinkability. These are big, hearty ales that fill your belly and satisfy the taste buds. While technically they are all beer, they have about as much in common with a session beer as a Great Pyrenees does with a Chihuahua. These ales drink more like a glass of rich wine than a glass of Budweiser.

In closing, all four of these brews are good examples of fine Belgian ales and all four are well respected. While I can enjoy them all, St Bernardus 12 and Rochefort 8 are especially magnificent ales that leave little room for improvement. St Bernardus 12 was influential enough that I had to change my Sweet 16 and give it nearly top honors.

Mike, this was a great Mission, one that I throughly enjoyed!

Eis Igian,
Randall

Mission #2: Tackling the Tandem Trappist Task...

Since everyone seems to be in the mood to drink trappist brews lately, I figured it was time to deploy the beer brigade on a mission that I have been kicking around for awhile. Originally, I had planned to embark on this mission alone, but then I came to my senses and realized the extreme personal danger of being overwhelmed by those crafty trappists and their high gravity beers. Yes, troops... we are in this together, and you will want backup on this mission.

The Mission
This mission is basically an opportunity to further develop a palate while sampling some of the finest trappist beverages that are widely available. Brasserie de Rochefort makes the Trappistes Rochefort 6 (Belgian Strong Dark Ale), the Trappistes Rochefort 8 (another Belgian Strong Dark Ale), and the Trappistes Rochefort 10 (Quadrupel). The mission is simply to try these three beers and pick out the differences between them. The sweet malt backbone, apparent use of spices instead of hops, the dark fruit esters, and the differing alcohol content of each of these beers are all important characteristics that may help to distinguish differences and further develop your palate.

Mission Parameters
1) I do not think it is necessary to review each of these beers for this mission, but you can if you wish. A summary post of your adventures with the Rocheforts should give everyone a good idea of what these beers are all about.
2) Try to address the following questions during this beer mission: Did you like these beers? What did they taste like? What are the differences between them?
Optional parameter - If you wish, you can also try the St. Bernardus Abt 12 (Quadrupel) by the Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV and compare it to the Rochefort 10. How are these two beers different and which one (if you have a preference) did you prefer?

This beer mission is meant to be enjoyable without having to think too much. In my opinion, these are all great beers that will enhance your life with their unique characters. Have fun with this mission and enjoy the beer!

A Belgian Beauty... don't tell my wife!

My wife loves the Belgian ales, so I hope she's not too disappointed that I opened this one without her...

Brew Details and Conditions:
Brewer: Trappist Achel
Brew: 8° Brune
Style: Belgian Dubbel
Source: 11.2 oz Bottle
Glass: Large Wine Glass
Temp: 50 deg.

Appearance: True to form, the Trappist ale poured with an enormous head that lingered for an eternity. The color is a deep, murky amber.
Scent: Right off the bat, I notice that estery Belgian yeast. The aroma is warm and inviting with notes of plum and grape. In many ways it is more reminiscent of a glass of wine than a glass of beer.
Taste: I have waited very impatiently for the head to dissipate, but its still lingering. I guess I'm just going to have to dive in. The taste is very much like the scent: smooth, sweet and fruity. I can taste the grape quite well and note some more wine-like characteristics. In my experience that is quite common with many of the Trappist ales. There is a barely noticeable slightly bitter aftertaste that lasts for only a moment.
Drinkability: The mouthfeel is smooth and watery with small, punishing bubbles of carbonation. This ale is very, very drinkable which is good and bad. The satisfaction to the senses is good, but the 8% alcohol and the price tag could prove quite bad.
Notes: Time was no challenge to the head of this beer. Even when my glass was almost empty, a 1/4-inch head boldly persisted. The lacing was almost ridiculous as it lined almost half my glass. Warmth brought little change in the flavor. This beer tasted just as good at room temperature as it did at 50 degrees.

This is my favorite Dubbel so far. Awesome taste, inviting aroma, beautifully hidden alcohol, what more could I ask for?

For now, I give Achel 8° Brune a 9 out of 10. This may change as I try other Dubbels. I really wonder if there is a better example of the style, for my tastes anyway.

Eis Igian,
Randall

La Trappe Isid'or

I don't have time this evening to write an entire article on this wonderful beer, but I have to share my short experience.  I finally tried La Trappe by our friends in Belgium and wow, I am blown away again.  I guess I just love trappist ales because I fell love with the Westmalle Trappist Ale (Dubbel) immediately too.  The smell is amazing, the taste is amazing and the experience is one to behold, thank you my wonderful monks.

-charles