2010 Rochefort 10

Way back in 2010 I started setting aside some of the stronger beers I bought, thereby beginning my long journey into the world of cellaring beer.  Yes, some beers can truly age like wine.  My friends and regular readers know I occasionally pull old bottles out of a basement cabinet to see how they are doing.  Over the last two months I've opened up a few of the bottles I have held onto the longest, including three I've held onto since that first year: North Coast Old Stock Ale, Ommegang Three Philosophers, and Rochefort 10. 

The best-before code (28-04-15) means this was bottled April 28, 2010.

Rochefort 10 is a rather strong Belgian quad, clocking in at just over 11% alcohol.  Like its more famous brethren Chimay Blue and Westvleteren 12, the hefty Rochefort 10 hails from a Trappist monastery where the monks themselves brew the beer.  Though I've had Rochefort 10 numerous times fresh, this is only my second try at an older bottle.  My last tasting was from this same 2010 batch, but I had it in April 2012.  I noted flavors of bread, dates, peppery phenols, brown sugar and a surprising alcohol warmth for a beer already two years old.  I concluded "yummy" but added that it probably "could age even longer."

Yes, I still have my review notebook from 2012.

By shear coincidence, I drank this bottle on April 28, 2015---exactly five years from its 2010 bottling date.

Though it's a bit blurry, you can see in the below photo that this beer still has a surprising amount of foam and carbonation five years out.  The fizz almost gushed out of the bottle.  The liquid itself retains the same ruddy brown hue as it had five years ago.

The aroma is just as rife with dates as it was when it was fresh.  New this time: subtle hints of plums, milk chocolate, and licorice.  The licorice is especially faint.  Gone now are the spicy, peppery scents of phenols this beer is known for.  Overall it smells appetizing but not as sweet as it did three years ago. 

Rochefort 10 may smell great five years out but it tastes even better.  The phenolic flavors are truly absent now, probably the biggest difference between fresh and aged.  Rich flavors of date, fig, sugar, and more fig stand out the strongest, joined by additional hints of cinnamon, cherries, and plums.  There is a very faint suggestion of licorice.  As the beer warms I begin to appreciate pie crust, raisins, and the faintest sensation of alcohol heat, with a touch of milk chocolate as well.  All of these flavors are held aloft by a surprisingly strong carbonation.  The overall texture is medium in feel, erring a bit towards sweet.

I have aged beers to find them hold up well but not change much.  Others have changed for the better or the worse, while some are changed for neither; they're just different.  Rochefort 10 at five years feels to me like a success by any measure.  The parts I didn't care for when fresh---raw ethanol and spicy yeast phenols---have mellowed or faded away entirely, while most of the best flavors have stayed or become stronger.  The new flavors---plum, pie crust, chocolate, raisin---are welcome additions. 

This is a classic when fresh that gets even better with a bit of time and patience.  A real treat.