Upon popping the bottle cap of this lovely beer, I was immediately struck by a nutty aroma. Wow!

Oh, yes. This is a Trappist beer. It definitely bears a family resemblance to Westmalle Dubbel, but there are differences as well. Whereas Westmalle has a very creamy head, Rochefort’s is more fizzy, like the carbonation in a soda pop. Rochefort tastes dryer. The ABV is not very different from Westmalle, so I’m assuming that Westmalle contains more unfermentable sugars than does Rochefort.

There is the previously-noted nutty aroma, plus a chocolate aroma, and a subtle fragrance of plums. The taste is rich, full of chocolate, and very pleasant.

Rochefort is to beers what champaigne is to wine. Yummy. A very satisfying beer. God bless those Trappist monks!