Trappistes Rochefort Triple Extra
Brasserie de Rochefort

 

a: murky, burnt orange color with lots of floaties. a hint of brown in here as well. huge, 4 finger solid off-white head that a coin could rest on

a: as soon as you pop it opens it hits you. a touch of barnyard funk as well as a hint of skunk. bananas, pears, and a big grassy note. some earthy spice and a nice pepper hit. some sweet malts and nice generic Belgian esters. some crackers and a hint of band aid funk too. green apple skin at the end, which is quite nice

t: some sugary sweetness and earthy citrus notes up front. sweet pears and green peppers. banana and a hint of apple. faint funk and alcohol tinge on the back end. some generic earthy herbal notes as well

m: solid medium mouthfeel with high carbonation

o: quite a nice triple. a bit earthy, and a bit sweet, but it works. not as funky as the aroma would indicate, but that's ok this isn't a Saison

 

Handsome amber brew with abundant suds in the Trappistes Rochefort chalice. Quite the lush and frothy mouthfeel, which adds to the pleasure. Taste of pear and cereal and highly fragrant. Belgian character is distinct but more mellow and fruity than the typical phenolic tripels. Very friendly and drinkable for a stronger brew. Certainly a classic traditional Tripel that I have somehow overlooked. From the 33 ml bottle purchased on the West Coast.

 

 

this maybe better than the original by westmalle. this is really good!

 

L-Traditional straw golden color with a strong 1/2 inch head. Yeasty floaters and subtle carbonation visible.
S- Phenolic banana and clove. Other sweet spices, raisin and stone fruit. Malty sweet. Some buttery notes and marsala wine there. Grainy. Interesting medicinal cough drop note toward the end.
T-Malt and stone fruit/raison sweetness very apparent. Some grainy earthiness. Decent bitter bite.
F-Medium bodied, subtle carbonation, drying finish.
O-Would absolutely have again. A solid and well crafted tripel.

 

 

 

 

 

poured from a 330mL bottle into a st. bernardus belgian glass. pours a semi-hazy dark gold / burnt orange with a huge, frothy white foam head as well as some chunky sediment from the bottom of the bottle. orange, lemon, lime, slight pepper on the nose. taste follows with a slightly spicy belgian finish. medium-full mouthfeel with a lively carbonation. this is really good stuff. i was expecting this to drink a little heavier but it hides the 8% well.

330ml bottle into a Chimay glass. Best by 8/31/23.

Reverse look of previous Rochefort beers. Yellow orange body with many white chunks and floaties. However the bright white head maintains well leaving scattered lacing.

Mellow citrus aroma.

On tasting, the same mellow citrus, mostly smooth orange without the bite. Strong malt base breaks through, slightly sweet.

Mouth closer to full than medium, and the usual foamy feel. Finish leaves a light bitterness on the tongue.

Overall, finely crafted tripel. Would certainly have again anytime.

Bottle Stamp: L.31.08.2023

A - Hazy medium gold pour with a ton of floaties (I wasn't careful when pouring this beer, unfortunately...note self for next time). Foam is thick, creamy, and dense while the carbonation is slow and steady.

S - Dry light fruity citrus abounds on the nose along with delicate spice.

T - Citrus, light spice, biscuity Belgian candy sugar malt base, very subtle bitterness and ends towards the sweeter side.

M - Big medium body with light carbonation giving way to a soft finish on the tongue. Dry on top of the tongue and wet around the rest of the mouth.

O - Flavorful with a pleasing finish (and the ABV is completely hidden). Want more.

 

Look: 475 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.00 | overall: 4.50
Appearance: Hazy, very light amber. Frothy white head with excellent retention. Chunks of yeast floating around.

Aroma: Light, fruity esters - no specific fruit. Yeasty.

Flavor: Light fruity ester. Light bitterness. Dry finish

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body, drying

Overall: Light, with hints of fruit esters. Very effervescent. Somewhat bitter but clean and not overdone. Alcohol is masked. At 8+ ABV its barely detectable.

 

 

Appearance: Hazy, light amber. Big frothy white head with excellent retention.

Aroma: Light, fruity esters with a hint of banana.

Flavor: Light fruity ester character. Moderate bitterness. Dry finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body, drying

Overall: Light, with fruitlike esters. Very effervescent. Quite bitter but clean and not overdone. Alcohol is notable and little warming. I want to give this one a very high score because it is quite enjoyable, but it shows a little too much of the alcohol and bitterness. I'd buy again though.

 

 

 

 

 

Very good, a delight to have a great Belgian.

 

 

 

Poured from 33 cL bottle into a chalice. Stamped 31.08.2023 (best by).
A: Pours a clear light golden hue with very active carbonation jets fueling a 2 inch frothy/bubbly white head with excellent retention. Leaves nice lacing on the glass.
S: Sweet farmyard funk, white pepper, honey, crisp malt, and a hint of clove.
T: Sweet farmyard funk, dry minerals, honeyed malt, white pepper, and a hint of spiced grain.
M: Light-medium body. Delicate sweetness with some funk and herbal spice. Dry throughout. Pillowy and effervescent feel.
D: An extremely sessionable triple. Nice example of style.

Poured from a 33 cL bottle into a Rochefort glass. Best by 31 August 2023. Purchased off an unrefrigerated shelf at Beer Hog.

A: 4.5 (Would be higher sans yeast clumps.)
A finger of fine head slowly dissipates in lovely tracing with unusual circles. Lots of coagulated yeast in the bottom, so look out. Straw gold.

N: 3
Faint cough drop. Sugar and spice. Grain.

T/M 3.75/4.25
Good carbonation keeps things spiritely. Aftertaste is long. It's just so grainy. And honestly you'd think it's boozier than the subnormal 8.1%

O: 3.5
It's tripelish, but I frankly expected better of one of my favorite styles from one of my favorite breweries. This reminds me of a classical virtuoso who recorded some pop songs because they feel like they should. Rochefort is just phoning it in, but their throwaway is better than 90% of the beers out there. So what are you going to do?

 

 

Poured from a bottle into a chalice glass
Appearance – The brew pours a lightly hazed yellow amber color with a puffy head of white foam. The head has a fantastic level of retention, with it very slowly fading over time to leave tons of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is very heavy of a candied sugar and sweet peach and apricot smell mixed with some aromas of a biscuit and cracker malt. At the same time there is a rather decent showing of a yeastcake and a great deal of clove and coriander. Other aromas of a black and white peppercorn and a little bit of a hay are there as well, producing a rather inviting aroma overall.
Taste – The taste starts out with a nice biscuit and cracker malt flavor paired with the apricot and peach that was in the nose. At the same time the candied sugar tastes and some flavors of white grape are there as well, giving a nice, but not overwhelming sweetness. Clove and coriander spice are there as well, both of which grow slightly stronger as the taste moves forward. Some yeast and lemongrass as well as a touch of pepper arrive on the scene all while the sweet dwindles a little bit. With a touch of grain and a bit of straw coming at the very end, one is left with a very pleasant, moderately sweet, but well-balanced triple taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is light and crisp with a carbonation level that is high with tons of effervescent bubbles. For the style and the tastes, the feel is spot on and makes for one very nice sipper.
Overall – A wonderful triple with lots of flavor and a sweeter, but very well-balanced taste. Fantastic!

 

 

 

11.2 fl oz brown glass bottle with purple pry-off crown cap nabbed at Central Market Westgate, Austin, TX for $8.99 USD plus tax...ouch!

8.1% ABV. "Belgian ale." Imported by Merchant du Vin.

APPEARANCE: Pours a long lasting healthy head rife with fluffiness but not creamy nor thick...just coating, airy, and excellent in retention, sticking around 10+ minutes.

Body is a cloudy muted gold. I see no yeast/lees within - until the final pour out of the bottle, when there's plainly visible sediment. Murky.

Appealing and true to style.

AROMA: Yeast-forward with ample fruity notes...orchard pear, sea salt, biscuit, peach, dried lime. Hints of dough, cereal grains, and faint spice.

TASTE: Pear-forward with biscuity faintly doughy Belgian yeast in there too imbuing it with ample fruity esters and hints of spice. Golden malt/pale malt drives it but it's not too caramel-forward or sweet. Not boozy like so many tripel beers out there (dareisay most).

Balanced with a juicy pear emphasis that works well for it.

TEXTURE: Delicate, perfectly carbonated, soft, minerally, smooth. More wet than dry, lacking the parching mouthfeel some tripel beers possess.

OVERALL: In classic Belgian ale fashion, it's simultaneously high ABV and delicate in feel. The ABV will sneak up on you given how easy this one is to drink. It's a rare tripel that doesn't come off boozy, and I'd certainly chalk this up as one of the better expressions of the style I've tried. Closer to a golden ale than most expressions of the style, which in this case is a good thing.

I imagine I'd pick out Chimay and Westmalle's versions as superior if I tried them all in a blind taste test, but I suppose it's saying something that this even warrants comparison. Another solid effort from one of the best breweries on the planet.

B / GOOD