I quite literally feel risen from the dead.

Some people do well when they’re sick. I am not one of them. I work with a guy who had a crazy cough and felt like crap and just kept working for 2 months before he was finally diagnosed with pneumonia. PNEUMONIA. He’s a tough guy. I’m a baby. When it comes to being sick, I confess, I’m a bit of a baby. It just hits me and the world melts away and all I see is sleep and pain. I’ve been known to cry quietly in bed (may be related to the Strep Throat …. may or may not be more likely attributed to lack of beer…).

So when I say I feel born anew, awoken from a deep coma, akin to a phoenix birthed from viral ashes, I’m not at all exaggerating. In fact, I am rejoicing. It is spiritual. And yes, for this occasion – like all others – there IS a perfect beer.

Trappistes Rochefort 10. Amongst beer geeks, this brew stands as a genuine Legend. A beer of universal acclaim and admiration. A Belgian Quadrupel style beer, packing a whopping 11.3% ABV.

This beer is really unique in that it is brewed by Trappist Monks (monks of the Cistercian Order), at a monastery that has been producing beer since 1595. It’s practically ancient. And what’s even more spectacular is that it is one of only 10 “Trappist Breweries” on the entire planet. There are 15 monks living at the monastery and they brew these beers to earn money to support their monastic life, as well as to give to various charities. A beer that keeps on giving and thus, this truly is as close to divine beer as you can get.

And divine flavour, as well.  Dear Gods … it just knocks your socks off. You’d expect plenty to be going on with a beer this strong. The aromas practically leap out of the glass, rich dark fruit like raisins, figs, black cherries. Then there’s clove and pepper and all kinds of yeasty banana esters. I smell baked dark bread and demerara rum. This smell of this beer literally has my mouth watering. I haven’t had a beer in nearly a week and this smells like God’s secret potion. The taste is like an explosive, mouth-filling party. You notice the spice, at first, and maybe a burnt orange rind note. This is immediately followed by sweet flavours of date squares and dark rum and molasses. The beer has a long, dry finish that just makes you desperate for another gulp. But this is some truly special juice. You have to respect it. Savour it. Trappistes Rochefort 10 is a beer to Praise! It is, after all, in a word, divine.