Westvleteren 12

Brewed by Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Westvleteren, Belgium

Nice beer but I prefer the 8° ... I must drink it a second time to better judge. I’ll go back to the "In de Vrede" pub.

Bottle thanks to Bhops. Dark brown small head. Aroma of sweet bread, raisins, plums, and fruits. Flavor was yeast, toffee, bread, and caramel. Excellent syrupy mouthfeel.

Rating number 300 for me and 1001 one for 17thfloor, who I thank for sharing this treat with me and xnoxhatex! Pours a dark murky red brown color with a small white head. Aroma is so complex and wonderful, simply stunning. Nice spicy, fig, plums an orchard of fruits and spices all balanced by a load of rich but not overly sweet malts. Flavor starts rich with plum and sugary, but not a fake kind of sugar, high quality natural taste. Very floral and fruity and nutty. Finishes extremely smooth and refreshing with a perfect balance of sweet and slightly bitter. Very soft carbonation and a creamy mouth feel. Amazing stuff that is not overrated in the least. It’s like putting nature’s best into a bottle.

Rating 1001, shared with xnoxhatex and funkybrewster. This is my 4th tasting of this beer. This beer easily has the most intoxicating aroma of any beer I’ve ever had next to Dirty Horse and Gale’s Prize Old Ale. Deeply rich aromatic figs, dates, fatty nuts, intense plum, light brown sugar, ending a touch bitter, I could smell this beer for weeks. Pours a slightly murky purple amber that I remember being much darker in Belgium, very fine thin white froth on top. This beer is pretty amazing, dark and bitter yet sweet and very easy to drink. Tastes of bitter fruit skins, sweet molasses and very nutty, vaguely burnt brown sugar, noticeable yeastiness, plums. Medium bodied with a medium/full mouthful, much softer carbonation than the fresh bottles I had in Belgium. Yum. Candied figs with great bitterness.

Source: 11.2 oz bottle in a trade.
Appearance: Poured a murky brown color with a half finger of off white head. Spotty lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruits(raisins, dates, figs and plums) with brown sugar and a hint of cocoa.
Flavor: Caramel and dark fruit dominant, but hints of vanilla and rum. Very sweet overall.
Palate: Medium/full body with soft carbonation and a creamy mouthfeel.
Overall: I don’t buy into the hype. A very good beer, but better than Roch 10? Probably not. Glad I got to try this one.

Rating #440 and shared with my wife on our 1st year wedding anniversary. I don’t think I could have picked a better brew to celebrate with. Pours a very dark and murky brown color with a frothy, cream colored head on top. Swirls of lacing are left behind as the foam recedes. The aroma is very enticing and shows hints of caramel soaked raisins, figs, and plums along with notes of cocoa, vanilla, and cream. The flavor follows with the caramel and dark fruits up front, but are then complimented perfectly by the raisins, vanilla, and rum flavors. The alcohol is slightly noticeable with a sweet warming on the back end. Medium to full bodied with a very smooth and creamy mouthfeel that feels like heaven on the tongue. The sweet and warming finish lingers on for awhile and just begs for you to sip and savor this one. A fantastic beer that lives up to its high rating, and one we both enjoyed very much.

2 bouteilles de 330 ml partagées lors d’une dégustation Ratebeer Montréal chez Rastacouere. Arôme: Odeur de caramel avec une pointe de chocolat et d’alcool. Apparence: La couleur est brune opaque. Présence d’un mince col beige mousseux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel fruité avec une pointe d’épices et d’alcool. Longue durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture vineuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’alcool chaleureux en arrière goût. (Rating #2316)

A nice beer with a unique blend of cherries and brown nut malt caramel malts tones. At first I was "best beer in the world?" but it started to grow on me with each sip. I kept it on my tongue and rolled it around. The mouthfeel is luscious with a perfect balance of carbonation and dryness. I haven’t felt that since say St Benardus 12. But St. Benardus isn’t a substitute for the fruitiness that this beer imparts. I expected more in the aroma department but the flavor more than makes up for it.