Rochefort Brewery

Quadrupel: Trappistes Rochefort 10 The strongest bottle on this list and the benchmark for the dark, strong ale that bars call a quadrupel. Rochefort 10, the blue cap, is 11.3%: dark brown, with port wine, leather, apricot and spice over a firm malt backbone that keeps all that strength in balance. Written records of brewing at Rochefort go back to 1595, though the 10 itself was developed in the late 1940s. Chimay Blue and St. Bernardus Abt 12 are worthy stand-ins if the store is out, but Rochefort is the one to try first. Pour a small glass and take your time; it rewards an hour more than a gulp.