Beer- #283 – Rochefort – Trappistes 10

Companion to the 8 – the Rochefort Trappistes 10

Brewed by Brasserie Rochefort in the style of a Abt/Quadrupel they are of course in Rochefort, Belgium

Simple 330 ml bottle, containing 2.94 standard drinks as it’s a whopping 11.3% ABV beer, and it’s a podgy 339 calories!

The top product from the Rochefort Trappist brewery. Dark color, full and very impressive taste. Strong plum, raisin, and black currant palate, with ascending notes of vinousness and other complexities.

An opaque dark brown beer with a creamy off white head that dissipated quite quickly providing fair lacing. Rich malty aromas of dark fruits (cherries, plums), banana, toffee and dark chocolate. The palate is thickish and fruity finishing with a gentle spicy hop presence and a soothing alcoholic warmth. The finish reminds me of an after dinner port wine. There is definitely candy sugar in there but it is not too sweet and the flavours are wonderfully integrated. Top class. Definitely one to sip and savour.

Muted aroma, but you get malts/caramel. Really pops to life on the pour, hight rich fruits and warm malts. Thin head that disperses. Pours a dark brown muddy could and looks somewhat flat in the glass, but isn’t.

Nicely carbonated and bit hit of rich sweetness, lots of rich fruit style,, and pleasingly and not intrudingly bitter.

This is more pleasant that the Rochefort 8, in my opinion, more rounded, mellower, less intrudingly bitter.

The pdubyah-o-meter says this is very good an should get an 8 as that. It’s not a beer that I would rave or go on about, it’s very nice, and I like the Belgium style of beers a lot.

This though is a style that is becoming more popular with brewers, it seems, and there are some very very good variants available.

I’m going to enjoy watching the tennis, and enjoy this in the sporadic sunshine.

ABT/QUADRUPEL

Abt, or quadrupel, is the name given to ultra-strong Trappist and abbey ales. The name Abt was pioneered to describe Westvleteren and the beer that would become St. Bernardus. Quadrupel was pioneered by La Trappe. Abts are the darker of the two, with more rich, deep fruity notes. Quads are paler, with corresponding peachy notes. Neither have much in the way of hop, and both are very strong and malty. Though both are bottle-conditioned, abts trend more towards yeastiness. Alcohol is very high (10+% abv) for both.