Trappistes Rochefort 6
Bottle tasted August 2009. Appearance: Thick, viscous, chocolatey-brown -- nice and unfiltered. A billowy white head fizzles to thin lacing. Aroma: Brown. Malty, but not a strong nose (perhaps because it's still too cold). Taste: Lovely. Not overly distinctive or bold, but highly drinkable -- quaffable, even. Malt predominates. And a delicious malt it is. Palate: As above, "quaffable." Drinks like a much lower-ABV brew. Nice and spritzy with palate-scrubbing bubbles. Overall: Not especially distinctive, but it's so damn likable I have to give it a good score. It has that certain Trappist je-ne-sais-quoi, with a wonderful yeast presence. I predict this will cellar well, and pairs quite well with an array of food choices. Follow-up (9/2010): A year later, opened one of my cellared bottles. It improved significantly (--&gt; more complexity and depth) in just about every category. Lots more distinctive earthy/fruit notes on both the nose and the tongue. Definitely one for the cellar!