In a medium sized pot, combine the cream, milk, sugar and Soft Dark Sugar over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring mixture to 170° and remove from heat. In a separate bowl, add egg yolks and whisk for a minute. Whisk in 2 ounces of hot cream mixture to the yolks, to temper them. Add another 2 ounces, whisking to prevent cooking the mixture. Pour yolk mixture back into the remaining cream mixture, whisking to incorporate. Place the pan back over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens. The temperature should be about 168-170°. Remove from heat and strain mixture through a fine sieve into another bowl, to remove any cooked yolk and make a silk smooth finished product. Chill mixture in either a water bath or refrigerator, until mixture is cold (around 36°).
In another medium sized pot, add the bottle of Rochefort 8. Over low heat, warm this Trappist ale to a soft simmer and reduce by half. This slow cooking will help caramelize the sugars and intensify the flavors of fig, vanilla, honey, date and plum. Remove from the heat and add to the Ice Cream Base.
