Abbaye Des Rocs Grand Cru Belgian Special Brown
Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs s.a.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.5% on the bottle.

Upon opening up this bottle, it gushed and lost nearly half the bottle. Not sure as to quality control with this one.

Appearance - Pours a copper brown with a finger of bubbly white head.

Smell - fruity esters of raisin, plum, and fig, low spicy hops, toffee malts, caramel, and earthy yeast.

Taste - fruity esters of raisin, plum, and fig upfront but not potent enough for the style. The hint of spicy hops come through next. The toffee malts, caramel, and earthy yeast round out the brew. The flavours are not that potent which is very dissapointing.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes a tad thin.

Overall - A disappointing brew that started off on the wrong foot. Nearly loosing half the beer due to gushing is a terrible sign of this brewery's quality control. Perhaps this was an off-bottle.

1.5 liter magnum bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. ABV was 10%. Intense oaky and malty aroma. Flavour is also intensely oaky and moderately sweet. I probably drank it too warm, will need to rerate when available at cellar temperature. As it was, it’s not my definite favourite, but obviously a well crafted beer.

 

 

Lable has changed, it's now more text + subtle pared back indigo blue graphics on white than that pictured in the headers. ABV is marked as 9.5% instead of the 9.0% in the headers.
Front lable reads: 'Brasserie Des Rocs, Grand Cru, Belgian Special Brown Ale'.
L- Pours very rich intense chestnut brown, clear, though I see now some minor sediment was left in the bottle. 3mm pale tan head.
S- Pungent deep roasted fruits. Reminds me of British Xmas pudding. This is a good sign IME touch wood.
T- The Smell follows into the Taste, plus a little more somewhat dry and toasty edge on top. Perhaps that's what differentiates this from a Belgian tripel, which at this ABV% I'd expect to be much richer.
F- Pungent, quite a hefty feel. Somewhat dry for a 9.5% though, I notice in the subtle little lick of hoppy zing I get on my tongue/palate as I swallow. I think it's cleverly balanced.
O- Nice. It has a power and one that is quite reined in for 9.5% Nothing leaps out and beats you over the head. Nothing at all strikes me as at all out of balance. Very drinkable and I'd happily drink it again. This style would work best for me in colder months.... visions of kicking back and slow-sipping a couple of these in front of a log fire that maybe one day I'll own :)
Bought from BelgianInABox (Antwerp/BE) for delivery to me in London/UK.
330ml bottle: BB: 25/02/2022,

Pours a hazelnut brown color with a huge, stable eggshell colored head.

Smells of milk chocolate, green peppers, allspice and anise. Quite forward on the spices, this manages to establish a balancing herbal hop presence on the nose, providing an intriguing depth.

Has a soft, medium bodied mouthfeel with a fitting, lighter effervescence during its finish.

Has a soft, almost aqueous beginning, followed up by bakers chocolate, cardamom and glazed toffee, together with a light note of dried leaves. Those produce a pleasant dryness, feathering the overall malt sweetness in this a bit, allowing for spicy licorice and a whiff of milk chocolate to cut through. Finishes with even more spicy, chewy licorice and sweeter turning chocolate among rock sugar and very light noble hops.

Quite pleasant with a great mouthfeel to it, this provides a classic belgian sweetness with a satisfying depth to it.

 

 

Listed as 9.5% on label, and as Brasserie des Rocs. Normal quad dried fruit aromas and flavors, abrupt finish, cloying sweetness. I had hoped for better based on the overall score.

Best before Feb 18, 2020 - this version is 9.5% ABV - enjoyed (Canadian) Thanksgiving 2019.
Pours a coppery deep caramel brown with abundant cream coloured head with orangey highlights - clear but significant debris from a ? poorly poured bottle.
Sweet caramel, toffee, yeasty Belgian spices, raisin, brown sugar, and a bit of booziness on the nose.
Taste follows - delicious caramel, Belgian spice, toffee, dark fruits, a touch of booze on a backbone of malty sweetness.
Medium bodied but briskly carbonated leading to a creamy deliciously sweet finish,
The floating debris was a bit unnerving but else this was fantastic.

 

Pours a murky brown color with a medium top off beige head that dissolves quickly.
Aroma is of caramel, toffee,cocoa, bread, dark and dried fruits, anis, vanilla and spices. Getting a christmas cake feel off the aroma.
The flavour follows the nose. Sweet with dark and dried fruit notes and strong malt notes innen the back with nice notes off caramel, dark bread and cocoa . It then gets more hints off spices in the flavour before finishing with some slight bitter notes balanced nicely with the malt background. Nice strenght and lenght in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with a full body and a soft carbonation.
With two words: really delicious.