Westvleteren Blond

Brewed by Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
Style: Belgian Ale
Westvleteren, Belgium

Aroma: candy, pear and sharp apples. Appearance: cloudy orange, large fluffuly head with great lacing. Flavour: pear sharp hops, light malt. Palate: thin well carbonated lingering bitterness. Great stuff!

If this were anything but a Westvleteren the reviews would be higher, since it is an amazing beer by anyone else’s standards. Beautiful huge head of foam on a cloudy yellow body ... my classic lemon meringue pie look for a Belgian blond. Good mouth, good balance, bready yeasty malty citrus, with a long finish of lemon and bitter hops. Great. And it’s less than 6% alcohol; that much flavor in a relatively low alcohol Belgian deserves a bonus point.

Tasted at the In De Vrede cafe over the road from the brewery. Presented in a Westvleteren challis, hazy straw yellow with plenty of bright white compact head perfectly filling the challis. Aroma is of honey and feint cloves, with the very slightest hint of flowery hops - subtle and nicely balanced. Taste is so well balanced it is hard to pick out individual flavours, maybe some orange peel over the malt background, with a little light clove spiciness. Finish is nicely balanced with crisp refreshing bitterness from the hops, but beyond that there is no hops flavour dominance noticeable. Mouth was light and fluffy, but not watery. Complemented the flavours nicely. Very drinkable on a hot day (which it was when I visited). A pity I was limited to only one as I had to drive back to Paris. Looking forward to trying the 8 and 12’s I have brought home.

This has got to be the best blonde ale that Ive had, nice hazy amber colour, lasting head with a taste that I cant quite put my finger on? Hoppy and fragrant without any bitterness,this seems a great way to begin tasting Westvleteren....the only trouble is getting hold of an 8 and a 12!!

A Mes rate: Blondes are not my thing really but as they go this is as good as I have had. Full fruity hoppy great palate. Head lasts well. Just great all round really.

Thanks to Kevin who got the bottle from Duane. Thanks a lot to both of them. Poured a hazy gold. The aroma is certainly Westy with some fresh grass, pears and light flowers. There is also a very subtle citrus hint. The taste is bready and sweet with some spicy clove. There is also some subtle Red Delicious Apple. Nicely done.

Grassy, hoppy aroma with a little fruitiness. The taste is very similar, thpough slightly sweet and very drinkable. Need to get some more, one of the best blonde’s iv had, though grassy top an exsteme level.

8 June 2005 - Luscious fruit hops. Cloudy golden-orange colour, great lacing and good head. Light malt with complex hop flavour. Crisp finish with lingering fruit hops. Overall - Very good for a blond beer.