30 March 2008

Trappistes Rochefort 8 (BEL)

I have to admit my heathenish inclinations force me to roll my eyes a bit at monastic orders. Is there really something noble about a life of prayer and penance? How about prayer, penance and beer? A little better, at least. This Wikipedia page says "the Trappists received greater attention in recent years on account of the life and writings of Thomas Merton and, more recently, because of the popularity of Trappist ales such as Chimay." I'd guess the type of attention from these two sources differs.

My bottle is stamped "L050912," which I understand means it was bottled September 2007 to drink by September 2012. Uncapping releases an audible "pop" and a whiff of fruity ale. It turns out to have a good deal of soft carbonation. One consequence of this is a head that lasts forever. Another is that it slows me down (even so, my last sip was still foamy). It's hard to guzzle through the carbonation, but the rich taste and alcohol content wouldn't make we want to do so anyway. It's malty with dark fruit, slight spices, and some of the 9.2% alcohol coming through. It's not harsh or peppery, but I can feel the booze in my rib cage. The finish lasts forever.

There probably isn't much to say about this that hasn't been said already. Instead, I'll ask: is it possible not like this, or just not "appreciate" it (i.e., not like it yet)? I'm sure some beer geeks are less than enthused by Rochefort 8, but that's not the same as rejecting it outright. What do Bud-Miller-Coors drinkers would make of Trappist ales? Would they be better of starting with, say, Ommegang, and working their way up? Given the price, I haven't risked wasting the likes of Rochefort 8 on those who aren't predisposed. Still, I'd be curious as to whether others have any experience with this.

7 comments:

Andy Holmes said...

I think you're trying to say "is if possible to appreciate a beer without actually liking it?" Yes, I think it is possible.

Also I think you can still enjoy the experience. It's certainly true that some beers are an acquired taste (e.g. Gueuze).

I'm not actually a great fan of Belgian beers, not because I don't recognise that many of them are truly great beers. I just prefer less alcohol and more volume.

Having said that, I couldn't possibly omit Orval from my all time top ten.

Buttle said...

I think that's what I was getting at. You might say "this is undoubtedly a quality beer, but just isn't my thing."

But if you had no idea of Gueuze's reputation, and didn't like it upon tasting, would you still think "this is quality stuff"? Would you sense that there's something there that would excite others, if not yourself? I would think so. Maybe it's a trivial point.

Andy Holmes said...

No I think it's a good point, if not the brewer's craft is a waste of time.

After all reputation is not an easy thing to gain new beers don't start with any reputation but we soon decide what's good and what's not.

To know a beer has a good reputation before you drink it may of course influence your opinion but I would like to think the truth will still be there in the taste.

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