Trappistes Rochefort 6 (BEL)

I understand that there was a time a couple years ago ago when Rochefort 6 wasn't easy to find in the US. Now it's probably sold everywhere 8 and 10 are. My red-capped bottle of 6 is a year and a half old, but still 3 1/2 years away from its "drink by date." I paid close to $7 for it at my local beer store, and then Googled to find this was a good $1-2 higher than most others pay, so maybe I'm grumpy going in.

According to this old post by Stan Hieronymus, 6 isn't just a lighter version of the others, but has some other recipe differences as well. I've only ever had 8. (one of my favorites), not 10.

Rochefort 6 pours dark brown, not completely opaque, with some red or orange tones when held to the light. Nice head...but not up to the level of 8, which I recall sticking around until nearly the last sip. The aroma promises malty sweetness and dark fruits (no surprise). It isn't a really heavy-bodied beer, but it sticks to the tongue. Lots of tight, fine bubble carbonation.

The taste is of caramel or maybe toffee sweetness, raisins and cherries (but not sour). It's hard for me to describe all that is going on, but on the whole, it isn't as rich and complex as its older brother. This isn't surprising, but I think the size of the step down is greater than I'd wished. I have to say, I was mildly disappointed in Rochefort 6 but only because my hopes were so high and I paid a lot for it.

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.

Abbaye d'Aulne Triple Brune (BEL)

I’d never heard of Abbaye d’Aulne before picking up this bottle at $8.70 for a 750 ml, marked down from a steep $13.50 (I'm a sucker for this sort of sale). The “best before” date is October 3^rd, so I’m a few days late, but at 9% ABV this beer can presumably hold up. BJCP says that Belgian Tripels are "deep yellow to deep gold in color," so this brown is atypical. It will prove to be in the same neighborhood as Ommegang's epnonymous beer. According to the label, Abbaye d’Aulne Triple Brune is...

A highly traditional fermented beer brewed with malt and top quality hops without any chemical additive.

The cork pops when removed, and I can't help but get a big, foamy head. The beer itself is dark brown with a slightly red tinge. Holding it up to the light reveals that it's filtered clear. I like the body: medium-to-full, creamy, with fine fizz. The taste is of brown bread, chocolate and toffee (Heath bar!). This is definitely a malty dessert brew with a very low hop profile that doesn't provide balance. But I like it a lot. Compared to Ommegang, I think it is less fruity and generally a bit richer, but I'm not tasting these side by side.

I've noticed that the rating sites aren't too high on this, but I think it's wonderful, one of the better beers I've rated. Whether it's a great value, I'm less sure.

Ithaca Excelsior! IPAbbey (NY)

This is the second of four Excelsior! beers I've tried. The bottle is numbered 755 -- I grabbed this particular one because it was the week Bonds tied Aaron's record. Ithaca's informative brewer's blog says "basically, IPAbbey is one hoppy-ass beer fermented with a Trappist yeast rather than the more traditional American or English strains."

It pours somehwere between orange and amber with an off-white head that sticks around for a while. The aroma is sweet and citrusy. I like the body of this: creamy and lighlty carbonated (the brewer says this will be "tweaked" in future batches, but I kind of like the lower level). Other reviews I've read say this is more IPA than Belgian Abbey, and I think they're right. Still, It doesn't taste "hoppy-assed" to me, or at least it doesn't taste bitter. There's a noticeable sweet/fruity element to it, and it doesn't have quite so much of that grapefruit aftertaste. It's nicely balanced, and the aftertaste is long and dry. As far as the alcohol is concerned (9%), it's not really noticeable until you've hogged the whole bottle yourself. This really is more of a sipper.

Ultimately, this is a very good beer, better than White Gold IMO, and worth buying even at the $8-9 price.