golden brown hazy beer with a wonderful complex aroma of sugar, wine, hops and vanilla fudge/praline. Wonderful rich tatse of scotch with peach melba and hops intertwined, woody notes, very complex body, with a alcool warmth which lingers and pleases the tongue.

This beer lived up to the hype. At 11% I couldn’t taste a hint of alcohol. It is one of those yummy beers thats goes down real nice. Hard to discribe the aroma but definitly original and sweet. Beautiful murky brown color. Not a large head however but this is definitly one of the best belgians I have ever tried.

Ah, the youthful rating. Very malty and sweet aroma and taste. I don’t need to go further, for me this is the best Quad, I was moved to rerate after drinking a Westy 12, which I followed with this beauty. Sure it doesn’t have the same mistique but its superb.

Poured a dark brew with a nice foamy white head with excellent retention time. Complex aroma of spice and roastiness arose from my glass. Taste of spice is complex and alcohol taste is subtle which is great achievement at 11.3%. Body if full and support well the mix of spice from this beer. Always great to review a trappist beer when they are so perfect as this one clearly is. Wow!!! Re-rate September 2005: I noticed more notes of apricot and peach this time around with still no alcohol showing. I can’t see this improving anymore...Re-rate 2017 Best Before 2012: Surprising how very little oxydation this is showing with still plenty of complexities. Not world-class after 8 years but still very good.

2023-08-20, 22 05 07, 21 years old, 6-5-6-2-12=31
Thin, almost no sweetness left, alcohol is manageable, some caramel and candi sugar flavour, very little oxidation traces. No bitterness. More inoffensive, than offensive.

2016-07-17, L 210306, 15 years old, 7-5-8-3-15=38
The aroma shows some signs of oxidisation, the bitterness is gone, but the malts are still quite rich. Old and enjoyable.

2013-02-12, L 210306, 12 years old, 7-5-8-4-16=40
Dark brown color with medium sized head, compact but not too long retention. The aroma is quite deep, with caramel and accents of fruitcake. Good body strength; the mouthfeel is lean; good caramel and malt flavor, chestnut honey, hint of nuts, mild residual sweetness on the lips; the bitterness is quite low, but unnoticed; no oxidization apparently, or signs of age.
A silky elegant brew; I could drink 5 of these tonight and not being bored.

2012-06-09, bottle at Pibar, Lausanne, L 130514 13:44, 3 years old, 8-5-8-4-16=41
Hazy dark amber color, medium sized compact head. The aroma is delicate, with notes of chocolate, caramel, malt, light yeast; more complex than the young Westvleteren XII tasted side-to-side. Good malt and mild chocolate flavor, moderate sweetness, maybe the bitterness is too low, there is a light feeling of oxidization. But it's an excellent Belgian, although not impressive as other times.

2011-05-04, L 051115 09:37, possibly less than one year old, 8-5-8-4-16=41
Good caramel aroma, with nice yeast scent. Good body structure, present yet lean, with a very smooth mouthfeel; caramel flavor, avoiding the oxidisation trait of the Rochefort 8, and apparently ready to drink earlier than the lesser sister; the sweetness comes in later, with light liquorice traces. Very good alcohol control. The final delivers a dryish impression at first, rounder after some time.
Although young, it's already a good sipper.

2010-04-14, L 110406, vintage 2001, 9 years old, 8-5-9-4-18=44
The color is dark brown, impenetrable; the head is medium sized, creamy, it reduces quickly to a thin persistent layer. The aroma is full, malty, with light chocolate, and showing only the slightest sign of oxidisation. Full bodied, it has one of the richest malt flavors in beer, with caramel, delicate chocolate, candi sugar; sweet, smooth and round; traces of Belgian yeast. The bitterness is almost gone, the final is then short, but well balanced and still able to provide pleasure. The alcohol is almost not perceived. Delicious.

2009-01-04, bottle at La Pizzaccia, Como, 7-5-9-4-16=41
Dark brown color with red shades; persistent head. The caramel aroma is rather simple, the flavor is much better; young it reaches the perfect balance between sweetness, bitterness and alcohol; caramel and malt flavor, chocolate cake.

2003-12-10, bottle 1 year old, 9-5-9-5-18=46
Dark amber color; big, creamy head. Very nice malty and fruity aroma, with delicate notes of caramel and roasted malts, oranges and spices. Full malty, without being too sweet; caramel and the balancing bitterness; light liquorice. Velvet pleasure. A perfect lesson for the North Americans, how to brew without excess, with perfect harmony of elements.

Pours with a very tart and fruity aroma- I detect raisins, apples, cherries and perhaps a touch of toffee or caramel. Pours cloudy brown with a creamy light tan head. I was expecting a sweet body but this is heavier on the bready aspect, with zesty yeast flavors, caramel, a sweet swirl of fruits around the edges, and rather potent alcohol flavor. There are woody or musty notes too. Zesty carbonation. I prefer the fuller, fruitier body of the 10...but this is classy.

Mix of rusty orange and darker cherry/brown. Big head is light beige. Aroma of yeast, molasses, raisins and of course, alcohol. Tons of sediment. Began super bubbly and quite peppery. Lots of alcohol, some anise and a green raisin flavor that starts out mildly bitter and astringent. Wasnt so impressed as it started, but as the beer settled, and it warmed further, the carbonation died off and the body took on a creamier feel. Now I am seeing why this is so loved by many. Flavors mix together with wonderful caramel malt, nice brown sugar to mix with the clean hops flavor on the full body. Vanilla and oak flavors, as well as some herbal appeal. Extremely complex and the finish dries out a touch, with a big alcohol bite, and a fruity (raisins, plums) flavor. There is alot of butterscotch on the finish as well. More balance than Abbaye des rocs, the young not-so-richly sweet fruit flavor is key. Would like a little less bitter alcohol taste though on the finish.