Westvleteren 12

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

Bottled 5/21/200, true Westvleteren bottle with no label. Sampled alongside the 8 and the Blonde. Was so incredibly excited to taste the #1 beer in the world, I might have gotten my hopes up a bit. While this is a very good beer, it’s not the best I’ve ever had -- in fact, I preferred the 8 even more! Dark brown murky pour with light edges. Thin cream-colored head fought hard to stay alive after a year-long journey from the brewery to the Midwest. Lots of fruit in the nose, from bright green apples to dark plums and some fig, tons of a caramel, and a whiff of booze. Flavor is incredibly sweet, with raw sugar overpowering the nice caramel and toffee undertones. This sugary sweetness is absent from the 8 and made it a better beer in my eyes.

Ok, finally I get to try this. Bottle picked up in a trade with the Beer Sommelier. Bottle doesn’t have the fancy label as the picture does. 2008 bottle. Nice fluffy head that appears to be fading away. The beer is nice and dark. Dark brown beer, that you can’t see through. Looks pretty good. Very nice dark fruit/candy aroma. Nice fruity smell. The alcohol is well hidden in the aroma. Nice pungent fruit aroma. Nice candy/fruit taste. Very smooth. The carbonation is not ridiculous; for this reason I give this beer a perfect palate score of 5. I am telling you one of the smoothest beers I have tried. Very nice dark fruit flavor. Fig taste with some yeast, and sugar sweetness. Very nice brew. I thought this beer might have been overrated, but I must say the score is quite in-line with its rating. Nice fruity beer with a DEEP flavor that just makes you go crazy. Again, very impressed, and just a powerful fruity beer.

Bottle thanks to Cletus, shared with JoeTheYounger and mspindler.. Bottled on 5/9/07...Pours chestnut brown with a off white head.. Aroma was buttered croissants, candied fruits and figs.. Flavor was very well balanced and hard to pick out one particular flavor.. Low carbonation and very smooth. Thanks John for hooking me up with this one.

Drank it next to the abbey, so probably still young. Dark brown, thick sticky head. Full bodied taste, alcohol is very present, caramel, coffee, malt, chocolate. Sweet at the beginning, but a hint of bitterness in the aftertaste. Overall impression: this is as good a beer can get. World class.

Pours very dark amber brown with a nice tan head. Aroma is caramel, dark fruits, toffee, hints of chocolate and current and raisin. Flavor is full of carame, chocolate and dark malt, with plenty of dark fruits as well. Was worth the 25 bucks I paid for it.

Bottle thanks to Vince, poured into a Trappist glass and served at cellar temperature. Cloudy brown with a tan head that fizzles away quickly to a small ring. The aroma is dried dark fruits, apple, wood and a wine like alcohol scent. The flavor is sweet with just a light bit of sourness, the alcohol is non-existent in the taste. The body is a bit lighter than I would have thought, probably medium to full. This beer is really nice on your palate, it’s soft and silky with a very mild carbonation. I am really glad I got a chance to try this and the only flaw in my mind is that the bottle is too small. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll get another chance to drink it.

bottle. pours mahogany with a big tan head that dissipates relatively quickly to leave a layer of tan film. spotty lace. aroma is plum, dates, green raisins, and a touch of booze. flavor is dark fruit, some chest warming alcohol, toffee, medicine. Body is a little thinner than expected. extremely smooth and drinkable for a 10% beer. I could easily do a couple more of these. Towards the end of the beer i pour in the sediment. This brings forth some earthy bitterness and mineral notes. This is a very good beer for sure, But I think I prefer the Westy 8. I’ll have to try them several more times to be sure though. The importance of this beer and what it stands for far outweigh any flaws it has. great beer!

My first hour in Belgium, I sat down for lunch in Brugge and found it on the menu. Pours the color of dark walnut, lighter than I would have thought. The head is dense and tan, it sticks around the whole time. Aroma of clean cocoa, licorice. Initially I was a little let down with the taste, but as time went on things improved. Tastes of deep caramel with a little mint or coriander at the end. Nice long finish. Tasted nest to St Bernardus Abt 12, and this was the clear winner.