Belgian Abbey Ale
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

 

I brought this home in my growler. Poured into a tulip. A tad bit darker than golden with a decent white heading thats leaves some ring's.

Smell is of apples at first. Followed by a nice fruitiness and an ending of hop.

Taste is of very sweet malts and a heavy fruity taste. A warming alcohol on the breathe is introduced. Some pepperiness and corriander. Some of that Belgian tradition of sweet candy sugar. A very sweet beer.

Mouth is medium bodied slightly flat probably do to the growler. A slippery slick butteriness in the mouth.

I've been on kind of a Belgian trip lately. Although this doesn't match up to what I'be been having it isn't all that bad of a Grand Cru.

Pours a cloudy orangy copper color with a decent frothy off white head. Scent is an appetizing blend of of yeasty bread, banana, clove, rasisn, carmel and white papper. Taste brings a complex blend of all the scents mentioned above. Faint kick of alcohol warmth on the back end as well as a somewhat bitter hop bite. Medium bodied, creamy. Good Abbey style ale... almost equates to a touch lighter version of Chimay Red.

10 ounce glass from the source for about five dollars a few days back, special brew of the month, reviewed from notes

A-Medium brown color with some golden orange highlights, thin 1/2 inch bubbly off white head that does not last long, little retention, not much lacing
S-Sweetness, dark apples, heavy malt, lack of hops, some booze, wine character, grapes, candy, orange rind, caramel, and brown sugar
T-Strats off with sweet fruits, some caramel malt in the middle, finish is mostly boozy but also still very sweet, gets even sweeter with time and warmth, lots of grapes and apples in the flavor, needs some dry and bitter accents to slow things down and provide some balance for the malt and fruit, taste is not very appealing
M-Sweet and boozy mouthfeel, little carbonation made this brew a bit syrupy but that was almost the best thing about it all, full bodied, taste lingers
D-Could not drink more than the glass I had, heavy on the stomach, too sweet, alcohol was not hidden, not balanced and certain flavors were too powerful

First and only beer I have had from any Rock Bottoms and it was not great, had this after my first two choices were out, did not go well with my food either, would not drink again, might be worth drinking but not for me

This arrived in a snifter with a thin head. Hazy, burnt orange, almost red colour. The foam that was present settled to a ring, leaving just a bit of lace on the glass. Bready, yeasty aroma with plenty of malt, spice, and fruity esters. Mildly bitter and malty sweet, some caramel, toffee and fruit with a bit of peppery spice. The finish has a semi-sweet cherry quality that is reminiscent of cream soda as it warmed. Medium/full bodied with creamy carbonation that was refined and well integrated. A little slick with significant alcohol warmth (and just a little alcohol flavour). Pretty tasty stuff. I'm glad I stopped in while it was on tap.

Thanks to my bro-in-law for grabbing a growler of this brew...
Appears a dense, hazy, golden orange with a small white head that slowly fades out into a cap and collar. Slick spotty lacing is left around the glass and slips back into the collar.
Smell is of cardamom, citrusy orange, doughy yeast, and perhaps a dash of coriander and pepper.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a doughy, candi-sugar, spiced citrus that isn't half bad.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, citrusy smooth, and dry.
Not bad for a Rock Bottom brew.

Appearance - a hazy red glow results from this pour, with shades of orange and brown. A dense cloud of off-white foam sits atop and slides down with no lace. The last pint from the growler was loaded with sediment, creating an almost milky looking cloud in the glass.

Aroma - heavy yeast and candi sugar aromas. very basic but gets the message across as a Belgian style. Strong clove and allspice emerge as it begins to warm. Mmmm...

Taste - about what you'd expect given the aroma. Belgian yeast, candi sugar flavor, sweetness mixing with cloves and allspice. A tickle of malt on the sides of the tongue during the swallow, but it is very brief. Ends with a warm alcohol presence that takes over on the finish, but has been well-hidden to this point. All the necessary aspect of a proper Belgian.

Mouthfeel - slightly thick, coats the mouth with flavor. Lively carbonation doesn't miss a step.

Drinkability - rather strong but as my first on-tap Belgian, I found the fresh flavor most delicious. The flavor does tend to decline on the second pint as the taste buds go a little numb or my palate is getting too saturated to constantly pick apart the subtle spices. Thank heaven, though, for the growler that lets me have a few pints in the safety of my home. Yes, safe from vehicle and law enforcement issues, I have only to fear tiny Legos, Magnetix, puzzle pieces, Hot Wheels, the cat, and any varied assortment of kid's toys strewn about a dark house...I'm so glad my kids are still too young for rollerskates...

I found it to be very sweet like a double which could be bad for some people. The lacing was nice and the color a dark amber. Due to the high level of sweetness and an undertone of furfural I wouldn't call it the most drinkable beer in the world but one will do. Very enjoyable.

Tasted at the Cincinnati location. An interesting attempt at the style. Light and clear orange color with a thin white head. Thin but slow lacing. The aroma is sweet and fruity. Medium bodied with strong fruit (banana) and candy flavors. Leans a little far on the sweet side, especially in the finish but overall this is a decent beer.