Belgian Beer Board

Hi,
A Rochefort 10 was tasted at home yesterday.
Wow, what a great beer and most probably still the best beer in the word (IMHO).
For me, personally, it was a historic tasting 
I tell you why ....





Looking at the back label, I noticed a change in ingredients!





Actually, after some research, I found that there is a gradual change in the list of ingredients the last 5 years something.
Although, there is no different recipe!!!! That beer still tastes exactly the same as before, for decades...
The pictures here above do show that gradual changes....
The second last picture shows the label that's been used for decades.
It clearly says 'non malted cereals', which was already a mystery to many beer lovers.
But see, the last picture with best before date of 21.08.2023 (brewed in 2018) mentions 'wheat starch' which explains the non malted cereals 

I was extremely surprised that today there is the mentioning of "SPICES" !!

I found one back label on the internet exactly showing the one I had last yesterday.
It had a best before of 23.08.2027 (brewed in 2022)
So, it's really a very recent thing.
More surprised I was that the monks eliminated the ingredient "wheat starch" 

I always was nearly convinced that the spice coriander is used in all Rochefort beers, even way before Rochefort Triple was introduced.
But many people believed (even brewmaster Johan Brandt from Smisje) that the spice flavor could come from the yeast profile.
I can remember me an old article published on the internet - way back in time - from an American beer lover visiting the brewery where he mentioned Coriander.
But officially the monks always denied this info to be correct!      (secret of recipe)

The thing is that it's always been a mystery to me if I really taste that coriander, or was it really that yeast profile.
Yesterday, that mystery was solved in one glance on that back label !!
And note that all dark Rocheforts have the same recipe! This means coriander in the 6 and 8 as well.

WAUW !!!!!

Cheers,
Filip

All this time, there was the pseudo-secret ingredient coriander in Rochefort beers. Even with recipe secrecy, the mention of "spices" would be expected and not give anything away.

As for wheat starch, would that be a thickening agent? Did you notice any difference in the body?

I hope they don't mess with perfection!

Quote from: JRJordao on September 19, 2023, 01:11:25 PMAs for wheat starch, would that be a thickening agent? Did you notice any difference in the body?

Wheat starch has been used for many decades!
https://www.belgianbeerboard.com/johnwhite/www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/
I can remember that John White visited the brewery and did see the wheat starch exposed as ingredient.
https://www.belgianbeerboard.com/johnwhite/www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/rochefort.html
Here is the picture that proofs things:

I'm not sure how many is added, but I think the starch becomes sugar with the mash scheme, otherwise one will end up with a thick liquid, no?
As far as I can remember, the dark Rochefort beers haven't changed in recipe, hence still having that same flavor, same density that I can remember, and that's already a 40 years !
Why they removed the mentioning of wheat starch on the back label is a mystery for me though 
Cheers,
Filip