Westvleteren Extra 8

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

bottle - Pours very dark brown with a big light tan head. It has a malty, dark fruit accented aroma with some caramel. The taste is sweet malt and dark fruit. I’m also getting a hint of anise. It’s a very tasty, drinkable strong ale with a medium to full body that leaves some pleasantly complex flavors lingering on the palate.

Having waited years to try anything from this brewery I finally got hold off a couple of bottles of the blue from the lovely people at Beers of Europe. Dark and pouring with a brown head my first impression was off a pleasant creamy strong ale. Lots of body but not a lot of complexity. Some caramel was present and it was very pleasant to drink. Still think it is overated.

Pours dark chestnut brown with a huge tan head. Smells of buttery toffee, nuts, fruit, yeast, and spices. This is a thick beer and very smooth. The taste is of buttery caramel and toffee, brown sugar, and an assortment of dark fruit. It has a touch of roasted malt flavor leading to a hint of a bitter finish that doesn’t take away from the sweetness of this beer, it just complements it. Can’t get over the creamy smoothness of the mouthfeel for a beer this big. Tasted next to a Struise Pannepot, and it tasted a little harsh in comparison. This is truly a great beer to be savored.

Bottle from BelgianBeerGal (BIG THANKS!) Pour was dark brown, plenty of carbonation and smelled of fermented raisins and brown sugar. Flavor was also raisins, brown sugar, heavy malt and finished with a green apple aftertaste. Very good, but I don’t see it as a top 50 beer.

finaly, my first Westvleteren... been lokinfg for it for a while, high hopes... lots of carbonation, it foamed out of the bottle. reamy BIG head, hazy brownruby colour. very herbal taste, smell of old, very ripe fruit. don’t really know if its worth €7,50 a bottle, but its almost everything I hoped it would be.

I’m not for certain, but I may have enjoyed this more then the 12. Bright mahogany but something deep about it. Ruby red more like it. Big beige head. On the nose, some apples, cinnamon and a little smoke. Creamy, frothy and with really attractive lacing on the glass. I couldn’t get over that. Taste was very generous with caramel and toast, a little biscuity character on the finish. Overall one of the best Belgian Strong Ales I’ve had in a long time. Thanks John!

15-May-2009 Bottle at Ølfestivalen. First beer tasted, and a good start:-) Off-white head on a brownish colout. Very malty with figs and charamel. Typical belgian. Very easy drinkability, and carbonation is not as high as feared. Long aftertaste. Really good beer.

The unlabeled bottle looks really good, the beer in the glass also. Starts modest malty, a little bit alcoholic, not too intense. Finish mild, notes of marzipan, warming. Harmonic aftertaste. Really good, but not as good as exspected. Thanks to HenrikSoegaard for the bottle!