Westvleteren 12

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

The legendary Westvleteren 12, sipped in a pub in Groningen (De Pintelier) for quite an amount of money, let’s see if it’s worthy... Very strong malty smell, light sweet, dark bread with a little bit of alcohol. Very small white fizzy head, which disappears fast and fully, the body is black. The taste is light bitter and very malty, very long duration. Flat carbonation, medium body, dry and very creamy texture, really nice! A very nice beer, maybe not the best in the world but really a very good one!

Thanks for the bottle Tim! Pours a very hazy dark brown with fluffy off-white head. Aroma is of dark fruit, sweet malt, and candy. Very complex taste features plenty of spice with a hint of vanilla and dark fruits. Excellent carbonation, bursting with tiny bubbles that massage the tongue. Very smooth finish with a slight bite of alcohol in the aftertaste. Alcohol is hidden very well. Enjoyed this one!

Where to start.....I’m kinda disappointed that i threw Tim Taylor Landlord the big 5 out of 5 because this beer needs to be rated higher, be that as it may pours with a volumous...nah screw it I’m not going to wank on about flavours, dark fruits etc wah wah this is a great beer it’s got good depth it’s balanced it’s amazing thanks Greig for this experience

Rating #300

Bottle courtesy of OldStyleCubFan, thanks Todd!

Appearance:
Pours a dark brown with an active and attractive looking tan head.

Smell:
Aroma of molasses, dark malt, caramel and yeast.

Flavor:
Flavor is brown sugars, malt, spices, rasins, yeasts, bread, vanilla and much more coming together very nicely.

Palate:
Despite all the flavors going on this brew is very balanced and everything comes together and gives this an excellent mouthfeel.

Overall:
I don’t think this is the best beer i’ve ever tried, and the mystique adds a couple points to most peoples ratings, but it’s definitely world class and in my top 20.

ok. Honestly. this was NOT my style of beer. I have had other ones similar in style to this, but did not love this one. It was incredibly sweet, with strong apple cider notes, also i picked up a strong liquor taste. It wasn’t bad, and im assuming for its style its a great beer, but just not my thing i guess. Fortunate to try i though.

Bottle pours dark brown with a white head. Has a brown sugar aroma to it with some malt undertones. Mouthfeel is medium-light with a lot of tiny bubbles for carbonation. I really like the feel of this beer. Taste is very complex. There is candi sugar, dark fruit, some sweet malt, and a small amount of hop spice. Alcohol is hidden very well. The blend of malt, hops, mouthfeel, and finish makes this a supreme beer. Truly world class.

’98-11.2oz bottle @Hoboken#1-thanks hophead 75/Andrew –pours a retaining off white ring and hazy gold/brown color. Aroma is sweet medium malt-caramel, herbal. Taste is sweet medium malt-caramel, herbal, yeast, dry. Smooth, occasional. 3.6

33cl bottle from the St. Sixtus Abbey. Pours dark brown to black with a one-finger tan head. Good head retention throughout consumption. Aroma is candy sugar, earthy, ripe dark fruit, and malt. Flavor is much of the same with heavy notes of candy sugar, plum, ripe dark fruit, and hints of an oakiness at the very end. Lingering, sweet finish. We tasted this Westvleteren 12 with a 33cl bottle of St. Bernardus ABT 12. The St. Bernardus had a creamier mouthfeel and was somewhat lighter in color than the Westy 12. The Westvleteren 12, however, was slightly better balanced than the St. Bernardus with a fuller-bodied mouthfeel, less sugar, and well-hidden alcohol. Given the history between these two beers, it is no wonder they are very similar. Both are exceptional ales.