Trappistes Rochefort 10
Rating: 9 out of 10
The Trappistes Rochefort 10 was a beer I was eagerly looking forward to trying. When I bought it I told Mike Brawley I was looking to try one trappist ale and asked for his recommendation. He pointed me past the others to this one. Great directive - this beer was an absolute treat.
I did a some research on trappist beers - of the 171 or so Trappist monasteries, only 7 produce beer. I think Chimay, Orval and Westmalle are some of the other noted monasteries - at least ones I've heard of. The Rochefort 10 is made at the Rochefort Brewery - Brasserie de Rochefort - located inside the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy. They make 3 trappist beers - the Rochefort 6, 8 and 10. Talk about a niche. There are 15 monks resident at the monastery, which has been brewing off and on since 1595. It is said the beer is only sold to financially support the monastery and other good causes. That's a cause I can get behind. At $5.99 a bottle at Brawley's it should be a worthwhile cause.
The Rochefort 10 is classified as a quadruple ale. At 11.3% ABV, the classification is fitting. This bad boy will knock you down (more on that later). The pour is terrific (using a tulip glass). The color is dark and rich - a dark brown/red color that is quite cloudy - it looks black until you hold it up to the light. The head is a magnificent tan that lasts quite a long time. The smell is intoxicating - roasted malts, chocolate and alcohol. Though you can smell the alcohol, it doesn't seem to interfere with the taste much. The taste - terrific - malty sweet - chocolate and dried fruit flavors - apricot, prunes and dates is what I pick up, as well as a hint of spice. It feels thick and creamy in the mouth and coats the tongue well. It's definitely a sipping beer and I took my time with it. It's got a good bit of carbonation - I burped a lot. I read the monks will use a Belgian candy sugar in the fermentation process, which helps pack in more alcohol. You really don't taste the alcohol much, but you feel it. Very warming. Afterwards I felt very ready for bed.
I'm writing this review the next day after trying the Rochefort 10. Vivid dreams last night and a tough little headache this morning. I didn't drink much water yesterday and I think that had a little something to do with it. I should have remembered my lesson from Oktoberfest - one liter of beer to one liter of water means no headache in the morning. Though this is only an 11.2 ounce bottle, with the higher ABV you may need to treat it more like a liter. Man those trappist monks can make some brew!
Side note: I am actively using my new book, Beer: A Guide to Choosing it, Drinking it, Brewing it, and Loving it for the Connoisseur and Wannabe Alike, by Eve Adamson and have adapted my drinking style a bit based on her recommendations. I think I have been trying my beers too cold - starting with this one I'm now pulling them out of the fridge for about 20 minutes so they can warm up before I try them at her recommended beer tasting temperature of around 50 degrees. If this one is any indication it does enhance the taste a good bit.
By John on
March 2, 2007 @ 8 PM with 0 Comments
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