Trappist Rochefort 10 | ZE Beer Review

I review another Belgian Quadrupel, currently listed at number 6 on the BeerAdvocate "Best of BA" list. I originally tried this back in January 2006 and reviewed it on BA, but my palate has developed a lot since then and I'm much more able to appreciate its qualities.

The news story about the fire at the Trappist Rochefort monastery is here.



Zymurgical Explorations grade: A+

Bell's Hell Hath No Fury Ale

This is a Belgian Dubbel made by Bell's only every two years. Since I missed it right after I moved into town in 2008, this is my first time trying it. It has strong chocolate notes and a very nice Belgian yeast character -- a very good beer that I'll be drinking more of before it disappears.

This is Bell's Batch Number 9999, which means that Batch 10,000 can't be far away. Score!



Zymurgical Explorations rating: 9.0/10

Chimay Grand Reserve (Chimay Blue)

Chimay Grand Reserve (Chimay Blue) (bottle)
Baileux (Chimay), Belgium
9.0% ABV

This was a request from Youtube user 19timus1. Thanks to Tim for requesting it -- I love doing requested beers.

I got a cork explosion when I opened the beer, which is pretty amusing to watch. Check it out.

I also eat a bit of the Chimay Blue-label cheese as a bonus to the review. I didn't like the cheese as much as the beer, but it definitely pairs well with it. If you buy the cheese, definitely pick up a bottle of the beer as a pairing.



Zymurgical Explorations rating: 8.0/10

Brooklyn Local 2

I've had this one for a while, just waiting for the right moment to pop it open and give it a shot. I didn't realize it was Belgian Strong Dark when I opened it, for some reason believing that Brooklyn made two Belgian Strong Pales. My mistake.

Anyway, this ended up being a really nice "lawnmower" Belgian, the kind of beer that is excellent and well-crafted, but without some of the complexity of true Belgian ales.

My text review of the Brooklyn 1: http://danielharper.blogspot.com/2010/05/brooklyn-local-1.html If there's interest in seeing a video review of this, I'll buy another bottle and film one.



Zymurgical Explorations rating: 9.0/10

Troubadour Obscura (Mild Stout)

Troubadour Obscura (Mild Stout) (bottle)
Ursel, Belgium
8.2% ABV

This was one of the Christmas season specialty ales we got at the store. It's been in my coal room for a couple of months, but with a beer like this that shouldn't affect the quality.

Pours dark brown, slightly amber, with a thick brown foamy head. The head leaves significant lacing on the inside of the snifter. Beautiful. Smells strongly of Belgian yeast, slightly tart, with a bit of a roasty backbone underneath. Hints of sourness, perhaps some lactobacillus?

Flavor is very complex. Strong roasted malt notes up front, much like an ordinary British stout, but with a significant Belgian yeast presence. Also some sourness, again probably from lactobacillus, and with a dry malted aftertaste. Sourness becomes more prominent as the beer warms. This beer has a moderate thickness, with a low carbonation and a mild drying astringency on the back of the tongue. Very slight chewiness.

Overall this beer seems like an almost perfect mix of a great Belgian Strong Dark Ale and a nice British stout. Could be a bit more tart, could have a bit more complexity, but overall, very nice.

My overall BA rating: 4.35/5

Van Twee Belgian Ale

De Proef Brouweru Brewmaster's Collaboration Van Twee Belgian Ale (bottle)
7.5% ABV

Brewmaster's collaboration withe Bell's Brewery Inc.

When I heard about this collaboration between Bell's own John Mallett and a respected Belgian brewery on Kalamabrew, I knew I had to have it. And when Tiffany's got a couple of half-cases, I probably bought the very first bottle purchased in Kalamazoo. It took me a few days to review because, as we all know, Life Intervenes, but here goes:

Sour aroma, more like a Flanders Red than a Belgian Strong Dark, with a nice nutty flavor and a tart-sour aftertaste. Lots of cherries. It's an interesting beer with an (obviously) fascinating provenance, but is it really worth the cost? It'll sell to fans of Bell's for the novelty value alone, but at this price point I really expected something that would be a lot more complex and innovative. Just not getting the complexity that I'd get from even a more straightforward Belgian -- it's not a scratch against Abbaye des Rocs Triple Imperial, for instance.

I'm being a bit harsh here, for this is a really nice Belgian-style dark ale that is probably worth a try for anyone who loves Belgians and Bell's, but I'm so used to Bell's blowing me away with the quality of their beers that I found myself disappointed with this one. And, again, for what I spent on this bottle I could've gotten two bottles of a standard Belgian (well, almost....). I like the cherries, I like the nuttiness, I like the yeast, but ultimately I find myself asking, "Is that it?"

And it is. Sad to be disappointed by such a good beer.

My overall BA rating: 4.15/5

Beer Review, Brasserie des Rocs Triple Imperiale

Brasserie des Rocs Triple Imperiale (bottle)
Belgium
10.0% ABV

Appearance: Dark coloration, amber-brown, with a thick off-white head that dissipates slowly. Significant sediment in the glass. 4.5/5

Smell: Very yeasty, strong notes of rich nuttiness. Somewhat bready, with a strong Belgian funk. Rich, complex, inviting. 5.0/5

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. 4.5/5

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. 4.0/5

Drinkability: A very drinkable, delicious Belgian Ale. Worth a try by anyone who loves a good Belgian. 4.5/5

Overall: 4.55/5

Beer Review, Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09

Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09 (bottle)
San Diego, CA
8.9% ABV

Appearance: Black body, very thin brown head that dissipates quickly. Body is completely opaque and allows no light through. Head should be much greater for a Belgian-style ale. 3.5/5

Smell: Rich chocolate backbone, some spices (coriander?) on top. Notes of chocolate-covered cherries, sweet, inviting. Some alcohol astringency. 4.0/5

Taste: Alcohol astringency is very present in the flavor, particularly in the finish. Otherwise strong flavors of chocolate malt, with a nice bitterness and some vanilla-like spicy undertones. Finish is strongly of vanilla. No tartness present at all, which leads me to suspect that an American-style yeast was used. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Thick, luxurious. Low carbonation, mild hops. Slightly chewy. 4.0/5

Drinkability: Very nice beer, although perhaps slightly misclassified as a Belgian-style. It'd be interesting to see how it ages (which is, after all, the point). 4.0/5

Overall: 4.1/5

Beer Review, Delirium Noel

Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Noel

Appearance: Dark brown hazy body, slightly reddish towards the sides of the snifter. Small head that dissipates quickly. 4.0/5

Smell: Rich, sweet, malty. Hints of apples and grapefruit. Strong overtones of tarty Belgian yeast. Overall aroma muted, doesn't give a great deal of complexity. 3.0/5

Taste: Heavy spices up front, Notes of cinnamon, orange peel, various other citrus-like spices. Strong malts in the middle, finishes with the same spices. Slightly dry in the finish. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Moderate mouthfeel, slightly chewy, Low carbonation. 4.0/5

Drinkability: Overall a decent beer, but the spices are too prominent in the flavor profile and dominate the overall taste. It's not nearly as good as Delirium Nocturnum from the same brewery, and really not worth the cost in my opinion. Probably won't buy again soon. 3.0/5

Overall: 3.5/5

Beer Review, Brasserie des Rocs Grand Cru

Brasserie des Rocs Grand Cru

(This beer is no longer brewed)

Appearance: Dark brown body, thick foamy off-white head that sticks around, and a highly significant amount of yeast in the snifter I used. This is not a beer for those who don't like a bit of yeast in the glass. 4.5/5

Smell: Heavily malted, strong sweet tart notes due to the yeast. Extremely complex, notes of raspberries, grapefruit, a medley of other fruits. A touch of cherries, some bananas.... Highly complex, becomes more aromatic as it warms, the tartness becomes more prominent. Amazing. 5.0/5

Taste: First impressions are very yeasty. Strong notes of bananas in the aftertaste, like a really nice banana bread. Tartness due to the Belgian yeast strain, a touch of astringency from the alcohol. Very sweet, almost jammy, but swishing around the mouth also leaves a bit of harsh bitterness on the back of the tongue. As the beer warms, it becomes just a bit too astringent, but overall this is a very complex and enjoyable beer. It hurts me not to give it a 5, but it's not quite as perfect as I'd like it to be. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Moderate-to-heavy carbonation, very thick, somewhat chewy due to the yeast. Leaves a heavy Belgian coating across the palate. 4.0/5

Drinkability: This is a very very good beer, hard to find these days, but worth seeking out. I had another of this brewery's beers for Thanksgiving a couple of years back, and this beer would pair perfectly with that kind of hearty meal. 5.0/5

Overall: 4.6/5

Beer Review, Leute Bok

Leute Bok by Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

Appearance: Dark brown body, almost black, opaque, with a thick off-white (almost khaki) head that sticks around. 4.5/5

Smell: Very sweet, malty, yeasty. Aroma is subtle -- smells mostly like a Belgian take on a brown ale. Very nutty aroma with that Belgian funk underneath. 3.5/5

Taste: Very sweet, somewhat astringent. The Belgian funk is muted here, but the sweetness turned up a notch. The nuttiness is also there, and maltiness, and some hints of citrus. Finishes sweet, like a high-alcohol brown ale. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Thinner than I'd normally expect, but not quite down to the "watery" level. Carbonation is low and hops are mild. Pretty much to-style. 4.0/5

Drinkability: Dangerously so, for such a high-alcohol beer. From the name, I was expecting something bock-like, and this pretty much fills that expectation perfectly. 4.0/5

Overall: 3.8/5

Beer Review, Vapeur Cochonne Artisanal Belgian Amber Ale

Vapeur Cochonne Artisanal Belgian Amber Ale

Appearance: Light brown body, sort of like a brown ale, thin bubbly head that persists. 4.0/5

Smell: Strong Belgian funk, sort of a "farmy" aroma. Very sweet, highly astringent. Some citrus notes, hints of coriander and lemon. Complex, a bit intimidating due to the funkiness, but inviting. Reminds me a bit of a lambic, strangely. 4.0/5

Taste: Wow, incredibly yeasty and with a strong alcohol taste. Very sour finish. Makes me think more of a Gose than a Strong Belgian Dark. I can get hints of citrus, but overall the complexities of the flavor are completely destroyed by the sour aftertaste. The alcoholic astringency also catches up with you quickly. 2.0/5

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation gives it a smoothness, no hops to speak of, moderate thickness, a bit low for such a highly alcoholic beer. 3.0/5

Drinkability: If you can get past the cloying sourness, it's actually not bad. I know the Strong Dark Belgian Style is wide, but this doesn't match up with many of the characteristics of that style. Decent, but not one I'll buy again. 2.5/5

Overall: 2.95/5