Westmalle Extra

Brewed by Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle
Style: Belgian Ale
Malle, Belgium

Hazy yellow-blond beer with a small fine laced head. Malty aroma and a surprisingly bitter flavour.

A very nice beer made only for the monks. I could also taste it from 6 years old.Not a beer to keep but still worth drinking.

Brown bottle, 330 ml, Trappist tasting at my place, savoured on March 9 2007; eye: golden, hazy, creamy off-white head, no effervescence; nose: grainy malt dominates, grainy hops; mouth: thin, grapefruit, citrusy, dry finale in grainy malt, creamy and grainy texture, medium body, mildly astringent, not much carbonation, mildly bitter, dry bitterness; overall: fine FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 330 ml, soirée Trappiste chez nous, savourée le 9 mars 2007; oeil : dorée, voilée, mousse crémeuse blanc cassé, pas d’effervescence; nez : malt granuleux domine, houblon granuleux; bouche : mince, pamplemousse, citronnée, finale sèche en malt granuleux, texture crémeuse et granuleuse, corps moyen, astringence moyenne, peu carbonatée, moyennement amère, amertume sèche

A Mes rate: Another rare trappistentreat in a table watery type way. Sadly this was not on such good form as the Orval. Looks great, well it did until all the floaters got poured in. Creamy dusty nose with some cardboard and showing a bit of alcohol with its older age. Metallic flavour and some oxidisation. Some way past its best unfortunately. I’m sure one day I will get a fresher sample so I may re-rate properly. As it was it had the character of a light tripel and the tired old dog that it was, it was still an enjoyable experience.

A lightly hazed blonde with a creamy white head. An herbal malt with lots of hoppy surprises, coriander and orange. In mouth, a light coriander with diffused hop juices, pleasant drink for the monks. From JPattyn, Belgium trip, Nov. 2006. Shared with Ian Guénard, GRM, and Dumdum, Dégustation Trappiste I, March 9,2007.

Bottle conditioned, 330ml. Hazed gold with short lasting head. I’ve held on to this one since my last trip to Antwerp. Overall a malty, yeasty beer with a dominant sugary fruit note, fleshy rather than citric to me. It matures in the glass to a sharper, but not quite hoppy tone, more tea like than that, like a lemon tea. Good without being great.

Unlabled bottle thanks to sk8viking. Straw yellow with huge foamy white head. Lots and lots of bubbles coming off the bottom of the glass. Aromas are sweet and citrus. Lemon zest with apple. Flavor was more citrus and some sweet malts. Some spice before the finish and a nice bitter end. Pretty good.

Bottle, thanks to sk8viking. Poured a slightly-hazy, stewed banana yellow with lots of rising carbonation, a full, thick white head, and lovely rings of lacing as it descended. The nose was soft and supple, sporting darker fruits, peppery yeast, and floral and earth hoppage... citrus notes and other complexities emerge with warmth. Flavor was a delicate blend of spices and darker fruits, citrus twang and earth... several layers of complexity. Creamy middle on the palate with a just-shy-of-medium body to it.. really dried out on the back-end leaving a refreshing spicy earth and fruity finish. Powerfully well-crafted... I could drink a whole lot of this stuff!