Trappistes Rochefort 8
11.2 oz bottle, BB date 11/02/14, into a Duvel tulip; stage two of a 6-8-10 tasting. A: Deep, dark, opaque reddish-brown body topped by a voluminous off-white head that shows decent retention and leaves lots of frothy lace. Some yeast sediment sinks to the bottom of the glass. S: Hugely yeasty: nothing but assertive spice (cinnamon!) and a bit of alcohol on the finish. Slightly disappointing in its lack of complexity, but that cinnamon is striking to say the least. T: Mmmm. Some bittersweet fruit up front (raisins?), followed with some spice from the yeast and a huge blast of warming alcohol on the finish - this isn't a bad thing here, however. Well-integrated complexity, but nothing that really blows me away. M: Medium to full bodied with abundant soft carbonation; very smooth indeed. D: While I rather enjoy the alcohol warmth, it doesn't really lend itself to quaffability. This beer isn't particularly harsh for its strength, but it doesn't do anything at all to hide its bite. Notes: This is an impressively complex beer, but none of its dominant flavors particularly appeal to me - certainly not as much as some other beers I've had in this style. It was certainly a step up from the 6 in terms of flavor intensity and complexity, but I think I preferred the smooth balance of the 6. Bring on the 10! Cheers!