Achel is one of the smaller, lesser mentioned Trappist breweries. I've seen their beers on the shelf for quite some time, but passed by them not realizing what I was seeing. Decided it was finally time to try one. Brewery: Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse
Brewery Location: Belgium
Beer: Trappist Achel 8° Blond
BJCP Style: 18A. Belgian Blond Ale
Serving: Bottle
Appearance:
Smell: Heavy alcohol in nose, with skunky overtones. This bottle was dusty--was it sitting on the top shelf for too long?
Taste: Despite any skunky nose, this beer is delicious. Pale malts, with mellow hops, and a slight grassy note in the finish. Spicy notes throughout.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, with dry finish
Drinkability: This particular bottle may be slightly skunked, but it's still very drinkable. Much stronger than the taste would imply. I've read that the Bruin is the best of the Achel breed. If this is a taste of what's to come, I'm intrigued.
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4 comments:
Looks delicious! I have yet to try this one, but will likely do so after reading your notes.
That head almost begs to be eaten with a spoon...yum! Eric seems to have been bitten by the all-grain bug after his recent visit. Our days as extractors may be numbered. In other news, have you cultivated yeast from a commercial bottle? I'd like to try a belgian pale ale, and my preference is to whip up a starter from the dregs of a belgian in my fridge...
The Achel was good, but I think I'd like to try to find a fresher bottle to see if the skunk dies down.
Just moved the AG Stout Eric, Nathan, and I brewed into secondary and am pleased with it. Pushed a couple of bottles of, with Coopers Carbonation Drops, so I'll be able to try it some time soon. Meanwhile, I'll clean up the keg this week and push the balance, minus another small set of bottles for the CT trip, into the keg.
As for harvesting from bottles, yep-I've done it a few times. I tried to harvest from Duvel when I brewed the dubbel earlier this year, but I think the bottle was a dud b/c it never took off. But I've harvested in the past and it's pretty simple. I think How To Brew or Joy of Home Brewing cover how to do it. Key is to get a relatively fresh bottle to start (don't try to harvest from a 10 yr old barleywine!).
The Achel was good, but I think I'd like to try to find a fresher bottle to see if the skunk dies down.
Just moved the AG Stout Eric, Nathan, and I brewed into secondary and am pleased with it. Pushed a couple of bottles of, with Coopers Carbonation Drops, so I'll be able to try it some time soon. Meanwhile, I'll clean up the keg this week and push the balance, minus another small set of bottles for the CT trip, into the keg.
As for harvesting from bottles, yep-I've done it a few times. I tried to harvest from Duvel when I brewed the dubbel earlier this year, but I think the bottle was a dud b/c it never took off. But I've harvested in the past and it's pretty simple. I think How To Brew or Joy of Home Brewing cover how to do it. Key is to get a relatively fresh bottle to start (don't try to harvest from a 10 yr old barleywine!).
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