The beers of Iwakuni: Trappiste Rochefort #6

Final post in Japan. I have to shut my internet off tomorrow, so I may be out of contact for a bit. I've had this beer for more than a year and I'm pretty sure it was about two years old at that point, 2014 production if I'm not mistaken. It Came in one of the Trappist tour sets I reviewed. I've already written on the brewery, so refer to my 20150721 post on Rochefort #8 (I will be elaborating on some history here though). Tonight's beer, #6, is the rarest of the Rochefort line and makes up only 1% of their total production. Typically only brewed about once a year, it is the oldest of the three recipes brewed by the Abby and was their only beer between 1899 and the end of WWII. It was reworked along with the help of Prof. Jean Declerk, who also instructed the monks in modern sanitation practices and microbiology, and released to the public in it's current form in 1953. Their other two beers, the much applauded #8 and #10, would not be produced until 1958. Now you may ask "is there a #1-5, 7, and 9 that they no longer produce anymore?". No, there isn't from what I can gather. The numbers refer to the beers original gravity as measured in "Belgian degrees", a now defunct beer scale. As with nearly all Trappist beers, Rochefort #6 is considered to be among the best beers brewed today and on of the top 5 Belgian Dubbles.

The bottle I have is a European styled sloping shoulder longneck with crimpcap. The cap (which is red on the #6, green on #8, and blue on #10) says "Biere Des Trappistes Rochefort" with a large 6 in the center, the edges have several 6's all around. Label art says "Trappistes Rochefort" in cool Gothic lettering, under which it has the number six surrounded by the word beer in five different languages. In the corner it has the official seal certifying it as a Trappist beer and on the opposite it's liquid measurement and alcohol content (33cl and 7.5% ABV). On the reverse, it describes the ingredients in five languages as such "brewed with: water, malted barley, non malted cereals, hop, yeasts, sugars". It has an expiration date of September 30 2019, as they have a five year shelf life that means it is indeed a 2014. I will be using my Trappist Rochefort goblet which I haven't broken out in some time. Let's bid Japan Farewell in style!

Nose from the bottle is like cereal with a white wine quality. Pours a sort of walnut/apple cider brown with a quickly dissipating head, with clumps of yeast floating throughout. Nose from the glass is boozy and spiced with applejack and Asti (the Italian sparkling desert wine, much like champagne). On first sip, it immediately hits you with malt and cereal, finishes fruity and boozy, bit of a metallic aftertaste though. Body is light, acidity is high. The sips have developed a fruity quality at the beginning now, starts to extend throughout. It is much akin to drinking an under spiced and diluted hart apple cider. It kind of has this slight underlying flavor of herbal bitters that I'm starting to notice.

Listening to Electro-Swing. I would like to come back to Japan as a civilian, there are so many restrictions on military members here that it really limits your ability to enjoy the place. It's kind of a shame I didn't go to more historical sites, but I don't really know too many people who are really into that kind of thing out here. Sights are cool and all, but its just not as good by yourself. I'm exited to go back home, it'll be good to get the next part of my life started. The military has turned into a job, I just don't enjoy it like I used to, time to go. Kind of bittersweet really. I broke my wayfarers, I've been forced to wear my photo-reactive aviators. Their cool glasses in the sunlight, but kind of serial killer creepy when your inside. I'll probably order a replacement pair and have them sent to my parents house.

Final thoughts, it's OK. A bit of a letdown, but it's just fine. It just kind of tastes like stronger beer was diluted with seltzer water. Real shame, I love Rochefort's other two beers. It was worth having, but not worth having again.

https://belgium.beertourism.com/belgian-breweries/trappistes-rochefort
http://www.trappistes-rochefort.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochefort_Brewery
http://www.merchantduvin.com/brew-rochefort-trappist-6.php