Trappistes Rochefort 10

Tonight I will be drinking a real treat from Rochefort Brewery.  First, a little tidbit of interesting brewing history.

Rochefort (Brasserie de Rochefort) is a Belgian Trappist brewery located in the Abby of Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy.  This monastery has been brewing beer since 1595!  It's operated by 15 resident monks, who are extremely secretive of their brewing process, and brew a set amount of beer each year.  The proceeds generated from sales are used to support the monastery, and contributed to "other charitable causes", so they do not adjust their brewing rates based on demand from the market.  Rochefort brews three different beers:  Rochefort 6, Rochefort 8, and Rochefort 10.  Each increasing number represents a stronger, more alcoholic Belgian strong ale.  What does Trappist mean?  Trappists are monks that are part of the Order of the Strict Observance, which is a Roman Catholic religious order.  Authentic Trappist beers are brewed by monks in this order, following a specific process that's been in use for hundreds of years.  They are bottle conditioned, and contain residual sugars and yeast that you would typically find in home-brewed beer.  These beers are known to be some of the highest quality in the world.

The beer comes in a 11.2oz bottle with a simple label that includes the "Authentic Trappist Product" stamp on the front.  It also says "Abbey St-Remy  B-5580  Rochefort" on top of the label - this is probably the batch number?  I'm not able to find the bottled-on date, there are some numbers on there but nothing indicating an actual date.  Also worth mentioning is the 11.3%ABV - hot damn.

The beer pours a dark, deep brown, my friends here say they think it's jet-black.  The aroma is full of alcohol and dark fruits, mainly rainsins and plums.  Also some sweet fumes make their way through, must be figs.  The taste doesn't hit the palate as hard as I expected from the nose.  The flavors ease their way in, starting with plums and licorice.  Then comes a wave of sweetness in the form of figs and nutmeg.   Very rich and chewy.  There really isn't any bitterness present at all.  The finish is sticky, but isn't cloying....very smooth.  The alcohol is present only in warmth, doesn't contribute to the flavor but adds a comforting warmth to the beer, like sitting next to a warm fire. 

Overall Rating:  (5.5 out of 6.0)  No surprise here - this is an amazing beer.  The quality of the ingredients and the care taken in the brewing process are obvious.  Bottle conditioned to perfection.  Those monks know how to brew a good beer!