Family Belgian Ale Style Dark Belgian Ale
Country Belgium ABV 7.5%
Price $$$$$ Packaging 11.2oz/330ml bottle
Characteristics Malty, strong, unusual, yeasty

Overview Rochefort, one of the smaller Trappist producers, produces only three beers—6, 8, and 10—and this is the lightest of the three both in color and alcohol. It’s no golden ale, though. It’s a 7.5% ABV beer with a rich brown color.

Flavors and aromas As with the Rochefort 8, we struggled to find a fresh bottle of this—perplexing, since generally these beers should have the stuffing to age. One bottle was entirely dead. The other had hints of oxidation, but fared reasonably well, with rich caramel and rock candy in the nose, plus spicy esters (one taster mentioned gingerbread, and a complex palate of caramelized sugars and alcohol that reminded tasters of dark rum, orange liqueur, and spices.