Westvleteren 12 (XII)

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

Serve in Trappist glass

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UPDATED: MAY 16, 2003 A work of art. What can I possibly say about this massive beer that hasn't already been well-articulated by so many others? Remarkable how they hide all that alcohol!

Don’t really know what to say about it. I’ve never had anything so complex in my life. This is the #1 beer on this site for a reason. It’s incredible.

Truly a great beer with age. I bought fresh from the brewery and didn’t like the early taste. One year later, I began drinking from the case I bought and found a new, wonderful appreciation. Great beer, let age and double ferment to truly appreciate it, though.

I was lucky enough to find a bottle of this at a liquor store in Davis Square, Sommerville MA. It took a long time to get up the courage to open it. What an incredible beer. Complex enough to deserve an essay, needs to be experienced. One beer that definately lives up to its score.

UPDATED: SEP 17, 2004 Akin to the $5 milkshake at Jack Rabbit Slim's.

UPDATED: JAN 26, 2003 Deep hazy mahogany in color, huge thick creamy off white head, leaves a thick lace in the glass. Fruity, spicy, bready aroma of caremel and plums, kind of like a cake. Malty bready caremel flavors, full body, thick and creamy, silky mouthfeel, can't really even taste the alcohol, smooth and wonderfull, this is the best of the best, perfect.

UPDATED: MAR 19, 2013
2013-03-08, bb 23.03.04, 12 years old, 8-5-9-4-17=43
probably purchased at the abbey in 2001
The bottle is slowly gushing; hazy brown color, with thin but persistent head. Strong malt aroma, with hint of caramel and chocolate. Rich malt flavor, with still a favorable body structure, and medium sweetness; the age doesn’t really translate into signs of oxidization, but there are some roasted nuts; correct bitterness, and comforting alcohol warmth.
Mature, elegant, harmonious.

2012-06-09, Westvleteren XII, bottle at Pibar, Lausanne, bb 05.10.14, possibly just 8 months old, 7-5-7-3-14=36
Cloudy brown, generous head, lovely lace. The caramel and gently roasted malts aroma is harmonious; it’s sweet and malty, simpler than Rochefort (having a 3yo of it side-to-side), but with some honey too. Malt and caramel flavor, with some roasted malt, a bit too much alcohol perception, impression of vegetables and herbs, correct bitterness.
Good, but very young, immature, requiring at least a serious breathing in the glass.

2011-01-28, bb 23.03.04, possibly vintage 2001, 10 years old, 8-5-10-4-18=45
Dark chestnut color, edging to black, with a thin creamy cap. The aroma has caramel and light roasted malts; sweet and with a shade of oxidisation; similar to the Westvleteren Extra 8 same vintage tasted side to side, but deeper. Good body strength, smooth mouthfeel; strong malt flavor, still very sweet, with caramel, milk chocolate. No signs of age, no signs of alcohol; the bitterness is obviously low; there is caramel and sweet nuts in the end. This beer is convincing for the malt profile and the velvety feeling.

2002-05-14, 9-5-10-5-19=48
Ruby-amber ale; wonderful thick head., Strong malt and hop aroma. Full body, some residual sweetness, strong malt, caramel, light liquorice, low alcohol in the mouth, warming, smooth, well balanced. Palate long, aromatic, sweet and bitter, malty and hoppy.</br> <font color=’#FF3300’>My favourite one, of course.</font>

A beer that can’t get any better only by age!

My favorite Belgian strong ale,satisfying to the point that you feel the guilt when you do finally take it out of the fridge and open it...then again some of life’s greatest pleasures are guilty ones.

Raisins, plums, figs what an aroma! Apricot colour, some floaties, almost no head. Creamy caramel taste, also plums, figs, port. Complexity out the ying yang. Ambrosia!