Westmalle Extra

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

Much thanks to hopdog for this vintage ’04 bottle... Appears a hazy light gold with a small white head that slowly fades out. Very mild spots of lacing are left around the glass. Smell is of yeasty, candy citrus and some mild bready dough. Taste is of the same aromas with a lemony zest standing out among flavors. Mouthfeel is yeasty, thin, and slick along the palate.

Finally I had the opportunity to taste this beer, with high expectations. Light amber coloured with a large white head, an a massive amount of carbonation. Light malty aroma, some bitter hoppyness, and yeasty touches. Full body, rather surprising for such a alcohol percentage. Light bitter with some carbonation. Malty finish, light bitter, it stood up to my expectations, a very nice one.

Bottle. Hazy golden, slighter lighter colour than the tripel. Durable, lacing white head. Deliciously sweet and malty aroma with candy sugar and raisins. Sweet and malty in the beginning with good offsetting bitterness, ending quite dry. Medium to light body. Surprisingly different from the tripel, complex and highly drinkable.

Bottle @ Delirium Cafe. Yellow and cloudy in color with a nice lacing. Aroma is yeasty, hoppy and spicey. Coriander notes. Malty and hoppy flavor. Orangey and citrusy. Finish is sweet. Very nice. Medium bodied.

Pours gold/copper with a thin white head. Reminds me of doree in that it is somewhat hoppy and sugary but lacking the complexity of most commercially available Trappist brews.

Bottle, courtesy of Stephan Erauw of the Oud Arsenaal, Antwerpen March 2005 who thought we might like to try something not on the menu. Sampled on the Eurostar heading through the Flemish countryside towards England. Hazy gold, thin lasting white head and good condition. Sweet and yeasty with a faint citric lemon fruitiness in the nose, grainily chalky and yeast bitter in the mouth with a low but still noticable lemon fruitiness, lingering dry chalky bitterness in the finish with a muted but refreshing citric tartness.

Definetely the least impressive Trappist beer. I shared this with aceofhearts. Cloudy golden color, malty nose that kind of reminds me of being in a brewery and smelling fresh wort. Like a weak triple. Second run.... Third run triple??? Oranges and yeast in mouth, very carbonated and a very dry finish that I didn’t care for.

Bottle. Maybe it loses something between Belgium and Japan, but I didn’t find this very appealing and I have no idea how anyone rates this above a 4. Hazy pale-orange, lasting white head. Exceptionally dry but without much of a flavor to contrast with it...more of a hay/grassy flavor. Not like any other Trappist beer out there. Very slight banana/tangerine but I didn’t think that it offered too much else. Chimay Black definitely wins the battle of "little trapist beers" for me.

Interestingly, the Japanese import label says 8% even though the bartender told us 5%.