Yeah I know. It's almost November, but a man's gotta work to pay the bills. I really wanted to review a pumpkin beer this month (Schlafly to be exact), but I did not see any on my last beer stop. What I did see was Rochefort Trappistes 10 on the shelves. I never see this beer moving much, and it baffles me. This is a world class beer folks. The last time I checked, it was a top 50 on Ratebeer.com and Beer Advocate. I had one of these sitting in my beer fridge and figured it was time to alert some Nashvillians about this stellar Belgian ale. It is brewed by monks to financially support their monastery. Wikipedia has some information if you are interested in reading up on the brewery and monks.
Rochefort Trappistes 10 ( Brasserie Rochefort, Rochefort Belgium)
Description: 11.3% ABV. Belgian Quadruple.
Smitty's Review: Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours a deep muddy chocolate brown with a thick frothy light brown head that leaves webby lacing. Aroma of cherry, raisen, chocolate, and Belgian yeast that gives off a slight mustiness. Medium bodied with fine, soft carbonation and a rich earthy texture. Flavor of alcohol soaked raisens, tobacco, and dark caramelly malts. There is also a port-like vinous character to this as well. As it warms, I get hints of cocoa. The finish is yeasty and warming from the alcohol. Overall, this is an excellent and complex sipper. The alcohol strength is very apparent and plays an integral role in the complexity, which could be a turn off for some. There are some striking similarities to Westvleteren 12, which is considered one of the top five beers in the world by beer raters (don't look for it in the stores because you can't get it in the US).
If you are the type that likes alcohol to be hidden in your drinks, or think that Blue Moon is the best Belgian style beer on the planet, you may want to pass on this one. These little bottles should run about $8 each, and are worth every penny. There is an unconfirmed rumor that importation of Rochefort ales may go hiatus. Try one while you can!
Recommended Food Pairing: After dinner sipper, Beef, Game , Cheese (Brie, Gouda, Blue, Swiss)
Where To Buy: Midtown Wine and Spirits, Mr Whiskers, Frugal McDoogal, Stones River (Murfreesboro)
3 comments:
I love this beer. I'd probably take it over the more hyped Westvlateran 12 any day. The best part is that you can actually buy this in the US.
Really good beer, though. One of my favorites.
I'm sure you probably already know, but I found the schlafly pumpkin ale at Midtown Wine and Spirits off Church St. last night. They had a good bit of it. Just figured I would give you a heads up if you were trying to try it. Take care man.
I drink this beer every week :) worth the 5 Euro's, they serve it in a bar near where I live.
Post a Comment